Audi makes a case for the car

Photo: David Thomson

ROAD TEST

What’s new?

Consolidation is the name of the game for Audi’s conventional car models as the company responds to ever-increasing demand for electric vehicles and SUVs. As part of this trend, the previous sister A4/A5 models and their performance-focused S4/S5 variants have now slimmed down into a single A5 and S5 line.

The change, introduced with the move to an all-new platform for the vehicles, sees both the conventional four-door sedan and convertible dropped, along with the A4/S4 monikers, leaving just a five-door liftback (called the A5 and S5 Sedan) and wagon (the A5 and S5 Avant).

The transition from the previous A5 and S5 Avant to the current one is fairly easy to understand, because the previous variant was a wagon, and so is this one. But the vehicle tested here, the new S5 Sedan, seeks to deliver elements of both the previous

S4 sedan (a pure four-door) and S5 Sportback (a five-door coupe). To that end, it retains the five-door configuration of the previous S5 Sportback, but in more of a saloon-like body style.

While there is a simplified nomenclature, a new underlying platform, a new look, and new interior to get to grips with, there is at least a degree of familiarity under the bonnet.

Power comes from Audi’s long-standing 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 engine, but with peak power and torque outputs lifted from the previous model’s 260kW and 500Nm to 270kW and 550Nm. To improve efficiency and low-end punch, the updated engine operates in conjunction with a 48V mild hybrid assist system based around an 18kW/230Nm electric motor and a 1.7kWh battery.

There’s also a new transmission, with the previous model’s eight-speed automatic unit switched for a seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual.

As noted above, the S5 is available in both Sedan (as tested here) and Avant guise, at an opening price of $147,990 for either variant.

Photo: David Thomson

What’s it look like?

A first impression on collecting the test car was that it was larger than expected. That’s probably not surprising, as a quick check of the new S5’s dimensions reveal it to be both longer and taller than either the previous S4 Sedan or the S5 Sportback.

The differences — an extra 65mm in length and wheelbase and a 19mm gain in height — are moderate compared to the A4 sedan. But against the Sportback, this new S5 is 130mm longer, 57mm higher, and has a 126mm increase in wheelbase.

Up front, the hexagonal grille that was such a feature of the previous range has been retained, and in a wider, shallower form that is less confronting. However, with prominent intake vents either side of the grille, narrower headlights and a subtle bonnet bulge, the new machine still looks planted and purposeful.

The new S5’s flanks have very clean lines, complete with flush-fit door handles and a prominent crease line that runs aft from the top of the front wheel arch. The roofline drops from the B-pillar back, while the tail incorporates a distinctive full-width light bar that runs beneath the integrated boot-lid spoiler.

Quad exhaust pipes and subtle ‘S’ badging front and rear add to the understated, elegant and sporty look, which was amplified on the test car by its Mythos black paint finish, 20-inch black metallic alloy wheels, and extra-cost black exterior highlighting and red brake callipers.

What comes as standard?

You’d expect a premium European sports sedan to come fully loaded equipment-wise, and the S5 doesn’t disappoint, with features such as power-adjusting leather upholstery, heated, ventilated and massaging front sports seats, tri-zone climate control, a heated steering wheel, wireless charging and a premium Bang & Olufsen sound system.

A major point of focus inside, is the new multi-media interface explored in detail below. Factory satellite navigation is provided, along with access to Audi’s online services and — of course — wireless smartphone mirroring.

An exterior talking point is the ability to customise the matrix LED headlights and digital OLED tail lights via eight driver-selectable signatures.

The safety specification is comprehensive too, embracing auto-dipping headlights, adaptive radar cruise control, a head-up display, traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, and warning and assist systems for lane departure and front and rear cross-traffic hazards. Surround-view cameras and a parking assistance system also come as standard.

Photo: David Thomson

The options list is extensive. In addition to the exterior items mentioned above, the test car showcased the headrest speaker package ($1000), rear-door sunblinds ($800), and acoustic glazing for the door windows.

What’s it like inside?

Other than on its pure electric models, Audi has until now been slow to fully embrace the digital revolution with its in-car display screens. It has preferred instead a digital rendering of a traditional analogue instrument panel (its so-called Virtual Cockpit) with a separate centre touchscreen and plenty of old-school switchgear.

This new A5/S5 range is the first non-electric model to feature the bold new panoramic display, which encompasses a double widescreen for the driver and a supplementary touchscreen for the front-seat passenger. If that’s not enough digital overload, a head-up display for the driver is included too.

Extending pretty much the full width of the cabin, the array of display screens dominates the dashboard. The double widescreen is curved towards the driver, while the passenger screen adjoins it as a separate, smaller display.

Adapting to the new system may be a challenge for those wedded to Audi’s knobs and buttons, but those already used to digitally-rich multi-media systems should get to grips with Audi’s effort quickly. Crisp graphics and rapid responses are key strengths of the system, and navigating through its various layers is intuitive. The set-up for wireless smartphone mirroring is also fuss-free.

The only element of the new set-up that frustrated on test was the panel for the climate control, which occupies a band across the bottom of the centre screen with adjusting the settings on the move fiddly and distracting.

Objectively, there was no faulting the build quality up front, though the aura of solid quality and durability once provided by nicely damped old-school knobs and buttons has gone.

The cabin trim features some interesting choices. These include swathes of suede across the lower dash and doors, carbon inserts, and soft-touch artificial leather with contrast stitching.

There are also gloss-black surrounds that look classy when clean and new but are prone to smudging and scratching.

Up front, the leather-trimmed sports seats in the test car were comfortable and super-supportive. With good pedal positioning and power adjustment every which way for both seat and steering column, finding an excellent driving position was straightforward.

Photo: David Thomson

The centre console features a phone tray and dual USB-C ports up front, dual cupholders to the left, and the start button and key drive-select buttons (replacing a conventional gear selector) alongside. With a padded centre armrest as its lid, the centre bin is wide but not especially deep.

The sports steering wheel includes paddle-shift controls for manual gear selection, while the cruise control system is located on a separate stalk rather than integrated into one of the steering-wheel spokes.

There’s more space in the back than the previous S5 Sportback mustered, with decent room for two adults. If there’s a need to accommodate three across the back, the middle occupant will be perched awkwardly high and there will be a jostle for shoulder room. If rear-seat headroom is a priority, the Avant is certainly the better S5 choice.

While the back seat can’t match the front for glitzy digital interfaces, there is separate rear control for the climate system. As is the case up front, the rear USB-C ports have a charge capacity of up to 100W, which means they can charge laptops and tablets as well as smartphones.

The rear tailgate is power-operated and provides access to a boot with a useful 417-litre capacity. This extends to 1271 litres when the 40:20:40 split rear seat backs are folded down. Incidentally, while the S5 Avant delivers superior carrying capacity to the S5 Sedan, the advantages are not as great as you might expect: an extra 31 litres with the rear seats up, and an extra 125 litres when they are down.

What’s it like to drive?

With full-noise performance reserved for Audi’s RS models, a sporty yet understated driving experience has long been the brief for cars carrying the "S" badge. It’s a brief the new S5 nails as emphatically as its predecessors.

A 0–100kmh sprint time of 4.5 seconds might suggest something beyond understated, and to be fair, when unleashed at full throttle in its most aggressive drive modes the test car impressed with its outright pace. Yet, with all-wheel drive taking any drama out of power delivery and a somewhat muted engine note, there’s nothing in the least bit wild about the way this latest S5 gathers speed.

Similarly, when pushed through demanding twists and turns at pace, it’s the car’s surefooted nature that shines above all else. Braking is confident and fuss-free, and the steering is accurate, if a shade light. Composure through sweeping bends is maintained even when the underlying surface is patchy, and the car is agile through tight bends.

Serious driving endeavour is best undertaken in either Dynamic or Dynamic Plus mode. As well as sharpening throttle and steering response, these modes firm the damping and, perhaps most importantly, shuffle power delivery away from the front-biased feel of Efficiency and Comfort modes. Dynamic Plus is new to this S5, offering scope in track situations for oversteer and drifting. It achieves this through specific calibrations for the quattro sport differential and electronic stability control, as well as active brake torque vectoring.

Ride quality takes a hit when the more aggressive drive modes are deployed, but ample consolation is provided by the very compliant ride in other settings. Comfort mode offers a cosseting ride for round-town driving, but I found the ‘Balanced’ ride — the halfway point between Comfort and Dynamic — the best for everyday motoring beyond city limits.

One thing that remains an irritating constant at open-road speeds in all drive modes is significant road noise over coarse-chip surfaces.

Photo: David Thomson

Aural refinement is far better at urban speeds, not only because road rumble and wind noise are subdued, but also because the hybrid assist comes more obviously into play. Most of the time it operates in tandem with the petrol engine, enabling the latter to work less hard. However, ease away from rest very gently, and the new S5 will move off silently under electric power alone.

Greater fuel efficiency was a key reason for adopting mild hybrid assist, and the 7.7L/100km standard cycle consumption figure is reasonable enough. However, it’s a level of frugality that may be challenging to achieve in the real world; Drivesouth’s return on test, admittedly with some fairly hard driving included, was 10.9L/100km.

Verdict

While the built rock-solid feel of its predecessor is a casualty of our increasingly digital age, the latest Audi S5 remains true to the understated ethos that was central to that car’s appeal. By equal measure comfortable and refined, yet fast and engaging, it’s a fine all-rounder.