What does Audi’s S subbrand imply to you? As somebody who day by day drove an authentic C4-generation Audi S6 for a decade, it’s an enormous and burly sports activities sedan with extra efficiency than plenty of sports activities automobiles of its day. All-wheel-drive traction, enhance for days, and a guide transmission are the secret. Within the final 34 years, Audi’s S has come a good distance from the place it started, and it’s not as in-your-face with the efficiency side, preferring to stay with understated luxurious and grand touring highway-mile-eating quiet. Is that higher? I suppose it will depend on your priorities.
After 34 years on sale as Audi’s compact flagship sports activities sedan, the S4 is lifeless, changed by a brand new larger-in-every-dimension grand touring sedan, the 2025 S5. The model has killed off its enthusiast-oriented machines, and there are not any coupes, convertibles, or sports activities automobiles of any form. And earlier than you ask, we’re not getting the wagon both, so shut your mouth and eat your slop little piggies — although the brand new S5 does have a liftback rear as a substitute of a sedan trunk, successfully changing the previous S5 Sportback too.
Full disclosure: Audi flew me to Good, France, put me up in a pleasant resort, and equipped me with good meals and wine so I might drive the 2025 S5.
A lot as the unique Audi S4 did in 1991, the brand new S5 is setting the stage for a revamped and hopefully revitalized four-rings model. The normal naming conference we’re used to, in follow by Audi for 30 years, has been thrown out the window. Going ahead, odd numbers are for automobiles with inside combustion engines, whereas even numbers might be absolutely electrical fashions. The A5 and S5 will form of change the A4 and S4, however the brand new platform is a measurement bigger, splitting the distinction between A4 and A6 within the previous Audi lineup. Audi’s new A5 gained’t compete instantly with the BMW 3 Sequence or Mercedes C-Class because it usually has, nevertheless it’s not fairly as massive because the 5 Sequence or E-Class, both. Audi is taking a web page out of the Cadillac playbook and working with one thing extra CT4-sized. It’s larger, is what I’m saying.
The automobile relies on a Audi’s new Premium Efficiency Combustion (PPC) structure, however in actuality it’s a closely revamped revision of the present MLB Evo platform utilized by the outgoing A4 and A5. The engine continues to be longitudinal and mounted forward of the entrance axle, and it’s the identical turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 with 349 horsepower that was utilized by the previous S5. It nonetheless makes use of Quattro all-wheel drive, too. However as a result of the automobile is larger, it’s truly a tick slower from 0 to 60 mph, with a 4.5-second run up from 4.4 seconds within the outgoing S4. Audi doesn’t but have an official weight for the S5, however the previous S4 was 3,800 kilos, so you possibly can guess it’ll be a chunky 4,000 plus.
Except for being barely bigger and driving on flippantly revised platform, the S5 is kind of a revamp of the previous automobiles it size-up replaces. The driving expertise might be acquainted to anybody who has pushed the prior S4, although bigger, and the chassis itself is claimed to be considerably stiffer than the outgoing mannequin for improved steering really feel. This additionally permits the suspension to do its work to higher impact, giving the automobile’s numerous drive modes extra impact within the adjustments to suspension damping. The Consolation mode has a noticeably softer really feel, and Sport mode can have you feeling a pea by 27 mattresses. However what is really new right here? Not a lot. Ze Germans have optimized ze expertise, why would something must be modified?
Visually, I believe the automobile is engaging. It teeters on being a bit lackluster, with its new upright grille and virtually Ford-like aesthetic, however Audi manages to tug it off in a enterprise go well with form of means. It’s very grownup with out fake sporty adornments or in-your-face design different manufacturers would leap to incorporate. In a world of BMW 340i M Sports activities, be an Audi S5.
The brand new automobile’s inside is a bounce ahead when it comes to know-how and rear seat consolation. Many of the automobile’s newfound size was added for rear seat legroom, probably in an enchantment to the Chinese language market. Earlier than it will have been a bit cramped for a full-sized grownup to take a seat within the again seat, however now it’s solely doable. I’m 6-foot-2 on a nasty day, and I used to be ready to slot in the again seat fairly comfortably with the entrance seat adjusted to my seating place (an hour throughout city could be tremendous, however a several-hour highway journey would get annoying).
Audi went all-in on screens for the brand new S5. Along with the large Digital Cockpit display screen behind the steering wheel, you get a curved panoramic 14.5-inch MMI heart display screen. If you wish to, you possibly can possibility in a 3rd 10.9-inch display screen for the passenger as nicely. The passenger display screen can’t function with Apple CarPlay, however it could possibly obtain apps and be used independently, that means your passenger can watch Netflix or YouTube. Some trick new privateness know-how means the driving force can’t see the passenger display screen as soon as the automobile is shifting, except it’s simply set to point out the navigation maps. You may see it crystal clear when the automobile is stopped, however as soon as the automobile will get shifting once more the display screen turns into a black void within the driver’s peripheral, although the passenger can nonetheless see it fairly clearly.
A revised head up show is crystal clear and provides a degree of consolation to the drive. Even for somebody who’s all torso like me, there was sufficient adjustability for me to have the ability to see it clearly. Audi additionally added some Microsoft AI bullshit to the automobile, permitting ChatGPT to reply questions for you when you’re driving. I attempted to work together with it a couple of instances, however like virtually each voice command system I’ve ever used I shortly discovered it annoying and stopped asking.
The factor concerning the Audi S5 I nonetheless can’t cease fascinated about weeks faraway from the driving expertise is the seats. Audi has at all times constructed some fairly good seats in my estimation, however these new sporty consolation seats are the proper mix. That is the primary time I’ve skilled a well-bolstered sport seat that didn’t beat the shit out of me, or put one other means, the primary time I’ve skilled a snug seat that felt like it will maintain me in place by twisty roads. The therapeutic massage capabilities had been barely noticeable nonetheless, I might have appreciated a bit extra stress.
The Bang & Olufsen audio system within the S5 is killer. I’m not a lot of an audiophile, nevertheless it was crisp and clear it doesn’t matter what was happening exterior or what speeds I used to be touring. New for the S5, B&O put a pair of audio system in every entrance headrest. The driving force’s headrest transmits the entire directions from the automobile’s navigation system instantly, giving the driving force precisely what they should know with out annoying everybody within the automobile.
In comparison with the BMW M automobiles and Mercedes-AMG fashions that can beat you up for taking a look at them unsuitable, the brand new Audi S5 is a snug all-uses form of automobile. It gained’t win any observe days, nevertheless it’ll eat up a mountain highway with relative ease, and with out inflicting seasickness in your passengers. Audi calls this a Grand Touring Sedan, and I suppose that describes it nicely sufficient, although a real Grand Tourer would in all probability have extra energy nowadays.
This automobile is certainly a pleasant place to spend time, and it’s fairly fast, however the ardour and pleasure is gone from S. If you need one thing comfy with affordable gasoline mileage, you’ll need the approaching A5. If you need one thing to stir your soul, you’ll probably have to attend till the RS5 arrives, at any time when which may be. The S5 is left in some purgatory in between. It isn’t frugal, it isn’t cheap, and it isn’t a velocity demon. The customer for an S5 might be discovered someplace within the center floor. If you need fairly fast and cozy, and don’t wish to shell out for all of the velocity and aggression of an RS, perhaps the S5 goes to suit your invoice.
Additionally, right here’s a cute canine I noticed in France:
