High performance Audi coupe
THE latest Audi A4 is the best yet so turning it into a coupe is a style sensation.
In Audiland it’s called the A5 and a new one has just arrived nine years after the original first hit the scene.
Swish and sleek it is priced from £30,700 which is £6,000 more than the A4 saloon.
But the A5 line up has something Audi does not include in the A4 range – an S model.
It’s the icing on the cake and comes with 354 horsepower to prove a point.
The new S5 is a high performance 3.0-litre V6 turbo that is smooth and sophisticated and makes it a brilliant grand tourer.
It is wider and longer than before yet splendidly stylish with curvy body lines just like a coupe should possess.
The S5 Coupe is an Audi TT for grown-ups and serious drivers will lover everything about the experience.
Unlike some others in this league it does not err towards track style pre- tensions. Instead, the S5 is compliant, easy to drive and very refined.
It is also deceptively potent and can punch its way from 0 to 60 in just 4.7 seconds – the same as a MercedesAMG C43.
The 3.0-litre TFSI V6 in the S5 is a new take from Audi and replaces the supercharged engine and V8 used in the previous generation.
The new model is not only lighter but more economical too and Audi is claiming and official fuel return of 38.2mpg with emissions of 170g/km – an improvement of more than five per cent and helped by some smart technology is the form of an eight speed automatic transmission which saves fuel by allowing the vehicle to coast when off the throttle.
Realistically it is good to deliver around 30 to the gallon in regular driving and that’s not bad at all from a high performance quattro.
On the road the S5 does not feel as taut or brutal as its counterparts from Mercedes and BMW. Instead it prefers to demonstrate a more sophisticated demeanour.
The drive characteristics can be altered if required from sport to eco modes but left to its own devices it copes splendidly. The quattro all wheel drive set up gives excellent grip and is now modified to move almost all of the power to various wheels as necessary.
Inside, the S5 feels large and for a modern coupe cabin space is generous, especially in the rear where it can accommodate two adults with ease.
The S5 is a pure four seater with the rear seats separated by a fold-down armrest and storage tray.
Boot space is big for a car of this ilk at 465 litres and that is another factor to embellish its touring potential.
The S model is very much the flagship of the new A5 range and priced from £47,000.
Add on some desirable options such as Audi’s virtual cockpit, a head up display, self adjusting suspension and a Bang & Olufsen sound system and the price will be pushed towards the 60 grand mark.
Serious money but the S5 is a serious car where the S not only stands for sport but also smooth, suave and sophisticated.