2010 Audi A5 Sportback: The Audiophile's Chariot Of Choice

AUDI'S UPCOMING A5 Sportback will be the first car in the A5 stable to differ substantially from the two-door coupe mould that - until now - has been the basis of the range.

But one area where it definitely won't differ is in the aural entertainment department. Like the A5 Coupe, the Sportback will also benefit from an optional Bang & Olufsen sound system that thumps out an impressive 505 Watts in full 7.1 surround sound.

A 10gb hard drive is included in the package, as is the almost mandatory CD/DVD player.

A 7-inch screen displays the sound system's interface, but by far the most impressive feature is the whopping 14 speakers used to reproduce your tunes of choice.

Granted, with the A4 and A5 Coupe already making use of a similar unit this isn't exactly earth-shattering news, but all you Audi-loving tech freaks out there may find it interesting that the upcoming upmarket sedan packs more sound hardware than the top-o-the-pile S8 (in Australia at least).

The 2010 A5 Sportback is expected to arrive in Australia in the first quarter of 2010, with the top-spec models launching first.

The Bang & Olufsen audio system has yet to be confirmed for the Aussie market, but considering it's presently available on the A5 coupe, cabriolet and A4, expect it to make it onto the A5 Sportback's options list too.