Audi S5 Sportback India launch in mid-2015

We already know Audi has a big model onslaught lined up for 2015 to best hold on to its number one position in our luxury segment, and one of the models that will be coming rather soon is the RS5 Sportback. The second part of its name implies that it is not a coupé, nor is it a conventional sedan. Like the A7 and RS7 that also bear the Sportback moniker, this will be a four-door car, with a large hatchback boot.

 

Going by Audi’s alphanumeric model nomenclature, as you may have guessed, this car will fit in between the S4 and S6 sedans in the company’s India model range, and correspondingly, is based on the A5 Sportback. Overseas, the A5 (and indeed S5) are also available as a convertible and a coupé, and we’ve seen the latter in India in the form of the mighty, 444bhp RS5. But while that car uses a naturally aspirated 4.2-litre V8, like all Audi’s ‘S’ cars, the S5 uses a slightly tamer powertrain to its RS counterpart. Mind you, it’s still a 328bhp 3.0-litre supercharged V6; the same one we’ve already seen in the Audi S4. Its chassis is also a little toned down from the RS5, with a softer suspension calibration, making it more suitable to everyday use.

 

Obvious comparisons can be drawn to the S4, and like that car, it features a few sporty cosmetic touches on the outside, but they’re nowhere near as in-your-face as in the RS cars. The S5 Sportback has subtle curves on its sides and a roofline that flows all the way back to almost the end of the car. Head on or from behind, it appears wider and sleeker than an S4.

 

With this car, Audi will have a nice niche filled. As with the S4 and S6, this car offers a good amount of performance for most drivers, but unlike them, it comes in an unconventional and attractive ‘sportback’ shape, which should give it a little more appeal. As ever, the key factor is price, and as per its positioning, we think it will fit in neatly between the old S4 and the S6 – so somewhere in the Rs 60-75 lakh (est. ex-showroom, Delhi) range, when it goes on sale towards the middle of the year.