Audi unveils the A5 Sportsback ahead of official Paris debut

The 2017 Audi S5 Fastback © Audi

Following hot on the heels of its two-door coupé counterpart, the new Audi A5 Sportback offers sharper looks, even higher levels of technology plus extra doors and luggage space.

In other words, the second-generation Sportback offers the best of both worlds -- sportscar looks and handling but with true family car practicality.

It's been seven years and over 340,000 examples since the original A5 Sportback launched and Audi doesn't want to mess with a winning formula.

So the car's interior space has been increased for even more rear passenger room and the luggage compartment expanded to 480 litres but the exterior lines and proportions remain the same.

Other notable updates include the latest generation infotainment system complete with Audi Connect smartphone app operation and of course the latest active driver aids.

The Sportback has adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist, collision avoidance and can even use GPS to understand the road ahead and adjust throttle and gears accordingly for the greatest fuel efficiency.

However, for those that want to up the performance, the new flagship S5 Sportback won't disappoint. It boasts a new twin-turbo V6 engine that offers up 500Nm of torque and 349bhp, plus permanent all-wheel drive for a top speed of 155mph (electronically limited) and a 0-100km/h time of just 4.7 seconds.

The new A5 and A5 Sportback plus their S5 derivatives will make their real-world debut at the Paris Motor show on September 28.