Premium quality, high-tech hybrid

Photo: Richard Bosselman

ROAD TEST

Plug-in hybrid technology has regressed to slow burn acceptance here, but new car distributors keep plugging on. Their approach is a reminder that regardless of local sentiment, many of the world’s car makers have decided PHEV offerings are an important way of achieving emissions and economy standards required in overseas markets far larger than our own.

But even then, it’s not easy. Audi recently joined several rivals in backing off from a previously aggressive global electric vehicle strategy. Company chief executive Gernot Dollner’s firm view remains that EVs are simply the better technology and still the ultimate end game. However, with consumer sentiment not aligning to that ideal, Ingolstadt has been forced into what it calls "greater flexibility".

That means that a company previously going all-in for pure electric by 2033 now intends to keep developing petrol and petrol-hybrids alongside EVs for at least another decade. As a result, vehicles like the one on test here have a higher priority now than might have been imagined during development.

The A5 Avant arrives with a plug-in hybrid powertrain which centres on the VW Group’s ubiquitous 2.0-litre EA888 turbo-petrol four combined with an electric motor inside its seven-speed automatic gearbox. The system provides combined peak outputs of 220kW of power and 380Nm of torque, delivered to all four wheels.

A 25.9kWh (20.7 usable) battery promises an electric-only range of just over 100km in ideal conditions, according to the NZ-trusted WLTP scale. Charging is by way of regenerative braking (with different levels of effort selectable via paddle shifts), and plug-in AC charging at up to 11kW.

Audi’s station wagons have always been lookers but this last A5 Avant is exceptional in its silhouette and stance. You can’t help but admire both how handsome it is, and how upmarket. The high-quality approach pervades in all directions, but is particularly evidenced in a premium, modern, tech-forward cabin, dominated by some truly impressive screens and exuding excellent materials, fit and finish.

Photo: Richard Bosselman

Admittedly, you need to be flush to buy into the level of plush presented for test.

The recommended retail for the A5 Avant e-hybrid S-Line is $117,990, and for that you get the S line exterior and interior, Matrix LED headlights, privacy glass, progressive steering and a suite of premium technology such as the MMI panoramic display, navigation and inductive phone charging, plus three-zone automatic climate control and a comprehensive safety suite.

Even so, getting that base car up to the standard of the test vehicle would demand another $23,500.

The largest component of that extra outlay was the $7500 Tech Pro package, delivering damper adjustment for the S sport suspension, OLED tail lights with selectable signatures, electric steering column adjustment and seat heating for the outer rear seats. Other big ticket items were the retracting trailer hitch ($4000), Audi Sport styling wheels ($3500), and the Black Exterior dress-up kit ($2500). Further items, including front headrest speakers to further enhance the Bang and Olufsen premium sound, leads to a final $141,490 tag.

That is just $6500 below the RRP for the other kind of A5 Avant offered here, the stonking twin-turbo 270kW/550Nm S5. The S5 has a lot of those PHEV-additional comforts as standard, but it is very different beast, aimed at a very different audience.

The differences between the S5 performance flagship and the heavily electric-assisted A5 PHEV is kind of moot, as the two vehicles are clearly on a different mission, simple as that.

But while accepting that it has 50kW and 170Nm less to give than the S5, the PHEV is by no means a dull performer. Its 0-100kmh time of 5.9 seconds is decent for a car of this ilk, and the 250kmh top speed has high-speed autobahn cruising in mind. So, if you need to give it some welly, it won’t lack for spark.

Conversely, if green goodness is a priority, then the A5 PHEV has all the figures to relate a good story.

Photo: Richard Bosselman

Pure electric consumption of 15.8kWh/100km is achievable in optimal conditions, while blending engine and motor in the primary economy mode can eke out fossil fuel burn to a remarkable 2.1-litres per 100km. Even when the battery is discharged and the petrol engine is left to shoulder all the work, Audi cites fuel consumption of 6.5 to 7.4-litres/100km on its test regime.

In reality, of course, achieving economy as good as that delivered in an Ingolstadt lab isn’t that easy. Nonetheless, the test car came out of a week of operation with a pretty decent average fuel burn of 6.8L/100km.

The way the vehicle sips fuel reflects how the drivetrain has been programmed.

Most PHEVs will prioritise electric effort for low-speed city driving, but the Audi system is particularly zealous at striving to place ohms before octane in that environment, to the point it is able to optimise battery usage based on navigation data.

Ostensibly, just the "EV" mode is for fully electric driving (obviously) and next up "hybrid" is supposed to be more strategic. But on test, in anything other than its outright performance setting, the car would regress to electric as often as it could.

In its hybrid setting, it will always start its journey using electric power, and during urban running keep that green EV light illuminated unless the accelerator pedal is somewhat firmly pushed.

Of course, the driver can select the fully electric mode that only uses the battery until it depletes its charge, and driving on electric power never leaves the car feeling burdened or lacking in performance.

The perfect scenario for optimal everyday economy seems to be a regime of around 90km mixed-condition driving then a good bout of daily charging during down times. I cannot attest to being religious about that and must also admit to being keen on using the performance mode, in which the car forgoes being parsimonious and instead utilises both the petrol and electric motors to deliver optimal punch.

Photo: Richard Bosselman

For all the sporty ambience, the A5 PHEV is an impressively quiet machine. Driving in the electric mode best highlights how much work has gone into tuning the acoustics and preventing wind and road noise from seeping into the cabin. But even when the petrol engine is doing its stuff, aural refinement remains high.

Audi has also worked hard on the A5’s suspension to improve handling and bring the car closer to its rivals when it comes to driving pleasure and driver involvement. Body control is good, too, keeping lean in corners to a minimum, and though the ride quality is not limo-smooth — for that’s not Audi’s style with this sort of car — the quality of bump absorption is impressive.

The business element of driving is keeping up with all the data the car is relaying. The cabin being largely free from buttons, aside from the vast number found on the steering wheel, doesn’t make it minimalist, as the dashboard is almost entirely covered in screens, particularly on the test car with its optional passenger display — so three of those, plus the driver’s head-up display.

To be fair, the screen that sits ahead of the front-seat passenger, alongside the wide, curved housing that plays host to the digital instrument cluster and the central touchscreen, isn’t of particular relevance to the driver. But it does raise the question of how much technology you can stand before it becomes an overload. I’d say Audi is taking that proposition to an extreme.

The wholesale dependence on touch and swipe operability is certainly full on; those of the opinion that using a screen is more distracting than using a button will have a hard time coming to terms with this one.

I’m OK with touchscreen as a rule, but feel Audi’s menus are less logical here than some and the software feels less intuitive, too.

That the temperature controls are always on display and features such as the demister are always immediately available is thoughtful, but accessing other fundamental functions can be distracting. The steering wheel buttons don’t help much, because they’re fiddly and tightly packed. It also seems remarkable that even after taking up all the dashboard with screens, Audi has also placed a touch pad on the driver’s door for further functionality.

The front passenger screen will be useful when you have someone in that seat who is up to helping out if need be; while it’s more pared back than the central display, from here you can change the audio, re-set the cabin temperature and configure the navigation.

Photo: Richard Bosselman

The A5’s tech doesn’t just reside in the cabin. The lights are a big part of the technology offering with their customisable signatures and the adaptive beam technology.

The challenge? Avant is Audi-speak for station wagon and it’s not spoken with particular force here.

It’s a general rule that plug-in hybrids don’t compromise on rear passenger space but sacrifice cargo space to accommodate the necessary battery pack. The S5 Avant claims 476 litres, which in itself is modest, but the PHEV fares worse. It’s down to 361 litres and also loses the spare wheel.

A parcel shelf that moves up and out of the way when you open the power-operated tailgate, a twin floor and various bag hooks and nets are much appreciated and the boot shape is useful in width and height. But ultimately, there’s no escaping that it’s a small luggage compartment. The only pathway to load-carrying redemption is dropping the back seats, which more than trebles capacity to 1306 litres.

If you feel the styling makes up for limited carrying capacity on a car that bills as a wagon then it’s a sacrifice worth making. If not? You’re better off with the Audi Q5 SUV or looking outside the brand.

Regardless, Audi has raised the bar for this car with a cabin that confirms its luxury status and technology push.