Audi S5 TFSI Sportback quattro S Tronic
The mildly refreshed Audi S5 Sportback aims to blend pace and refinement with a sleek four-door coupé silhouette
Having recently launched into the local market – along with an overwhelming flurry of new performance-focused metal from Audi Sport – the updated S5 Sportback risks getting overlooked in the sea of S and RS models. With its elegant frameless windows and sloping rear end, it has always been something of a niche offering and now faces even fewer serious competitors as the SUV onslaught continues. Revised for 2021, the A5 family – including Coupé, Convertible and Sportback – has received sharper exterior styling, a wider grille and the cabin has been brought up to date with the brand’s latest touchoperated 10,1-inch MMI display.
Seen here in Navarra Blue metallic paintwork, it exudes a suave aesthetic that is more characterful than its S4 Sedan sibling. The shape certainly turned heads and even invoked more than a little finger pointing during our test period. As a subrs model, it favours subtle sporty touches and gracefully curved flanks instead of the wanton aggression of the Audi Sports, but there are still pronounced rear haunches and four exhaust outlets to show you who is boss. Our test unit was also fitted with optional dual-tone multi-spoke 20-inch wheels (R23 400) grabbing even more attention.
Underneath the classy sheet metal, the four door is based on a version of the Volkswagen Group’s MLB EVO modular platform, used by nearly all compact-sized Audi products from the A5 down. The result is an impressive, wellbalanced and efficient performance car that’s easy to exploit. Around town and on the open road, it rides a little firmly owing to the combination of its
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20-inch rims shod with 30-profile rubber, but beneath the pitterpatter, there is the same underlying suppleness of a regular A4 Sedan.
Inside, the cabin mirrors the sporty yet sophisticated exterior. The power-operated, quilted Nappa leather, S-branded seats are a highlight; they are comfortable and supportive and offer plenty of under-thigh support. While the seats are superb, the driving position remains a touch too high, perhaps a symptom of VW’S one-platformfits-all philosophy. The cabin comprises a near-identical, albeit a somewhat conservative, version of the A4’s facia and it shares the sedan’s impressive fit and finish.
Unfortunately, with 657 mm of rear legroom, the passenger compartment is snug for anyone over 180 cm and the steeply sloped C-pillar means taller passengers will brush their heads against the roof. On the upside, as far as practicality goes, the boot is decently sized; 312 litres of load space with the rear seatbacks in place and 918 litres once everything is folded flat.
In an automotive world that’s obsessed with downsizing and electrification, there’s simply no substitute for the grunt and aural delight served up by the Audi’s 3,0-litre V6 turbopetrol. It produces a raspy six-cylinder howl that’s becoming rarer by the day and when the revs are explored, it is accompanied by requisite exhaust pops and bangs but never to the point that it is too raucous. With 260 kw and a beefy 500 N.m sent to all four wheels via a well-tuned eight-speed S tronic transmission, it’s just as comfortable slurring through ratios in relaxed driving as it is firing through gearshifts when pushing on in Sport mode.
This sonorous motor propelled the S5 from standstill to 100 km/h in just 5,24 seconds on our test strip. The V6 presents maximum torque from as low as 1 370 r/min, making overtaking effortless and the mill ticks along at a pleasingly relaxed 1 800 r/min at the national speed limit.
The way the S5 channels its power into a dynamic driving experience is equally impressive. It’s certainly not the last word in performance-driving thrills but it’s an exceptionally simple car to drive quickly. The steering is easy and precise and grip is plentiful, courtesy of the quattro all-wheeldrive system. The variant in the S5 is only slightly rear-biased, with the centre-locking differential defaulting to a 40:60 front-to-rear torque split. It’s not light, mind you – at 1 780 kg on our scales – but the chassis’ ability to smoothly transfer lateral weight movement under hard cornering makes tucking the nose into a string of corners thoroughly enjoyable. Push particularly hard and the front will begin to understeer but this is safely
managed through the vehicle’s torque-vectoring electronics. Come rain or shine, there’s no doubt this is one rapid machine, even if it is a notch below what really gets Audi Sport enthusiasts’ pulses racing. The S5’s composure and accessible performance mean it truly feels at home and ready to go on any road.
TEST SUMMARY
The likes of the Volkswagen Arteon and Kia Stinger have left the local market and the gen-old BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé is now showing its age, so Audi’s S5 Sportback finds itself in a strong if slightly isolated position as the preferred five-seater four-door coupé. This S5 variant ticks all the boxes and, if you have the means, it is without question the pick of the sub-rs range. Thanks to its impressive breadth of abilities – its classy exterior design, quality interior, sporty yet composed ride, impressive practicality and effortless performance – there’s more than enough here to justify a R1 million+ price tag. Although it’s unquestionably more of a high-speed cruiser than an all-out performance weapon, it does beg the question whether the extra R300 000 for the full-fat RS5 Sportback is indeed a necessary expense.