Bringing a sportier and elegant look than a regular saloon
They’re far more practical than a regular coupe and are well worth a look. Here we’re pitching two particular options next to each other – the Audi A5 Sportback and Volkswagen Arteon.
Exterior
Style is absolutely key in the four-door coupe class, and it’s an area where both the Audi A5 Sportback and Volkswagen Arteon excel.
Let’s start with the A5, which retains all the style of the regular Coupe, but with additional practicality thanks to its slightly longer shape and additional set of rear doors. In S line and Black Edition forms, this Audi looks particularly sporty, and gives the impression of a car more expensive than it is.
Moving on to the Arteon, which is a bespoke model for Volkswagen, this car has stood out for all the right reasons ever since it was first revealed in 2017. Recent changes have only sharpened the way it looks, though the sleek lines and elegant grille remain. A bit like the Audi, the Arteon looks best if you go for the sportier-looking version – called R-Line in this case.
Interior
Though the Audi might have the advantage of a more premium badge, the Arteon gets pretty close in terms of interior quality and feel. With a large touchscreen and digital dials included, the latest model adopts a new touch-sensitive climate control system, which only adds to the modern feel.
Though the A5 might be one of Audi’s older models now, this interior shows the very best from this German manufacturer. The quality of the materials inside is superb, with higher-spec versions getting a fantastic mix of Alcantara and leather. It perhaps doesn’t quite feel as ‘techy’ as the Volkswagen, but still gets a large easy-to-use touchscreen, as well as a digital dial display.
Practicality
If you like the look of a coupe but they just don’t offer the level of practicality needed, there’s a lot to be said about cars like these two.
With an additional set of rear doors, they both offer a more useful hatchback boot opening, rather than a more impractical saloon layout. In terms of boot space, the Arteon is the slightly more useful choice, with 563 litres on offer, compared to 465 litres in the Audi. Both offer plenty of rear space, however, making them useful choices for families that still want a stylish choice.
Technology
Standard equipment levels on both cars will appeal those that love their technology, with a large touchscreen with a raft of connectivity features included, as well as a customisable digital instrument cluster.
Other features on offer include Matrix LED lights (known as IQ Light, by Volkswagen), which allow you to leave the main beam on, with the lights then filtering around other road users – offering you fantastic vision but without dazzling other road users.
There’s loads of driver assistance technology on offer too, though you will need to upgrade to the top-spec model models to get the most technology on both. Features such as adaptive cruise control that can change according to the speed limit, as well as for curves ahead in the road are on offer, as well as blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert.
Powertrains
Both the A5 Sportback and Arteon are available with a wide range of engine options, with petrol and diesel available across the two, though the Volkswagen is available with the added bonus of a plug-in hybrid - ideal for those wanting to reduce their running costs, or for company car drivers.
Starting with the Audi, petrol options consist of a 148bhp 2.0-litre (35 TFSI), a 201bhp 2.0-litre (40 TFSI) and a 262bhp 2.0-litre (45 TFSI). Meanwhile the diesel options on offer are a 148bhp 2.0-litre TDI (35 TDI) and a 201bhp 2.0-litre TDI (40 TDI).
As for the Arteon, it uses very similar engines to the Audi, with a 148bhp 1.5-litre petrol starting the range, followed by a 187bhp 2.0-litre petrol. If you’d like a diesel, a 2.0-litre turbocharged unit is offered with outputs of 148bhp and 197bhp. The plug-in hybrid meanwhile combines a 1.4-litre petrol engine with an electric motor, offering a power output of up to 215bhp. Volkswagen also claims it can travel for up to 35 miles on EV power.
