New Audi A5 2021 pricing and specs detailed: BMW 4 Series rival gets sharper look, improved tech

The Audi A5 range has been updated for 2020, with style and tech updates headlining the changes for what the brand is describing as a "contemporary work of art".

It's a bold statement, but to be fair, the A5 is a legitimately stunning-looking vehicle, regardless of whether you opt for the Coupe, Sportback or Cabriolet body style.

The cheapest way into an A5 remains the Sportback or Coupe body styles, which will set you back $71,900 with the 40 TFSI engine choice. You can upgrade to the 45 TFSI engine, but doing so will also up the entry point to $79,900. The Audi A5 Cabriolet sits atop the pile, costing $85,400 for the 40 TFSI, and $93,400 for the 45 TFSI.

Read More About Audi A5

Audi A5 2020 revealed: Mild-hybrid tech comes to Coupe, Sportback and Cabriolet mid-sizer

We'll start with the smaller, 40 TFSI engine. It's a 2.0-litre turbo - now equipped with a 12V mild hybrid system to lower fuel use - which will deliver 140kW and 320Nm. That power is fed to the front tyres via a seven-speed S tronic automatic, delivering a sprint to 100km/h in around 7.3 seconds.

The 45 TFSI engine, on the other hand, is the same size - and shares the mild-hybrid tech - but delivers more grunt, with outputs tuned to 183kW and 370Nm, this time fed to all four tyres via Audi's quattro AWD system, dropping the sprint to 100km/h to 5.8 seconds in the Coupe and Sportback.

Happily, all A5s get the S line style treatment, gifting each a sportier look, with a new-look grille and venting adding to the performance-spec style.

You also get 19-inch alloys, Audi drive select with five drive modes, three-zone climate (and neck-level heating in the Cabriolet), leather trim, matrix LED headlights, as well as tech-heavy interior highlighted by a new 10.1-inch touchscreen in the centre of the dash that controls the cars key audio, navigation and driving settings. Speaking of the Cabriolet, the three-layer acoustic roof opens in just 15 seconds at speeds of up to 50km/h, with a wind deflector also deployed to help with cabin ambience.

Audi's very cool Virtual Cockpit (a 12.3-inch digital display that replaces the traditional driver's binnacle) is also standard, as is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Audi says the new model offers 10x the computing power of the outgoing model, owing mostly to connected car features including live traffic, weather reports and fuel pricing, as well as the ability to remote unlock or lock you car from your phone, or pre-plan destinations and send them to the vehicle's nav.

Inside is a new 10.1-inch touchscreen and Audi's very cool Virtual Cockpit.

On the safety front, expect parking sensors front and rear, a 360-degree parking camera, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, rear cross-traffic alert, exit warning, and lane keep assist and lane change assist, among a genuine bevvy of active and passive safety features.

“The refreshed Audi A5 range is a contemporary work of art,” says Audi Australia MD, Paul Sansom. “The A5’s silhouette has always been stunning, and now its striking proportions have been beautifully sculpted to highlight its strengths as a dynamic performer."