Audi Releases Updated A5, S5 For European 2012 Model Year

CarThrottle is a big fan of the Audi A5/S5 lineup, especially after spending the week with a striking blue S5 tester. That cars styling, handling and V-8 engine won us over. Now, Audi is announcing a refresh for the car - one that updates it for an even more aggressive look.

The front headlights are all-new, replacing the current car's design with a smaller and more nuanced one that features a cut in "wave" design. Inside they are more futuristic, with a dark background, new LED light piping and the removal of visible amber turn signals.

The grille has been redesigned to be simpler and more upright. It looks good - no doubt. We will have to check it out in person to see if it improved on near-perfection though. Out back, the taillights get minor details changes. The changes carry through to the A5, A5 Convertible, S5 and A5 Sportback (Europe-only) models.

Under the hood of the S5 we will undoubtedly lament the loss of Audi's 4.2-liter V-8 engine. We love that engine for its power delivery, exhaust note - pretty much everything. At least for Europe (at this point) but likely for the United States market, it has been replaced by a supercharged 3.0-liter TFSI V-6 making 333 horsepower.

New with the car's Quattro all-wheel drive system is a crown-gear center differential that features torque vectoring. As always, the system is rear-biased with up to 70 percent of power able to flow to the front axles and 85 percent to the rear at any given time.

In Europe, the car is being sold as a 2012 model. 2012 models in the U.S are already on the lots. However, we hear that it will be coming to the U.S for the 2013 model year. Stay tuned! Until it lands here, you can check out some pictures of the updated S5 below.