Audi S5 Sportback review
IN-DEPTH REVIEWS
Audi S5 Cabriolet review
ROAD TESTS
Audi S5 Sportback
New Audi S5 Coupe 2016 review
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6 Sep, 2016 4: 45pm Jonathan Burn
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Can Audi's sleek but sporty S5 Coupe impress us as much as its diesel sibling did?
Verdict
4
Now a more rounded car than it was previously, the Audi S5 retains its quick turn of pace but ties it in with a more forgiving ride. It’s not the most engaging choice from behind the wheel, although the new 3.0-litre V6 engine is a gem – punchy, smooth and surprisingly economical. The S5 feels like it has more to give, but perhaps that’s intentional from Audi, as it creates some space for the upcoming raucous RS5 to shine.
The Audi S5 has undergone quite the transformation since the original model came around in 2007. Well, the first-generation car is gone, and in its place comes the new S5 - it's been sent to the tailors, put on a diet and had a heart transplant, and about time, too.
The new S5 is based on the same underpinnings as the current Audi A4, bringing along the weight-saving measures found in that car. But the most significant change is under the bonnet, where the supercharged 3.0-litre V6 has made way for a turbocharged unit. Though it's still a 3.0-litre V6, Audi says the engine is around 80 per cent new, and benefits from a turbocharger which sits between the banked cylinders to boost response and reduce turbo-lag.
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Image 4 of 15
The benefits are clear to see, on paper at least - the new engine develops an extra 21bhp and 60Nm of torque over the old unit. That puts the headlining figures up to 349bhp and 500Nm of torque - all the while using less fuel and emitting less CO2 than the old car. Audi claims 38.2mpg and 170g/km.
The engine also contributes a significant part of the car’s 60kg weight reduction. It’s 14kg lighter than before, plus Audi has shaved 15kg from the new body, 5kg from the front seats and 11kg from the front and rear suspension set-ups. The lighter brakes, rear seats and steering rack round off the big weight-saving areas.
Against the Mercedes-AMG C 43, the S5 looks a bit of a featherweight, tipping the scales at 1, 615kg; that’s 120kg lighter. Throw quattro all-wheel drive into the mix and the Audi will cover 0-62mph three-tenths of a second faster than the rear-wheel drive 440i, in 4.7 seconds.
• BMW 440i 2016 review
Having said that, the first thing you notice about the svelte S5 is how civilised it feels from behind the wheel. Big, fast Audis have notoriously taken on a firmer and more hardcore character, but there’s none of that here. In fact, with the adaptive dampers in Comfort mode, the S5 has a more fluid ride quality than a 3.0-litre diesel A5. It’s more stiffly sprung due to the S suspension, which also lowers the car by 23mm, yet the excellent damping takes the edge off harsh road imperfections.
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Image 10 of 15
Things liven up when you switch the S5 into Dynamic mode. It doesn’t transform it from a long-distance cruiser into a 100m sprinter, but there’s a degree of nimbleness that you wouldn’t believe existed after enjoying the car’s softer side. The steering isn’t brimming with feedback, although the quattro all-wheel-drive system lets you lean in corners, with the sports differential deploying power effectively at the rear to give the car a further sense of agility.
• Audi A5 diesel 2016 review
While the quattro set-up is capable of sending up to 85 per cent of its power to the rear wheels, it never feels like it, as the S5 is sure-footed and planted at the limit. But if the rear-wheel-drive 440i is slower, it’s more exciting. However, there’s no questioning the effectiveness of the new V6 engine. Peak torque of 500Nm arrives at just 1, 340rpm and doesn’t tail off until 4, 500rpm, which makes for smooth and effortless power.
The eight-speed auto glides through the ratios, although it can feel hesitant and sluggish when you ask for a few downshifts using the steering wheel-mounted
