Audi S5 Sportback review, test drive

What’s it like to drive?

The 3.0-litre supercharged V6 from the S4 is brilliant in its ability to go from smooth and refined daily driver to savage beast depending on how firmly you flex your right foot. Even the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox does a great job in traffic, scooting you around with minimal intrusion. In fact, leave the Drive Select switch in ‘Efficiency’ mode and don’t go too hard on the gas, and it can even be quite frugal – so yes, it can conceivably be used every day.

However, it is a performance car at the end of the day, so you’ll want to know how it feels to unleash all of that 328bhp and 44.86kgm, right? Well, because it’s supercharged rather than turbocharged, there’s no lag before all that torque comes in. In Dynamic mode particularly, it’s always raring to go, and the gearbox will lock you into the heart of the powerband, shifting down quickly and intuitively to do so. The paddles work really well too, but honestly, the gearbox does a good enough job all on its own. It feels properly quick too, and Audi’s 5.1-second claimed time for 0-100kph is perfectly believable. That sense of speed is also helped by the nice little purr this motor emits – again, not a raucous growl like you’d get from an RS5, but just enough to let you know it means business.

As for ride and handling, the first thing you should know is that the S5 Sportback doesn’t have adaptive suspension, so changing the Drive Select modes won’t affect the ride in any way; that’s a shame because it would have been a great differentiator from the conventional sedans. Still, the good news is that, though it’s based on the A4, the S5 doesn’t have the same soft, floaty suspension as that car, because it is an import. As a result, the car isn’t raised or altered in any way for India, and the ride is actually better for it. It feels controlled enough for you to corner enthusiastically, but it actually handles bumps and potholes quite well too. And yes, though it’s a fair bit lower than the average luxury sedan, only the very largest speed breakers will pose a problem for the S5’s belly. Where this chassis age does show is the steering, which has that numb lifelessness that characterised Audis of old, but is much improved on the newer cars. It’s not a deal-breaker, but when the rest of the package is so strong, the weakest link really stands out. The S5 of course has Quattro AWD, and an ESP system with a Sport mode of its own, which lets you have a little bit of fun while still keeping you safe.