2017 Audi A5 & S5 Review
Car Tested: 2017 Audi A5, S5; Road Test No. 858; Test Location: Jaipur
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 64.50 – 84.45 lakhs
The Audi A5 and S5 are sporty and fun-to-drive cars targeted towards the enthusiast
The luxury car market in India has been witnessing a lot of new launches, especially from Audi India. The automaker has been launching a new car almost every month and this time around, they have not 1, not 2 but 3 new offerings – the A5, S5 Sportback and A5 Cabriolet. We went to Jaipur for two days to drive the A5 Sportback and S5 Sportback, while the A5 Cabriolet we’ll be driving later in Mumbai itself.
Motor Quest: Audi had launched the previous generation S5 Sportback in India and while the car didn’t fetch too many sales, it was a good product in the line-up and was slotted perfectly as a performance sedan. The new A5 and S5 do just that, they are slotted above the A4 and offer better driving dynamics.
The A5 looks very premium with a hint of sportiness
Exteriors – Elegant! First thing that came to my mind as soon as I saw the car in flesh. It’s the low and long front hood that has this menacing look, almost grinning straight at you with its low prowl. The hood looks strong and imposing with its lines and complementing it are the LED headlamps that look evil in their own way. The grille is designed to look sharp in its Titan black colour with horizontally-placed chrome inlays and the Audi logo at the centre of the headlamps. The car doesn’t come with fog lamps, not that it needs them but instead comes with some chrome trim and very aerodynamically purposeful looking vents for cooling the brakes.
The Coupe-like rear turns heads on our roads
Moving to the side of the car, there is a side vent with a short chrome inlay and a strong shoulder line running all the way from the headlamp to the tail-light. The door handles open upwards instead of the usual outwards making it a lot easier to open. The frameless doors are beautiful and just give this car a very unique look and surrounding them is you guessed it, more chrome. Although I have to admit, the use of chrome is minimal and doesn’t put me off one bit. The car also gets 17-inch twin 5-spoke wheels that look good. Coming to the rear of the car, it has a really sleek coupe-like roofline that’s so attractive with it curving slightly off the edge of the boot. The tail-lights are simple yet sharp LED units with dynamic indicators that are smoked, which add to that extra appeal. The car also gets chrome-finished twin exhaust pipes.
The S5 has some more sporty bits, perfect sleeper car
On the outside, the S5 has the same shape and dimensions as the A5, but gets an S5 logo and a more aggressive looking front, with an optional titanium black grill with horizontally slatted matte aluminium inlays. The side mirrors are finished in brushed aluminium with the indicators integrated into them. The car even gets more aggressive S-Line side skirts finished in black. The S5 too gets 5-spoke 18-inch wheels which are a lot sharper in design compared to the A5 and look so much better too, with the brake callipers finished in red and the S5 logo on them. It has a much sportier rear diffuser in matte aluminium silver housing the quad chrome-plated exhaust system. The S5 is definitely the most attractive car in its segment.
The cockpit of the A5 is neat with ergonomics nicely sorted
Interiors – The interior feels well-built and well put together which is typically Audi. The speedometer now comes with a Virtual Cockpit that looks quite cool. The central 7.0-inch colour MMI display isn’t a touch unit and sadly doesn’t fold away in this car. The central console is very smartly laid out with chrome buttons and bezels. The A5 gets an LED interior package, pedals and footrest in stainless steel and a power-operated tailgate. The seats offer good amount of comfort in the front but don’t offer the same at the rear, where the seats end up lacking lumbar and under-thigh support. Headroom and legroom are actually quite decent for a coupe design and would only be uncomfortable for anyone above 6’3″ in height, however, the interior does feel cramped at the rear.
The Virtual Cockpit is excellent, feels futuristic
The cabin feels luxurious with top quality materials all around
Storage spaces are quite decent with it getting additional storage in both the front and rear armrests, but the rear door cubby spaces are quite narrow and won’t be able to store even a small sized water bottle. The boot space in this car is actually quite decent with the boot lacking in height but not in depth. It gets tethering nets and anchor points to help keep your luggage in place. I really like the high multi-function 3-spoke leather steering wheel design.
The S5’s cabin has very minor tweaks
The interior of the S5 has aluminium-finished trims and illuminated door sill trims with the S logo in them but sadly the same seats as the A5 (Sports seats are an optional extra). The layout of the cabin is very similar to that of the A5 save for some minor changes here and there. However, our test car also had some Alcantara bits which increased the oomph factor. Also, the S5 gets a tweaked instrument cluster in the Virtual Cockpit. The design of the interior isn’t very flashy but looks modern and premium nonetheless.
The familiar 2.0-litre TDI engine is offered in the higher 190 HP tune
Performance – The Audi A5 Sportback in India comes with only a diesel engine. This TDI mill is the familiar 2.0-litre unit that we’ve seen on many VAG cars. Offered in the higher 190 PS/400 Nm tune, the oil burner is powerful enough for the A5 and makes the Sportback drive with quite a lot of urgency. The engine has some clatter which is audible outside while the insulation in the cabin is extremely good and thus the clatter isn’t really heard inside. The powerplant feels responsive right from lower RPMs with turbo lag being not much of a concern. As the revs increase, power delivery feels swift and progressive and the car touches triple digit speeds in no time, with 0-100 km/hr coming up in a claimed 7.9 seconds.
While the A5 is FWD, the S5 is AWD with quattro as standard
Both the engines are grunty and power-packed; exhaust on S5 sounds sweet
The diesel engine has good surge till 4500 RPM and due to the huge amount of torque on offer, it never really feels out of breath. The cherry on the cake is that the diesel mill is pretty efficient too, and you can easily get a respectable fuel economy of 10-12 km/l which is good for a car this powerful and heavy. The TDI engine comes mated to a 7-speed transmission with power being sent out to the front wheels. The transmission is smooth in its shifts and there are no complaints on this front. You also get the usual driving modes via Audi Drive Select while the gearbox comes with Sport and Manual modes too.
The V6 engine makes the S5 super fun to drive
The Audi S5, on the other hand, comes with a very meaty 3.0-litre V6 TFSI petrol engine. The drivetrain is good for 350 horses and the Ingolstadt-based manufacturer is also offering quattro as standard on the S5. Moreover, the gasoline motor gets an 8-speed transmission. Right from the word go, the TFSI unit feels sharp when it comes to throttle response and the car picks up pace so quickly, that 0-100 km/hr comes up in a claimed 4.79 seconds which is just brilliant. The powertrain doesn’t really have a dead spot in the rev band and goes freely all the way to 6500 RPM. The exhaust also sounds sweet and reminds you that you’re driving a performance car. The gearbox, again, is well-matched to the engine and thus does a very good job of transferring all that power and torque to the wheels.
The S5 has a slightly sportier ride than the A5
Driving Dynamics – The ride quality on both the cars is very good and feels comfortable over slow to medium speeds. Obviously, you need to go really slow over potholes but the suspension tackles them without much sweat. Though, if you tend to go fast over broken surfaces, there is a tendency to thud. At high speeds, both the A5 and the S5 feel very planted and passenger comfort is indeed good, though I personally found the ride on the S5 a bit stiffer compared to its diesel counterpart. Ground clearance is an issue though, especially when you encounter poorly-designed speed breakers on the B-roads of our country, and the situation is worse when the car is fully-loaded with passengers.
The A5 and S5 are targeted towards the driver in you
Just like many other Audis, the steering does lack some amount of feel, though the unit on the S5 seemed to be giving better feedback. Body control is fantastic and never does the car feel like it lacks confidence. With quattro on offer, the S5 feels even more composed around the corners while the A5 has a tendency to slide out. However, both the cars offer a sporty driving impression. The cars get disc brakes, with the front ones being ventilated and braking power is stupendous. The 245-section tyres also offer very good levels of grip.
Safety equipment on the cars is high-tech
Safety and After Sales Service – The car gets a 6 airbag system with dual frontal, side chest and side head-protecting airbags as standard. Side chest protecting airbags in the second-row outboard seats are available on the A5. It gets a pop-up bonnet for pedestrian protection, tyre pressure warning, light and rain sensor, ISOFIX child seat mounting and top tether. Other features include anti-theft wheel bolts, seat belt monitoring, anti-theft alarm and a variable restraint system. The A5 also has some electronic safety features like AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking), ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) and LSS (Lane Support Systems). On the service front, Audi has authorised service stations in most major cities in India.
The A5 and S5 make for a good choice if you enjoy driving
Verdict – Both the A5 and S5 are very good cars offering a sporty feel. The cars come with good looks, long equipment list, decent comfort and powerful engines and the Sportbacks are very practical for daily usage too. The A5 should be your pick if you want a torquey engine which is also efficient while the S5 should definitely be your pick if you’re in the market for a petrol performance sedan since it gets a very nice 3.0-litre V6 engine and a sweet sounding exhaust.
For those who are chauffeur driven, the A4 or A6 will be a better pick
What’s Cool
* The A5 and S5 look killer and are head-turners
* The interiors are an awesome place to be in
* Both the engines offer excellent driveability
* Driving dynamics of the cars have a sporty intention
What’s Not So Cool
* Space at the rear is a bit lacking
Alternatives: BMW 3-Series GT
The S5 would be our pick from the entire range
2017 Audi A5 & S5 Specifications
* Engine: 2999cc, TFSI, V6 | 1968cc, DOHC, 4-cylinders
* Power: 354 HP @ 5400-6400 RPM | 190 HP @ 3800-4200 RPM
* Torque: 500 NM @ 1370-4500 RPM | 400 NM @ 1750-3000 RPM
* Transmission: 8-Speed AT | 7-Speed AT
* 0-100 km/hr: 4.79 Seconds | 7.9 Seconds
* Fuel Consumption: 6-7 km/l | 10-12 km/l
* Fuel Type: Petrol | Diesel
* Suspension: Independent Wheel Suspension
* Brakes: Ventilated Discs (Front), Discs (Rear), ABS
* Safety: Airbags, ABS, EBD, TPMS, AEB, Lane Support System, Traction Control
2017 Audi A5 & S5 Dimensions
* Overall length x width x height: 4733 mm X 1843 mm X 1386 mm
* Boot Space: 480-litres
* Wheelbase: 2824 mm
* Turning Radius: 5.85-metres
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 61-litres
The Bratpack also consists of the A5 Cabriolet
Further Reading –