Icon Reimagined

By any object measure, Audi’s first-generation A5 remains a difficult car in which to spot obvious weakness. It sports handsome, masculine styling; arguably legendary designer Walter de Silva’s most iconic mainstream work. Its interior is typically beautifully crafted Audi. It is offered as a Coupe, five-door Sportback and Cabriolet, meaning a body style to suit every preference. Drivetrains; likewise, remain models of efficiency and performance. 

So how to improve on a model like this? 

Easy – wipe the slate clean and begin again.

The stunning new A5 and S5 takes everything that is desirable and successful about the current models and applies a formula of quiet, consistent improvement. First up, it sits upon the new MLB evo platform that underpins the recently released Audi A4, meaning a lighter, stronger, more aluminium-intensive architecture. A longer wheelbase improves ride comfort, even more sophisticated suspension design aids dynamic prowess, while upgraded steering heightens the driver’s sense of connection with the car.  

There are new powertrains, including a cutting-edge turbo V6 in the sports-focussed S5, that combines blistering performance with remarkable frugality. When it arrives in Australia towards the middle of next year, it promises to ignite the segment the A5 helped define. 

The task of reimagining de Silva’s stunning original fell to 33-year-old designer Jakob Hirzel, who was recruited to Audi following his work on the Skoda Rapid Spaceback. As with the the A4, his styling adheres to the brand’s ‘careful evolution’ strategy, so it’s not a radical departure from de Silva’s original, but it is a design that immediately strikes you as purposeful, svelte and confident. And the more you take in the details in the metal, the more you appreciate the careful crafting that has gone this model.

The new car is 47mm longer than the original, but designed to look more compact via a number of visual techniques. The Singeframe grille is shallower but wider; the wheel arches are more pronounced, with greater sculpting just forward for the rear wheels. The bonnet features a power dome that is inspired by a boat’s wake, starting from the signature Singleframe grille and flowing back. The thinned, wider rear light clusters look as though a machete has been used to neatly slice a wedge out of them, giving a sculpted, three-dimensional look. The wheelbase is longer by 13mm, and the new body has liberated an additional 17mm of extra interior room. Access both in and out – aided by the electric slider control on the front seats next to the tilt release – makes the two-seater rear a totally useable day-to-day space. 

Expect at least five powertrain variants at launch in Australia, with the model most certain to grab the attention of enthusiasts being the S5 3.0 TFSI Coupe (at least until the release of the ultra-high-performance RS4/RS5 twins.) The S5’s engine shares its bore and stroke with the old 3.0-litre supercharged engine (which made 245kW/440Nm), but virtually nothing else. There are 800 new components in there, and the engine’s weight is down by 14kg. Significantly, the turbo resides in the valley of the V, just as the two turbos do with the 4.0-litre V8 in the RS6/RS7. This ‘hot-vee’ design allows a shorter pathway for gas flow, reducing lag and sharpening throttle response. No question as to its effectiveness. Max torque of 500Nm is available at just 1370rpm and holds on to 4500rpm, giving a torque curve which looks like a sketch of Ayres Rock. The peak power of 260kW is there from 5400rpm to 6400rpm, so those numbers help explain why the delivery feels so linear.

Transmission for this model has moved from a seven-speed dual-clutch to an eight-speed torque-convertor, in deference to the torque output, but shifts don’t feel noticeably  slower than the S-tronic, and this box has even better low-speed manners. Gear ratios feel well chosen; usefully short in the first five ratios - third gear at the 6400rpm redline gives just 132km/h, for example - while eighth is tall enough to drop engine speed to just 1700rpm when cruising at the Australian limit of 110km/h. 

Official combined consumption is 7.3L/100km, a five percent improvement on the already frugal current model S5. 

Naturally every dynamic parameter can be adjusted to the driver’s individual liking via the standard-fitment Drive Select. Steering weight, suspension compliance, powertrain eagerness can all be adjusted to suit driving conditions and preference. Even the volume and note of the exhaust system can be dialled back if more muted operation is deemed appropriate. 

Then there’s the option of dynamic steering, which reduces turns lock to lock to just 2.3, usefully faster than the standard rack, while still providing a resolved connection to the front wheels. As with the current model, an optional Sport differential provides a more favourable side-to-side rear torque split when driving hard, increasing the sense of the rear end pivoting and aiding the driver’s line of attack. 

The S5’s interior architecture with its quilted leather trim, flourishes of aluminium or carbonfibre applied to the dash and doors and Alcantara doortrims, is deeply seductive. The flat-bottom S-Line wheel is both tactile and a thing of beauty, while the optional Virtual Cockpit can be configured to display a large TFT tacho with speed and gear position inset within the dominant display. 

So the forthcoming S5 nails its intended target with a sweet one-two. Its powertrain’s punch and efficiency are outstanding, and its chassis has upped both the power-down and adjustability factors by a useful margin. It’s an enticing performance flagship of the new A5 range, and a fitting successor to a design icon.