2018 Audi S5 India Review, First Drive

Enchanting –

• Sopshiticated and Sporty sedan
• Superlative chassis, brakes, engine
• Surprisingly comfortable and fuel efficient
• Practical and Spacious

Unsatisfying –

• Steering could be more communicative

No matter how many SUV’s are out there on the roads of every country, you look down, you see a saloon, which looks elegant, going fast while standing still design language and it appeals to you. You decide to get one, but you want the best one now, it should be faster and quicker than your heavy SUV. This is that car. The Audi S5 is a fast, quick saloon which promises a lot of fun. The petrol motor equipped car which makes a lot more power and torque than the usual diesel saloons which we are used to. How is it, and what is it? Let’s find out.

Design

The styling of this fastback car is impressive. The swooping roofline, the well-integrated boot, the sleek and muscular bonnet with power lines, the low stance, which is more pronounced than the A5 makes this car set apart from its siblings and rivals. The test car in grey colour with large 18-inch wheels which are very Italian alike, look almost perfect on this car.

The silver cap on the ORMV and quad exhausts is just usual Audi things and so are sleek and LED-equipped head and tail-lamps. The boot light on top of the rear windshield is another big light of the car in the night. The long, low and intimidating stance of this car, overall, grabs a lot of attention. Brighter colour? Be ready to be the eye magnet of your area!

Interior

Audi does interior rather well, all the time, and this time its no exception either. The red leather quilted seats make the experience immediately luxurious and sporty at the same time. Carbon fibre finish all around, especially in the front makes the cabin even racier. The rest of the interior, which is dark thanks to the black and grey colour used all around, including the roof brings the racer out of you. The steering wheel looks great, the dials are also a bit sportier than the A5 which the S5 is based on looks great. The red stitching around the steering wheel, gear lever and centre console show attention to detail. The front seat has extra under-thigh support which is always welcome.

Space in the S5 and A5 is similar in the back. You do sit a bit lower, but the bench hasn’t changed in terms of recline or space. Leg, shoulder, and knee room is adequate, but headroom can be a bit tight for some occupants. Boot space of almost 600 litres can take it all you throw at it. In terms of equipment, you have three-zone climate control, all connectivity options, apple car play and android auto, sunroof, electric seats, a fantastic Bang and Olufsen sound system and steering mounted control.

There is also cruise control, electric parking brake, electric steering adjustability, virtual cockpit, start-stop system, keyeless entry, front and rear parking sensors with reversing camera is on offer. Safety is taken care of with electronics such as traction control, 8 airbags, ISOFIX Tire pressure monitoring display and Anti-theft wheel bolts

Engine

The 3.0 V6 makes 354 PS of power and 500 Nm and the power is delivered via an 8-speed ZF gearbox. The engine is a hoot to explore. 0-100 km/hr is done in 4.7 seconds and we got a fuel economy of 8.86 km/l, which was quite interesting considering heavy throttle inputs and the Mumbai-Pune route used for this test. The V6 spark-ignition engine with aluminium engine block and gasoline direct injection, DOHC, exhaust turbocharger, demand-controlled high-pressure and low-pressure fuel system, Audi valvelift system (AVS), a direct intercooler is the best of both of worlds, efficiency and performance.

There is also drive-by-wire throttle control; gasoline direct injection, cylinder-selective lambda control, mapped ignition with solid-state high-voltage distribution, cylinder-selective adaptive knock control and manifold-pressure controlled system. There is a bit of lag and the gearbox is hesitant at slow speeds, but post that, floor the accelerator and the car just shoots into the horizon without any hiccups. The Quattro puts all the power down through all four wheels and the car just sprints ahead with just a minor wheel chirp.

The push back into the seat is intoxicating and addictive. You can do that all the time, till your credit company calls you to pay your petrol debt. The car does all of this while sounding excellent with pop and bangs from the exhaust and at full pelt, it does sound consistent and sonorous.

Dynamics

Well controlled body roll, good grip from tyres and good amount physical limit of grip while pushing the car around bends and sweepers make the Audi S5 fun to push around. The brakes were good but the pedal bite can be a bit better. The steering also has more feedback than usual Audi’s but deserves more for a performance car. Steering is light and precise though for city duties and it does get heavy at highway speeds.

All of this is possible because of the right balance in the suspension which is adjustable in four modes and is independent on all four wheels. The heavy kerb weight of 1790 kgs and anti-roll bar is combination done right. However, the car can be a bit lighter. The most engaging to drive Audi we have driven in quite some time, then.

2018 Audi S5 India Review, Verdict

The Audi S5 is quite a performance bargain when it comes to power to price ratio. It is practical for our roads, it does look sporty and timeless just like most performance Audi cars and it has the motor which is flexible in every regard. The S5 is a complete package with hardly any misses. The Audi S5 is the pick of the choice for the enthusiast looking for something that does as it worthy of every drop of expensive petrol out there. We already gave it a nickname, the Sonorous 5.