Car and Driver: Audi A5 Sportback May Come to America, but the Diesel A4 Won’t

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There’s some good news and some bad news for Audi buyers in the U.S. The good news is that the handsome Audi A5 Sportback [pictured above] is likely to come to the States when the A5 lineup is redesigned next year. The bad news is that the new 2017 Audi A4 won’t offer a TDI diesel option as previously was planned. As reported by Automotive News, these tidbits come straight from Audi CEO Scott Keough, who hinted that the next-generation Audi A5, set to arrive in 2017, would offer a third bodystyle in the States. By process of elimination, the Sportback—currently a Europe-only four-door hatchback in the vein of the larger Audi A7—is the only possibility, as the A5 coupe and convertible variants are already sold on our shores. This would give Audi a competitor to the BMW 4-series Gran Coupe, and given the attractive looks and extra practicality of the outgoing A5 Sportback, we’re not complaining.

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On the other side of the coin, the new 2017 Audi A4 will not gain a diesel-powered TDI variant, going against Audi’s previous plans to market the oil-burner in the U.S. Keough told Automotive News that this decision was related to market trends rather than the company’s diesel emissions scandal.

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• Next-Generation Audi A5 Detailed and Rendered: A Beautiful Evolution-
• First Drive Review: 2017 Audi A4-
• Audi Research: Specs, Reviews, and Pricing for the Full Lineup-

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We’re have a hard time believing that excuse, as the A4’s market seems to be trending toward diesels, if anything. After all, BMW 3-series offers a diesel-powered 328d variant and the Mercedes-Benz C-class diesel is scheduled to arrive this spring. Regardless, this leaves the U.S.-spec A4 with only one engine, a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline four-cylinder (the high-performance S4 arrives later, likely with the same turbocharged V-6 as the Euro-spec S4).

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