Audi has a stylish luxury coupe to compete with the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The A5 has a familiar 3.2L V-6 under the hood partially mounted behind the front axle to improve weight distribution and handling. The S5 performance model upgrades to a 4.2L V8 rated at 354 horsepower. Both models offer a choice of 6-speed manual or automatic transmissions. Audi's quattro all-wheel-drive is standard.

The turbocharged four-cylinder from the A4 joins the A5 lineup creating A5 2.0T models. Navigation models feature an upgraded MMI system with SIRIUS traffic. LED tail lights are added to higher trim levels. A manual transmission is no longer available with the 3.2L V6. The 2010 model year is the last year the V8 engine resides under the hood of the S5 coupe.