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Behind the wheel: Audi S5 Sportback

LOOKING more like a coupe than a sedan, Audi’s S5 Sportback is a slick bit of gear.

Powered by a supercharged V6, at $129,000 the grunty four-door is likely to find a ready pool of buyers.

An ultra high performance RS version has just been launched - but at $175,000 it will be a bit rich for most tastes.

Besides, we’ve got to admit, we’ve grown rather fond of our stylish S - a car that does everything right and very little wrong.

The 3.0-litre supercharged V6 delivers 245kW of power and 440Nm of torque between 2900 and 5300 revs.

That compares with the 4.2-litre V8 coupe which is good for 260kW and 440Nm - there’s not much in it.

The supercharged six is hooked up to a seven-speed S tronic automated, double clutch transmission for maximum economy and performance.

It’s one of the best examples of a double clutch tranny that we’ve seen to date, responding quickly and not getting confused in some situations the way some do.

The V8 is stuck with a six-speed manual or six-speed slush box.

Fuel economy for the car is officially rated at 9.7 litres/100km, using premium unleaded fuel - but we’ve been averaging 13.4 litres/100km.

This is our second drive in the S5 and it continues to impress.

The car responds sharply to the throttle, especially in sport mode, with smooth, linear power delivery across the rev range.

There’s very little lag from the supercharged engine, with plenty of grunt on tap at low revs - unlike a turbo.

At 1830kg the Sportback is the heaviest of the A5 variants, but still manages to dispatch the dash from 0-100km/h in a rapid 5.4 seconds.

That’s three tenths slower than the V8 powered Coupe, but it’s lighter and has a shorter wheelbase.

We were particularly impressed by the S5’s ride quality, even with standard suspension and the standard 18-inch wheels (19s are optional).

The ride is smooth and comfortable and the car corners flat.

Quattro all-wheel-drive is standard with a 60 per cent bias towards the rear wheels during normal operation.

Inside you will find S badges, suede leather sports seats with electric lumbar and thigh adjustment, an instrument panel with white on grey dials, multifunction sport steering wheel and advanced key. The rear hatch hides a good-sized luggage area with 480 litres of space available with the seats in place and 980 litres with them down.

The rear seats split and fold in a 2:2:1 ratio.

The chassis boasts stiffer bushes, stiffer shocks and the car sits 20mm lower than the standard A5.

Black painted brake calipers bear the S logo and low profile 18-inch 245/40 wheels and rubber are standard.

A number of handling enhancements are available as options including a new sport differential that feeds torque as required between the rear wheels, giving the car more control in corners.

Drive Select is also optional and alters throttle response, gear shift points and supports speed-dependent servotronic steering.

But Drive Select can only be ordered with adaptive dampers, or a combination of the sport differential, adaptive damper control for shock absorbers, dynamic steering.

The whole shooting match adds $7000 to the price.

audi s5


audi s5 pictures


audi s5 wallpapers


audi s5 photos


audi s5