Described by its designer Walter de’Silva as “the most beautiful I have designed in my career”, the new A5 takes its styling cues from the Nuvolari concept of 2003.

It’s certainly a very polished design from a company that’s become a prolific source of top class vehicles. In the A5, Audi’s trademark trapezoidal grille is framed by rectangular headlamps; standout design features include the very thick C-pillar, frameless windows, and a waistline that flows upwards around the wheel arches giving the car a dynamic, sporting character. It’s a well-balanced design that looks good at first glance and rewards closer inspection.

Audi makes much of the car’s practicality and generous interior dimensions—rear seats offer genuinely comfortable accommodation and the company boasts that the boot is large enough to accommodate golf bags stowed sideways across the car.

It’s offered with a choice of front-wheel drive or Quattro four-wheel drive. Engines range from a 1.8 litre four-cylinder to a 3.2 litre V6 petrol, while diesel buyers can opt for a 2.7- or 3.0-litre units. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard; Audi’s multitronic automatic is an option with some models and provides eight forward speeds.

As you’d expect from Audi, technology abounds throughout, from partial LED lighting, via an electricomechanical parking brake, and an all-plastic key, to three-zone climate control.

Going on sale at the same time as the mainstream range is the range-topping S5 high-performance version. This gets a V8 FSI engine producing 440Nm (324lb ft) of torque and 354 horsepower. Permanent four-wheel drive gets the power to the road smoothly enough to propel the S5 from 0-100km/h (0-62mph) in 5.1 seconds. Sports suspensions, restyled front and rear bumpers, quad exhaust outlets and numerous detailing revisions complete the package.

This is an impressive debut for yet another new Audi model and it looks like a potent new rival for the acclaimed BMW 3-series coupe and Mercedes in CL class. Affluent buyers looking for classy, powerful, good-to-drive four-seater coupes will be spoiled for choice.