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Audi S5 Sportback 3.0 TFSI Quattro S tronic road test report

Sportback 3.0 TFSI Quattro S tronic

First came the A5 Coupé and Convertible, then the A5 Sportback which combined 5-door hatchback practicality – not something German manufacturers have been much bothered about in recent times – with sleek coupé styling. Now comes the powerful S5 Sportback, a model that seemingly has almost every box ticked.

Road Test Reports Says 4 star rating
A front-facing image of the Audi S5 Sportback 3.0 TFSI Quattro S tronic

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TOM STEWART SAYS

Performance Performance - 5 stars

If the 3.2-litre, 261bhp FSI A5 doesn’t quite do it for you, then this new 3-litre TFSI-engined S5 with a fulsome 328bhp and 325lb/ft of torque probably should. (The ‘T’ in current Audi nomenclature stands not necessarily for ‘turbocharged’ but for any forced induction, in this case ‘supercharged’.) Feeding power through a 7-speed twin clutch transmission, the S5 can bolt to 62mph in 5.4 secs and easily reach its 155mph (limited) top speed. Those are the raw figures, but behind the wheel they matter little as there’s always a surfeit of oomph on tap accompanied by the rewarding sound of the smooth, supercharged V6.

Ride & Handling Ride & Handling - 5 stars

In addition to the standard S Sports Suspension and Quattro all-wheel-drive with wheel-to-wheel torque transfer, the car tested was fitted with a host of options including a sports differential, Damper Control, Dynamic Steering and Drive Select which allows the driver to fine tune throttle response, steering assistance and more to suit personal preferences and conditions. It also ran on 20” alloys with super low-profile tyres that would ordinarily make for a jarring ride, but with everything set to ‘auto’ the S5’s ride feels taut but far from uncomfortable. The steering is responsive without being flighty while the limits of grip in the dry could really only be exploited on a racetrack.

Build Quality & Reliability Build Quality & Reliability - 5 stars

State-of-the-art would be one way to describe the S5’s construction as, to all intents and purposes, it’s faultless. There may be some interior detailing that may not be to everyone’s taste, but you can’t fault the build or finish in any way, and I doubt that 100,000 or more on the clock would do much to change that view. As a brand Audi fared well in the ’10 JD Power ownership satisfaction survey scoring 807 points against an industry average of 789, while the A5 came third overall in the same survey’s Compact Executive segment with 813 points.

Safety & Security Safety & Security - 5 stars

The A5 doesn’t have a Euro NCAP rating, but the Audi A4 (with which the A5 and S5 share a platform) does have the full five stars along with a 93% score for adult occupant protection and 83% for child occupant protection, and there’s no reason why the A5 or S5 Sportbacks should be any less safe. Additionally, the S5 has a long list of safety features including adaptive, swiveling auto headlamps, auto wipers, sophisticated stability control systems, six airbags as standard, optional blind spot and lane departure warning systems, and, not least, very powerful brakes.

Space & Practicality Space & Practicality - 4 stars

The S5 Sportback runs its A4 and S4 Saloon relatives close on rear head and leg room, and it’s certainly a whole lot roomier in the back than in an A5 or S5 Coupé. With a 480 litre capacity when the rear seats are in place, its load bay also very nearly matches that of the A4 Avant, and with the rear seat backs folded down there’s a handy and easily-accessible 980 litres of loadspace. The Sportback’s sloping rear screen could be a hindrance if you need to transport larger solid items (the boot becomes gets increasingly shallow toward the rear), but for a car that’s ostensibly a coupé it’s exceptionally spacious, and it’s pretty good for a hatchback too.

Ownership & Value Ownership & Value - 3 stars

The starting price for the S5 Sportback 3.0 TFSI Quattro S tronic is £40,125 otr. Throw in a few options, e.g. the £1,955 Technology package, the £525 B&O audio system, the £600 Convenience package, the £1,100 20” wheels and £600 for grey metallic paint (that’s right, six hundred!), and you’ll soon add £8k or more to the price, as per my test car. At these levels the S5’s 219g/km of Co2 (tax band K) may not be too significant, but 30.1mpg (combined) from a 328bhp five-seater is quite impressive, a figure boosted to some extent by Audi’s brake recuperation technology. So, if all this suits your budget and your needs wouldn’t be better served by a convertible, an off-roader or an MPV, then the S5 Sportback should tick all the boxes.

Submitted: 28/09/2010 08:42:15

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