# Autoblog Says Audi A5 Sportback Possible for USA and A8 TDI within 1 Year. They're Half Right.



## [email protected] (Apr 9, 2004)

We'll make no secret that we love the A5 Sportback. With a shape somewhere between an Aston Martin Rapide and a Bentley Continental GT but the size of the more livable A5, it's really a perfect setup. We'd take ours in 3.0 TDI S-line trim were they sold in the U.S. but alas they're not. Well, that might be a possibility says Autoblog in a story this week. 

The report, along with suggestion of a TDI version of the A8 is by the normally very reliable Damon Lavrinc so we're wondering his source. Why? Well, we think he's spot on with the A8 part. A 3.0 TDI is being very seriously considered for America and we'd put our money on that coming to fruition.

The part that we're more interested in, the part about the A5 Sportback, is categorically untrue according to our intel source. The A5 Sportback, at least in current form, is a bit of forbidden fruit for America because when the American market was dropped from the A5 Sportback business plan word is Audi designers were granted more liberty to do an even more aggressive sloping rear roofline that you see on today's car.

According to our source, the car wasn't designed with U.S. rear occupent crash criteria in mind and making it work for America would be a costly endeavor that would also see a car decidedly less aggressive in appearance. For this reason, the business plan as it applies to today's car does not work.

As the story references the A7 and Audi's plan to measure the car's success, one has to wonder if Lavrinc's source is referencing the next generation model be it the 2013 product improvement (facelift) or the eventual successor further out. It's doubtful that Audi would make such a structural change to the product improvement or P.I. but perhaps with the 'B9' generation it could happen.


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## QUATTR0 (Dec 1, 2005)

Shame about the A5 Sportback, because it would do very well here. If you look at A5 coupe sales they are well over 50% of A4 sales. A more practical version of the A5 would do even better IMO. Alas, AoA thinks the business model doesn't make sense here either because Americans don't like hatchbacks or it will take away from A4 sales, which are not so hot BTW. That's too bad since the A5 Sportback would be at the top of my shopping list... well at least the A7 is coming.


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## [email protected] (Apr 9, 2004)

QUATTR0;bt381 said:


> Shame about the A5 Sportback, because it would do very well here. If you look at A5 coupe sales they are well over 50% of A4 sales. A more practical version of the A5 would do even better IMO. Alas, AoA thinks the business model doesn't make sense here either because Americans don't like hatchbacks or it will take away from A4 sales, which are not so hot BTW. That's too bad since the A5 Sportback would be at the top of my shopping list... well at least the A7 is coming.


It's easy to have 20:20 hindsight because cars in market such as the Panamera and Rapide are changing the schema of what a 5-door hatchback can be.... sexy, luxurious, sporting, premium, cool. Prior to that no one really played in the segment and even Saab abandoned it with their fiercely loyal following. No doubt the decision on the roofline of the A5 Sportback and the decision on the US market was made years ago before these other cars helped to change minds. Were it my job on the line 3-4 years ago as I decided the proposed success of a 5-door I'd have likely gone the same route Audi eventually did.


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