Audi S5 2024 review – an engaging 362bhp sports saloon?
With a 362bhp mild hybrid V6 and a limited-slip diff, the S5 is potentially a top-class sleeper
If nothing else, we know by now that no coupe is sacred, with the S5 the latest two door nameplate to be redeployed in another, now as saloon and Avant S4 replacements for 2025. An identity crisis? It’s debatable. Some will miss the svelte coupe that was always cheaper than it looked.
They’re the first performance-oriented combustion cars to come from Audi in this new twin-pronged era, as the marque looks to offer both all-electric and hybridised internal combustion engine options in every segment – even numbers the former, odd numbers the latter. As such, these S5s will be battling the Mercedes-AMG C43 and BMW M340i, rather than the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 and BMW 440i.
No, the S5 and A5 aren’t direct replacements for the old coupes, which in the first instance is a shame. But they’re not SUVs either, they’re not electric and they’re not unattractive. Small wins…
The head of the range and of the most interest to evo is of course the warm S5 saloon and Avant, with a 362bhp 3-litre turbocharged V6 engine. Familiar to the old S4s it may be but, as per the rest of the new A5 engine range, it’s been given the once over. It now features a revised combustion process and a variable geometry turbo, as well as Audi’s new MHEV plus 48-volt mild hybrid system. The system in the S5, so Audi says, saves up to 17g/km of CO2.
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That power is sent to all four wheels via an S-tronic dual-clutch transmission and quattro all-wheel drive, with an adjustable clutch and a torque-vectoring differential at the rear. The S5s and the diesel A5s will be the only A5s available with quattro all-wheel drive until the plug-in hybrid arrives next year.
How does the high-tech S5 V6 feel in practice? Well, the engine is surprisinglfy musical and undoubtedly strong, neatly surging you up the road to a pleasant six-cylinder tune. Part of the remit of MHEV plus is to provide a performance boost, as well as increase efficiency at low speeds. As a result, overall, the S5’s powertrain is noticeably more responsive. Then at low speeds in town, the engine isn’t shy about shutting off and handing over to the power generator in traffic.
The S5 will avoid firing up the engine in low speed manoeuvring situations like parking, setting off slowly from traffic lights and so on. It’ll also ‘sail’, which sees the engine turn off and the motor take over, when you’re moving but speed maintenance is low effort and you’re basically off throttle. The handover once the engine does cut in is seamless too. You do feel the presence of the MHEV plus system, with a sci-fi whirring sound when using the regenerative braking, as well as when driving with the ICE off. Performance figures are competitive, with the 0-62mph sprint taking just 4.5sec on the way to a limited 155mph top speed.
The new A5 and S5 are the first Audis to use the Premium Platform Combustion architecture, which is a heavily revised version of the MLB Evo platform that underpinned the last-generation A4, A5, S4 and S5. Audi’s goal with the new A5 and S5 has been to combine the practicality and versatility of the outgoing A4 range, with a premium, performance-positive driving feel and presence, for a more upmarket positioning.
That approach permeates everything, from the styling, to the cabin, to the dimensions, chassis and suspension setup. Audi has in particular concentrated on developing a neutral handling balance for the A5 and S5, with stiffer axle bearings and drop link stabilisers installed to improve the steering.
Another goal has been to broaden the talents of the modes within Drive Select, which it has by and large achieved. The S5 springs to life in Dynamic, the standard-fit adaptive dampers rocks steady in their platform control at speed without crashing across harsher surfaces, while Comfort slackens everything off nicely.
Adding a bit of athleticism to the S5 in cornering is its torque-vectoring quattro sport differential. While it does inform keen turn in, the S5 isn’t one to get out of shape with ease or in any way encourage it. Push on through a hairpin with a bit of moisture under the wheels and a slug of throttle and it’ll swing around but it’s clear, this isn’t what the S5 wants to do. Rather, it wants to flow down a road with absolute neutrality and precision. Could it do with more of a sense of humour? Perhaps. There’s definitely bandwidth for it, that we can hope will be explored in the upcoming 2025 Audi RS5.
Slightly disappointing is the progressive-rate steering, which doesn’t quite deliver on the promise of improved feel. It’s precise, certainly, but the rack doesn’t accumulate the natural sense of mass you’re looking for until you’re really pushing on. A note for the braking too, which of course incorporates a regenerative element. As is often the case, the handover to friction braking isn’t perfectly resolved at low speeds but it’s fine when driving enthusiastically. It’s far from the worst out there.
By and large the range does deliver on its promise of pushing upmarket in terms of driving feel, from where the A4 and S4 left off. As ever, a final verdict on the S5’s ride will have to wait for UK drives next month but initial impressions of this competent sporting saloon are good overall.
Inside the 2025 S5, Audi’s new ‘Digital Stage’ of screens takes over from the quality-feeling clicky buttons of the outgoing S4s and S5s. The 2025 S5’s can be counted on one hand which is a shame, as the clicky rotary controls of Audis over the last decade were almost without peer, with a feeling of quality spanning the all the way from the A1 hatch to the R8 supercar. Admittedly, the S5’s HMI screen is canted towards the driver within its panel, meaning it’s easier to read and navigate than some other touch-heavy efforts. The UI is also responsive and relatively intuitive. A bit more variety in terms of the digital cockpit dial options wouldn’t have gone amiss, though.
The wheel, as with the recently updated Audi e-tron GT, also features haptic touch controls. They’re far from the worst but do suffer from the same issue of susceptibility to being unintentionally operated, as many others do.
Clicky physical control cull notwithstanding, the S5’s cabin is as you’d expect, nicely put together with quality materials and stylishly designed – the red leather of the S5 Avant we sampled was particularly arresting. The sports seats are comfortable and reasonably supportive too, and their diamond stitching is always a nice tell that you’re in the warmed-over ‘S’ model.
What about the outside? Has the effortless upwardly mobile contemporary style of the old coupes made it over wholesale to this new lineup of a saloon and Avant? The S5 looks good from the front, with the bespoke diamond pattern within its single frame grill and aggressive flanking intakes making it identifiable as the ‘hot’ one.
The rest of the car, especially round the side, is a bit too lozenge-like, with not enough three-box heritage shining through. It’ll impress in terms of drag coefficient, but doesn’t have the confident lines you look for in a premium performance car, that you find in abundance on its big siblings, the Audi RS7 and e-tron GT. There’s a bit of arch going on but obviously, there’s headroom here that’s being left for 2025’s pumped up RS5. For now, the S5 Avant is definitely the looker of the two.
The OLED rear lights are cool though, with their dynamic signatures. This uses second-generation digital OLED tech, with 60 segments per digital OLED panel. As Audi says, we’re at the point that this is as much an information display, as it is a light. At rest, our cars were shimmering at the rear, giving the light bar a ‘lake surface under moonlight’ vibe. Matrix LED lights with their eight light signatures are standard on the S5, as they are all Edition 1 spec A5s.
The story is as it ever was with Audi’s D segment sports saloon and estate. That it’s now known as S5, rather than S4, almost isn’t of consequence. As ever, we suspect a more engaging rival can be found in the equivalent BMW and perhaps a more luxurious rival can be found in the equivalent Mercedes. But the S5 is an impressive thing, from its powertrain, to its build quality and its technology.
The full fat 365bhp S5 is only available in Edition 1 trim and starts from a sturdy £68,700 for the saloon and £70,600 for the Avant. For reference, the BMW M340i xDrive, fitted with the adaptive dampers and Harman/Kardon Stereo for S5 parity, costs £60,785, while the C43 AMG starts from £67,500.
The 2025 Audi S5 saloon and Avant available to order now, with first deliveries beginning in December 2024. We’ll line them up alongside a BMW M340i and a Mercedes-AMG C43 in the UK, to really see what’s what, very soon.
