The A5 marked Audi’s return to the compact executive coupé market since the (B3/B4) Audi 80–based coupé model ended production in 1996. On May 10, 2006, Audi confirmed that the A5 would go into production. The B6/B7 A4 spawned a convertible variant but not a coupé. For the fourth generation A4 (B8), Audi decided to spin off the cabriolet, along with a new coupé and four-door hatchback, into a nameplate of its own as the A5.

The new A5 and B8 A4 were based on the Audi MLP platform (Modular Longitudinal Platform) which underpin the next generation A6 and A8.^[3]

The A5 is the third coupe in Audi’s line-up, following the second-generation TTand the R8. The A5 adopted design elements of the Nuvolari quattro concept. The A5 debuted with the 3.2-litre FSI V6 engine delivering 195 kW (265 PS; 261 hp).