New Audi A5 & S5 2012 facelift revealed

The 2012 Audi S5

Audi has refreshed the A5 and S5 for 2012 with small cosmetic tweaks, revised engines and the loss of the V8 in the S5.

It doesn’t seem five minutes since the Audi A5 arrived, bridging the gap between the A4 and A6. Or, as the cynics may say, allowing Audi charge a lot more for what is an A4 Coupe.

Still, the A5 has been – as all Audis are – a success. So time to have a tweak and a twiddle to keep the sales rolling in, bring on a bit more power, better economy and lower emissions. The usual facelift fodder.

The cosmetic stuff doesn’t look major. The headlights get a tweak as do the fogs and lower air intakes. The grill also gets a bit of TLC and the lights out back get refreshed too.

Inside stuff like upgraded Infotainment, modified trim and steering wheel controls all just add a fresher feel. Not that it was really needed; the A5/S5 still felt fresh. Still, good to be ahead of the game.

The bigger news is under the bonnet – and it’s not all good, if hardly unexpected.

Diesel engines start with the 2.0 litre 175bhp with an astonishing (but not real world) 60mpg, and a pair of 3.0 litre diesels – 201bhp and 241bhp

The entry level petrol A5 is the 1.8 TFSI turbo four-pot with a healthier 168bhp and 236lb/ft of torque – up just a few horses on before but with seemingly much more torque. The 208bhp 2.0 litre TFSI stays the same and there’s a supercharged 3.0 litre TFSI V6 which manages 268bhp.

The biggest news is probably the sad departure of the 4.2 litre V8 from the S5 Coupe, to be replaced by the 328bhp V6 already seen in the S5 Cabriolet. The V6 improves economy by 20% to 35mpg and, despite having less power (but the same torque) it manages to just shade the performance of the V8. But sad to lose the noise of the V8.

All the tweaks and changes are enough to keep the Audi A5 and S5 ahead of the pack.

On sale in December – expect a small price rise.