A 1,000-mile round trip over the Christmas holidays was the ideal road test for our long-term Audi A5 Sportback – and it didn’t disappoint.

Our A5, featuring a 170bhp 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, achieved an average of 50.7mpg, compared to the claimed 54.3mpg on the combined cycle.

A remarkable performance helped by Audi’s start-stop and brake energy recuperation systems, which in turn result in emissions of 137g/km.

A company car driver choosing the A5 Sportback would therefore pay 18% of the P11D value this tax year and 19% for 2010/11.

Not bad for a five-door coupé with premium status and good residual value performance.

In addition, its boot offers a capacity of 480 litres with rear seats in place – 980 with them folded down – making it a practical choice as well.

The Sportback is aimed squarely at fleets, with 75% of the 5,000 units per annum intended for this sector.