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2008 Audi A5 3.0 TDI Road Test

Ah, the Coupe. Amidst all the buzz of practicality and the space efficiency race,

A beautiful car that deserves a beautiful engine. Thankfully, it's got one. Unfortunately, it isn't available here. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

this is a vehicle designed to stir the soul, the sort of car that puts emotions before just about anything else. Who cares about back seat legroom and headroom or trunk space when you're looking this good?

It's been a while since Audi's had this sort of car in its range. The TT's a real sports car, and the R8 a supercar, but the A5 portrays itself as ice cool, slick and mellow. Penned by Walter de Silva, who describes this as his finest design, the A5 opens a new chapter of design for Audi. From its chiseled lines to the fine detail of its trapezoidal grille and lower LED driving lights, the A5 may be different from any other Audi to date, but it fits in with the rest of the range perfectly. The new cabin, shared with the A4 is also top-notch, in terms of design and execution.

But we're not here to analyze the A5 on the whole; that will come later this year when we get our hands on the 3.2 FSI engine. Instead, Audi has brought us something special, a taste of the A5 from a European perspective, one that's equipped with the brand's fine 3.0-liter TDI V6

This 3.0 TDI V6 makes 20 lb-ft more torque than the S5. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

, a powerplant that Audi is claiming as the world's cleanest diesel when fitted with the AdBlue emissions treatment system. The car pictured here is European spec, and as such it doesn't have AdBlue, but I've driven the car with the system and there's no noticeable difference.

This engine is the foundation for premium diesel power for many of Audi's new models; it's being used in the European A4, Q7 and others. Through the use of the latest injection and turbocharging technologies, this engine produces a remarkable amount of power with an unparalleled level of refinement - coupes are supposed to be smooth, and lo and behold the 3.0 TDI is. But for the distant, every so slight mechanical clatter right off idle when starting out, or when undergoing heavier acceleration, it's nigh on impossible for the average person to tell that this coupe is a diesel. What's equally impressive is how pleasing the engine sounds when you're leaning on it. Diesels, in general, don't sound fruity or lively, and while the A5's engine doesn't sing like the 3.2 V6 FSI gasoline-powered engine, it's melodic and engaging.

Low redline is your only real clue that this is a diesel. Honest! (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

How does it drive? With diesels, horsepower doesn't come close to telling the story. The 369 lb-ft of torque the engine churns is a better descriptor. That's 20 lb-ft more than available from the S5's 4.2-liter V8, a maximum of which is produced between 1,500 and 3,000 rpm. Between idle and 1,500 the engine feels a touch weak, as the turbo isn't spinning in its sweet zone, but the instant you're above 1,500 it all piles on in one giant surge. This thing hauls like few other vehicles I've felt.

0-60 is served up in just a touch over six seconds. Yeah, you read that right. The kick in the pants feeling is thrilling, but the real fireworks occur in terms of in-gear acceleration. You don't need to drop a gear, just floor it and the A5 picks up speed in the blink of an eye. Third gear is good from 30 to 130 mph, and it makes that leap in about 16 seconds. First gear in the six-speed manual is a bit on the short side, and with a relatively small powerband there's a lot of shifting to do. Although the manual box is sweet, reportedly, quite a few customers opt for the six-speed Tiptronic

This thing pulls like few other vehicles I've driven. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

automatic, for the obvious reasons. And this is guilt-free performance too - at a brisk pace, the TDI was still able to return better than 36 mpg. Feeling, and not just seeing is believing - I'm a believer.

The rest of the A5 is very much like an A5 with the S-Line package, or an S5 for that matter. The ride is firm, but surprisingly supple for an Audi, and all of the torque is 100-percent usable 365 days a year thanks to quattro. With the Dunlop winter tires this tester was equipped with, the sporty coupe feared no leftover snow, ice or slush, nor the bone chilling 5F weather it was subjected to.

One disadvantage to diesel is that the engine's vermicular iron block is heavy. It adds a lot of weight to the nose of the car, much more so than the regular A5's V6, so there is more understeer. That said it doesn't push or run into understeer as early or as badly as the outgoing A4 or S4, and for a bigger coupe it is quite nimble, though not as nimble as a 335i Coupe.

You could easily drive a few tank's worth of diesel before getting uncomfortable in this cabin. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

So far Audi doesn't have any plans to sell the A5 TDI in North America, despite the fact that essentially it has the same engine as the Q7 and the Touareg diesels. It's also true that the A5 with the Q7's AdBlue system - the urea injection after-treatment system that allows it to pass our strict emissions regulations - would pass with flying colors. Rather, it's a question of engineering, one that ties in with costs and benefits. Much of the expense involved in making the A5 TDI, the A4 TDI, or just about any other Audi diesel pass emissions here requires redesigning the exhaust system and all pertinent components. The AdBlue tank, for instance, the vital component that allows it to sneak by emissions regs unscathed, would need to be factored in as well, and could require something as substantial as a redesign of the fuel tank and other crucial parts. Yes, Audi is looking into it, but they can't say when it'll be available.

On that note, the current Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions standards are actually very similar to the Euro6 emissions standards, scheduled for introduction in

Fingers crossed - maybe we'll get it by 2011. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

September 2010. By then, European A5 3.0 TDIs will also need to be equipped with similar emissions treatment, which may facilitate the required engineering that North American cars would otherwise demand. So, you can put two and two together if you like the idea of having a super fuel efficient A5 in your driveway.

What can be said with great certainty is that Audi is not completely oblivious to the situation. They are aware that this fall, BMW will be bringing in the 335d, which neatly slots into the top echelon of performance diesels in the smaller end of the premium sector, while Acura will have a diesel of its own soon too, bringing up the other end. And although these segments will be minor market players in their collective first year or two, Audi will be bringing some heavy artillery to fire back. The A5 and S5 are deeply impressive vehicles, and are desirable in terms of styling, quality and driving dynamics. Add in the refinement, performance and fuel economy of a clean diesel, and the A5 3.0 TDI raises Audi to a whole new level.

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