The Audi S5 Sportback offers speed and style with a light price tag

For the handful of car-lovers who have been staring into the Western horizon, admiring the fine contours of the Audi A5, there’s something better than they bargained for and it’s ripe for the picking. The delicious yellow blur that accommodated our thankful selves into it is none other than the Audi S5 Sportback, the sportier rendition of the A5 that somehow never made it to India. As part of the German manufacturer’s S-series of cars, we can automatically be assured of the power packed into this one as well as the performance-centric design and we were pleased to discover that the S5 didn’t let us down.


Quite the head-turner
Other than the brilliant driving experience that the S5 offers you, maneuvering this beauty of a machine is especially delightful as it is an unfailing head-turner. If you’d compare it to the A4 you’d notice that it is longer, wider and lower. The yellow color manages to steal the show with fine accents all around the body that go just well with the whole look. The silver-finished rear view mirrors, for instance, are highly functional, thanks to the special zoom glass in the right side mirror. The front fender smartly sports the V6T badge while the new expansive platinum-finished front grille plays host to the usual intertwined rings of Audi. The front bumper sports fog lamps while the rear bumper is noticeably low-hanging. The four-door car offers frameless doors making it look closer to what a 2-door speedster would look like (read: more sporty). The matching quad-exhaust tips bring up the rear and are nestled under an ample boot.

A driver-focused interior
Most of the interiors of the car make the premium aspect of the Audi S5 stand out. This is balanced out well with the sporty persona. The sports seats are very comfortable and covered in black leather. The well-cushioned seats keeps the occupants of the car anchored down even during sharp turns at high speed. The frameless doors are nearly a simulation of supercar doors. The steering wheel is nestled on a black dashboard with silver inserts that do not live up to the contemporary style that the rest of the car wishes to project. It is so focused on getting things right for the driver that the rear seat occupants are left with less headroom and legroom. The interior is studded with carbon fiber accents, which are as rhythmically synchronous as the rest of the car’s design scheme. Big ups to Audi for the Bang & Olufsen sound system that simply win it for audiophiles.

Effortless, pleasurable driving
For its price, the Audi S5 is quite an amazing car to take for a spin. The 3-litre V6 super-charged petrol engine is mated with two of the finest technologies from the house of Audi. The 7-speed S tronic dual-clutch gearbox and the Quattro all-wheel drive system simulates the feeling of gliding over the streets. Shifting gears is another delightful experience as you can smoothly switch between gears, hardly feeling any resistance. We would go far enough to state that this car has one of the best gearboxes in the industry. You can further choose between four Drive Select Modes, namely, Efficiency, Comfort, Dynamic and Individual. We especially preferred the Dynamic mode, which was most responsive and gave us unmatchable control of the engine and gearbox. However, if your drives are inflicted with the wrath of traffic and jams then the Comfort mode would be something that you would rather go for. With the ability to go from still to 100 kmph in just 5.1 seconds, you can dwell in the satisfying grunts of the engine on a worthy proving ground. If you’re brave enough to stretch its legs then you can expect theAudi S5 to max out at 250 kmph. There’s so much more you can do with a performer that pumps out 333 bhp and 440 Nm of torque. Another noteworthy mention is the braking system that stores kinetic energy, which is then converted to electric energy in the battery, thus improving fuel efficiency.

A good fast car at a competitive price
If you are looking for a really fast car that doesn’t look like it isn’t road-legal for Mumbai roads and has four doors, then the Audi S5 can be a great pick. While it does look big on the outside on the inside, it is harshly unfair to those occupying the rear seats. But at a price that comes very close to the Mercedes CLA 45 AMG (INR 71 lakhs), this 72 lakh German sedan could qualify as an educated choice for many.

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