This is the new Audi A5 Coupé (well, actually you're feasting your eyes on the sportier S5 Coupé edition). Which, if you squint a little, could be considered as the German brand's version of the Ford Mustang. With some added pep. An apt arrival year, then, given Ford's recent imminent push in the UK with its muscle car.

Our quick take

A lot can happen in nine years. The new Audi A5 Coupé and S5 Coupé might not leap out as drastically different from their predecessors at first glance, but this is a show of refinement at its best; all those tweaks and bodywork presses result in one top-drawer Coupé. It'll be on the road from the autumn, with pricing yet to be announced. And we can't wait to get this German muscle flexing.

Audi S5 Coupé (2016) p

FORAGAINST

Shown in this sport trim - and complete with all the trimmings, no less; someone went wild in ticking all the options boxes for sure 'cos it's full to the brim with tech and details - and dressed in red, this is one coupé that's hard to ignore given the way it looks.

Audi has been going from strength to strength on the bodywork front of late, with panel creases that are sharper and more angular than, well, any other maker out there. Just look at the A5 Coupé's dome bonnet and sharp lines that lead from the low-to-the-ground hexagonal honeycomb face.

'The new Audi' has designs that are getting more aggressive in their appearance too - in a good way. The A5 Coupé has squat headlamps and a low-to-the-ground front grille that give it a snarling presence, countered by a degree of elegance to the bodywork and overall finish. It's a tug-of-war between the two, one that's well balanced.

audi s5 coupé 2016 preview in pictures image 6
Pocket-lint

Small details such as the chrome-style polished aluminium window-line frames, which give the car a defining shape to the side, are standard for the entry-level A5, not just the S5 Coupé. There's even a third brake light, tucked under the rear window line (like in the S7). And slight bodywork bulges - described by Audi's designers as "muscle" - add a subtle shape to the car, when caught from the right angles or under the right light.

The 2016 A5 Coupé is an entirely different beast to its 2007 predecessor. Built on the new MLB Evo platform (as per the A4/S4 models), its wheelbase is 12mm longer than the earlier model, resulting in slightly more space inside - despite the body length remaining similar to the last-generation A5 Coupé.

Inside is a comfy place to be too. All the more if you tick those options boxes. We don't have a full break-down of what's available in various packages just yet, or at what level of pricing, but the S5 Coupé we saw came in S Line trim with all the extras: from big-deal features such as the Audi Cockpit driver digital screen, paired with Audi MMI system and 8.3-inch centre-mounted screen, and Bang & Olufsen sound system; to smaller details such as the light-up "S5" panels in the door wells, the interior ambient lighting, and the plush seats with individual electronic adjustment.

Under the hood there are a variety of engine choices. Two TFSI (petrol) and three TDI (diesel) engine options (ranging from 190-286bhp) are available for the A5, with the S5 Coupé also offering up the top-of-the-line V6 TFSI (354bhp). Which to go for will depend on how big your bank balance is, we suspect. Maybe you're a speed freak, or perhaps you're keener on economy, in which case the smaller engines will deliver a more appropriate solution. Whichever you choose, each emits lower emissions and has better economy than the last-generation A5 Coupé's engine options.

audi s5 coupé 2016 preview in pictures image 7
Pocket-lint

As a 3-door car you might not expect much space in the A5 Coupé's rear, but at the very back it's the boot that serves surprisingly well, offering a 465-litre capacity. That small boot hatch certainly is deceptive, then. You can just about fit another two adults in the back seats too (rather than the boot), although it's a bit of a squeeze.

Back outside for a moment and the A5 Coupé shows off some other smart bodywork: there's a four-pronged diffuser/bumper to the rear, shaped rake-like and paired (in the S5 Coupé anyway) no less than four exhaust pipes. Ding ding.