Audi's A5 range is about to receive an update, as evidenced by a prototype for an updated A5 Sportback.
Similar updates will feature on the related A4 range, numerous prototypes for which have also been spotted.
The updates represent a mid-cycle refresh for the cars and should be introduced for the 2021 model year. The first of the udpated cars should start appearing late this year.
2021 Audi A5 Sportback facelift spy shots - Image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
Looking at the spy shots of the updated A5 Sportback, we can see that the headlights feature new internals including a new design for the daytime running lights. The front grille is also slightly wider and lower than on the current A5 Sportback.
At the rear, the taillight shape is similar to the current A5 Sportback but extra details make the units resemble the design on the A6 and A7, and we may also see a new chrome accent join the lights like on the more premium models. Finally, there are also new exhaust tips with a rectangular shape.
There's no shot of the cabin but we expect the dashboard to be redesigned so that the infotainment screen is integrated within the center stack instead of tacked on to the top of the dash like in the current A5 Sportback. We might also see the controls for the climate settings switch from physical knobs to a touchscreen interface like in the A6 and A8, though physical controls could remain if Audi goes with a design similar to the one used in the A1 Sportback.
2021 Audi A5 Sportback facelift spy shots - Image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
The base powertrain should be a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 matching the current A5 Sportback's 252-horsepower. However, an A5 Sportback e-tron plug-in hybrid is expected to finally join the range to plug the gap between the regular A5 Sportback and sporty S5 Sportback.
Speaking of the S5 Sportback, it and its more extreme RS 5 Sportback sibling should receive the same updates you see here.
Sadly, a manual transmission will no longer be offered in any Audi after the 2018 model year runs its course. Audi has confirmed that 2018 is the last year that it will offer cars with a third pedal. A special run of A4 Ultrasport sedans was announced to mark the end of the era.
