| First Drive | Florence, Italy | Audi A5 Sportback |

Audi's model proliferation in the past decade or so has been impressive. Ignore for a moment that the company spuriously includes RS and Avant ranges as individual models to bolster the figures, but even so there's a lot of choice in the Audi showroom. The A5 Sportback adds some more, the smart-looking five-door mixing up A4 Avant and saloon, with a bit of A5 Coupé looks. It's an interesting proposition then, though the lack of direct rivals suggests Audi is either breaking new ground here, or heading up an evolutionary dead end.

In the Metal

Front and rear you could be looking at the A5 Sportback's Coupé relative, the squat, purposeful stance not without appeal. In profile is where the A5 Sportback reveals the difference between it and the coupé - namely a pair of rear doors and a hatchback boot. It's colour sensitive the Sportback though, looking rather ordinary in the default Audi silver, with darker hues doing its lines greater justice.

Despite its sloping roofline, there's space in the back, with leg- and headroom accommodating the majority of adults. The boot too is vast, it only a few litres smaller than an A4 Avant's - even if it's not as useful in terms of shape. Typically, the build and materials inside are impeccable, the A5 Sportback's cabin an appealing place in which to spend time.

What you get for your Money

Three trim levels exist, but if you opt for your A5 Sportback in anything other than S line it's likely you'll be in a small minority. All come with climate control, split folding rear seats and a driver information system, but take that S line model and you'll get everything you could possibly need or want - as well as the sportier S line bumpers, grille and LED lights front and rear.

Sitting between A4 Avant and A5 Coupé in the pricing charts, a 2.0-litre TDI S line costs £29,340, the same engine in standard trim starting at £25,440. You could spend £36,220 on an S line 3.0-litre TDI, or more in the future when the inevitable S5 Sportback arrives, but the entry-level engines actually represent the most appealing models in the Sportback range.

Driving it

Four engines and three transmission choices make up the A5 Sportback launch range, there being two turbodiesels and two petrol engines to pick from. The entry points are taken by the 2.0-litre TDI and TFSI units, the other end of the range being headed by a 3.0-litre six-cylinder TDI and a 3.2-litre FSI petrol engine. Tempting as the bigger powerplants are they're not such a giant step over the smaller engines to make them must have options - even if the 3.0-litre TDI unit's mid-range punch impresses.

The A5 Sportback is best served with its smaller engines, in particular the 2.0-litre TDI. Mated to a decent-shifting six-speed manual transmission and front wheel drive, the TDI's 168bhp is ample to produce decent pace. Sixty two mph arrives in a respectable 8.7 seconds, it's impressive flexibility making it an easy drive that's suited to Audi's grand touring aspirations for the A5 Sportback.

A comfortable place to cover big miles then, the A5 Sportback is more suited to cruising than a demonstration in dynamic excellence. There's plenty of grip and roll-free cornering thanks to its wide track, but with zero feel through the light steering there's little incentive to push it through the bends. Instead it's best to enjoy the Sportback's refinement, generally dignified composure and relaxed gait. Its comfort further underlines the futility of specifying Audi's variable driver select system, which allows you to alter the A5's steering, throttle, damping and gearbox settings - it only adds a less organic feel to the drive, with leaden steering among the compromises it brings.

Worth Noting

If the company is picking up the bills then the only engine choice in the launch line up is the 2.0-litre TDI. Coming equipped with a stop-start system as standard, the 2.0-litre TDI brings very credible economy and emissions figures. On the official combined cycle Audi quotes 54.3mpg, while CO₂ emissions are impressively low at 137g/km.

Summary

Audi's new A5 Sportback really is alone in the marketplace. The history books contain some interesting machines that have tried to do what Audi is aiming for with it, the Rover 800 Fastback and Vauxhall Signum not exactly high points for their respective manufacturers. The Audi might not be conventional, but there's no denying it's a handsome, capable car. Quite who is going to buy it remains the biggest question, but it's got looks and pricing on its side.