Audi envisions its new family of four-door hatchbacks — the company insists on calling them "five-door coupes" — as a stand-alone sub-series under the name Sportback, in much the same way that the company markets its station wagons under the Avant name.
While we won't see the A5 Sportback on this side of the Atlantic any time soon, the even larger A7 Sportback — previewed earlier this year at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show and due to reach production in a year or two — is said to be under serious consideration for the U.S. market.
An official statement from Audi of America left the door open slightly on the smaller model, saying, "The A5 Sportback is not in our near-term plans."
The A5 Sportback will reach European dealers in September, priced from around $50,000 for the 2.0 TDI variant. A lower-priced sibling will join the European range in mid-2010.
The four-passenger A5 Sportback will come with a choice of direct-injection gasoline and diesel engines, ranging from the 168-horsepower 2.0 TDI to a 262-hp 3.2 TSI V6. Both front- and all-wheel-drive Quattro versions will be available.
Inside Line says: And we thought we were confused by the term "four-door coupe." — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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