Audi Will Finally Bring The A5/S5 Sportback To The US

2017 Audi S5 Sportback (Credit: Audi)

The number of forbidden fruit European cars is about to shrink by two. Audi will finally offer the A5 and S5 Sportbacks on this side of the Atlantic. That means we too can have the sexy shape of a four-door coupe, plus some actual cargo space.

The 2.0-liter turbo four-banger will be in the US-spec A5 Sportback, putting out 252 horsepower and 273 lb.-ft. of torque. Mated to the engine is a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Those who crave more speed and have the extra cash can go for the S5 Sportback, which has the 3.0-liter turbo V-6. It pumps out 354 horsepower and 369 lb.-ft. of torque. For even better performance, an eight-speed torque-converter automatic is paired up with this engine.

Both models will of course have Quattro all-wheel drive, but a manual transmission isn’t even an option. That’s not surprising, considering you can’t get one for the new Audi S4, but it still is disappointing.

Audi used the terrific MLB Evo platform for the A5 and S5 Sportback models. That means they should serve up some razor-sharp handling. As for the interior, pretty much everything is the same as the A5 coupe, which is great news as well.

Expect to see the new cars in the United States in the early part of 2017.