Generation history
Audi A5 generations and next redesign.
The Audi A5 has been through 2 generations, starting in 2007 and 2016. The gaps were 9 years, an average of 9.0. The pace has been steady. The current generation began in 2016. On that cadence the next full redesign points to 2024 through 2026, centered on 2025. This is a projection. It comes from the model's own past redesign years, not from the manufacturer. A mid-cycle refresh usually lands in between. Public records describe the current generation this way: The second-generation A5 and S5 Coupé, based on the ninth generation of the Volkswagen Group MLB Platform, were unveiled on 2 June 2016. Specifications, trims and the NHTSA safety record are on the Audi A5 model page.
Every generation
The Audi A5, generation by generation.
| Generation | Code | Years | What changed |
|---|
| First generation | n/a | 2007–2016 | When unveiled at the March 2007 Geneva Motor Show, the A5 marked Audi's return to the compact executive coupé market after the (B3/B4) Audi 80-based coupé ended production in 1996. |
|---|
| Second generation | n/a | 2016–present | The second-generation A5 and S5 Coupé, based on the ninth generation of the Volkswagen Group MLB Platform, were unveiled on 2 June 2016. |
|---|
The Audi A5 spent 9.0 years per generation on average. The current one is 10 years old. Treat 2024 to 2026 as a range, not a date.
Source: Audi A5 (Wikipedia). The estimate is our arithmetic on those start years.
Open the Audi A5 model page for specifications, trims, safety record and answers.
In more detail
What each Audi A5 generation changed.
First generation, 2007 to 2016
When unveiled at the March 2007 Geneva Motor Show, the A5 marked Audi's return to the compact executive coupé market after the (B3/B4) Audi 80-based coupé ended production in 1996. On May 10, 2006, Audi confirmed that the A5 would go into production. The B6/B7 A4 included a convertible variant but no coupé. For the fourth-generation A4 (B8), Audi decided to spin off the cabriolet, along with a new coupé and four-door fastback sedan, into a distinct nameplate as the A5.
Second generation, 2016 to today
The second-generation A5 and S5 Coupé, based on the ninth generation of the Volkswagen Group MLB Platform, were unveiled on 2 June 2016. Two petrol and two diesel engines are offered for the A5. The petrol engines are 2.0 litre TFSI with either 140 kW (190 PS; 188 hp) or 185 kW (252 PS; 248 hp), and the diesel motors are 2.0 TDI and 3.0 TDI, with 140 kW (190 PS; 188 hp) or 210 kW (286 PS; 282 hp).
Generation notes adapted from Audi A5 (Wikipedia).
Today's Audi A5
What the current generation is, and how it has held up.
Audi A5 at a glance
- Production
- 2007–present
- Class
- Compact executive car (D), Grand tourer (S) (2007–2024)
- Layout
- Front-engine, front-wheel-drive / all-wheel-drive (quattro)
- Related models
- Audi A4
Recent recalls (2 campaigns across the latest model years)
- December 2025, Seat Belts:Rear/Other:Retractor. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Audi) is recalling certain 2025 SQ6 E-Tron, SQ6 Sportback E-Tron, Q6 Sportback E-Tron, A6, A5, A6 Sportback E-Tron, Q6 E-Tron, S5, and S6 Sportback E-Tron vehicles. The automatic locking retractor may fail to engage when a child… Consequence: An improperly secured child seat can increase risk of injury during a crash.
- September 2025, Seat Belts:Front:Retractor. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2025 GTI, Golf R, Audi A5, A6 Sportback E-Tron, S5, S6 Sportback E-Tron, 2026 Q4 Sportback E-Tron, and Q4 E-Tron vehicles. The torsion bar in one or both front seat belt retractors may… Consequence: In a crash, a damaged torsion bar in a retractor could fail. If this happens, the seat belt may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk…
Owners filed 1 complaints with NHTSA for the 2026 Audi A5, most often about forward collision avoidance (1).