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2018 Audi A5 Sportback First Drive | Cake is delicious

Have your cake and eat it, too – that's supposed to be a fallacy. And yet, the 2018 Audi A5 Sportback defies conventional global wisdom by being more practical and better looking than the A4 sedan upon which it's based. Some may even prefer the way its longer wheelbase and roofline showcase the curves shared by the two-door A5. There's certainly no arguing about not being shoehorned into a coupe's back seat. Compared to its siblings, both of which share a common platform, engines and interior design, the Sportback has virtually the same length, wheelbase and width as the A4, but has a lowered height that's an inch closer to the A5 coupe (54.6 inches versus 56.2 for A4 and 54.0 for A5). Now, you might expect a commensurate loss in headroom, but in fact the Sportback has more front headroom than the A4 (39.4 inches versus 38.9) and only 0.4 less in back. Indeed, someone 6-foot-3 can sit comfortably upright without hair being fussed, and there's still enough legroom. And then there's the trunk lurking beneath its don't-call-it-a-hatchback. With 21.8 cubic feet of space with the back seats raised, the A5 Sportback falls only 2.4 cubes shy of the Audi A4 Allroad ... you know, a don't-call-it-a-wagon. Sure, the Sportback pales in terms of maximum volume (35 cubic feet versus 58.5), but it still offers far more versatility than the 13-cu.ft. A4 or 11.6-cu.ft. A5 coupe. Right, so it's more practical. Then there's the beauty bit. The visual ties to the A5 are obvious, with the exaggerated character line following the car's voluptuous haunches and the Zeppelin-like hood strakes. According to designer Frank Lamberty, however, the difference and indeed the beauty is really in the roofline. He Photoshopped together a for-our-eyes-only image of what the Sportback would look like if they had simply added the A7's roofline and signature window graphic to the A4. "It's not sexy," he said, noting that the resulting profile is too upright and plain. It would just be a more practical A4. Or as the Tamils might say, you'd have a mustache but not be able to drink the soup. Instead, his team created an A5 where everything appears to be pulled back. Both because it literally is in terms of dimensions, but also through lines and details like the little trim piece and badge that bridge the front doors and fenders. The goal was to create a more rear-drive look, drawing attention towards the rear and away from the front overhang.

Audi reveals new A3 Cabriolet with Quattro, S3 versions to follow

With the Frankfurt International Auto Show coming home to roost this week, German automakers aren't about to miss out on the opportunity to roll out their latest. Audi may be making the biggest splash with the new Sport Quattro concept, but will also use the occasion to introduce its latest compact convertible.
We just brought you the first leaked images of the new Audi A3 Cabriolet the other day, but now Ingolstadt has revealed the full thing. Slotting in below the A5 Cabriolet and replacing the previous A3 Cabriolet as the entry-level convertible in the Audi lineup, the new cabrio joins the A3 family as the fourth bodystyle in the range.
Based more closely on the sedan than the hatchback, the new A3 Cabriolet is a bit bigger than its predecessor in every dimension but height. Rather than go the folding hardtop route, Audi has stuck with its tried-and-tested hydraulic fabric roof mechanism that can open or close in just 18 seconds. But for the first time, Audi is offering the A3 Cabriolet with Quattro all-wheel drive, and - get this - will offer an S3 convertible version as well, complete with 300 horsepower and a 5.4-second 0-62 time.

2017 North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year entries announced

Over 40 vehicles will compete for the 2017 North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year awards. If that name looks a little strange, it's because the competition added a third category. In years past, pickup trucks, crossovers, SUVs, commercial vans, and minivans competed for the same award. That's why there were occasionally weird comparisons, like last year's competition between the Volvo XC90 and Nissan Titan XD. The new format separates pickups and commercial vans into the truck contest and CUVs, SUVs, and minivans into the utility competition. A complete list of eligible vehicles is below, but here are a few highlights. For one, the entire list of entries has a luxurious lean. Of the 43 vehicles, nearly half of them are from premium brands. There are two eligible Bentleys – the Bentayga and Mulsanne – the Rolls-Royce Dawn, Jaguar F-Pace, Audi Q7, and the Mercedes-Benz GLS-, E-, and S-Class Maybach. The performance ranks are lofty, too, with the Audi R8, Acura NSX, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Mercedes SL- and SLC-Class, Porsche 718, and F-150 Raptor. The mainstream entries are just as comprehensive. From the Chrysler Pacifica to the Chevrolet Cruze to the Fiat 124 Spider to the Mitsubishi Mirage, NACTOY has covered an enormous price range with this year's contestants. Of course, these are only the eligible vehicles. They'll need to run through three rounds of judging, starting in September at NACTOY's traditional Hell, MI, test drive. The Canadian and American journalists involved in the judging will announce this year's nine finalists – three in each category – on December 6. Cars Acura NSX Alfa Romeo Giulia Audi A4 Audi R8 Bentley Mulsanne Buick Cascada Buick LaCrosse Cadillac CT6 Chevrolet Bolt Chevrolet Cruze Fiat 124 Genesis G90 Hyundai Elantra Infiniti Q60 Jaguar XE Kia Cadenza Lincoln Continental Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan Mercedes-Benz S550 Maybach Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Mercedes-Benz SLC-Class Mini Clubman Mitsubishi Mirage/G4 Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman Rolls-Royce Dawn Toyota Prius Prime Volvo S90 SUVs Audi Q7 Bentley Bentayga Buick Envision Cadillac XT5 Chrysler Pacifica GMC Acadia Infiniti QX30 Kia Sportage Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class Jaguar F-Pace Mazda CX-9 Nissan Armada Trucks Ford F-Series Super Duty pickups Ford F-150 Raptor Honda Ridgeline Nissan Titan half-ton Related Video: Featured Gallery Bentley Bentayga View 23 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub.