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 a giant and burly sports activities sedan with extra efficiency than a number of sports activities automobiles of its day. All-wheel-drive traction, increase for days, and a guide transmission are the secret. Within the final 34 years, Audi’s S has come a great distance from the place it started, and it’s now 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 assume it is determined by 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 now not any coupes, convertibles, or sports activities automobiles of any type. 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 an alternative 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 lodge, and equipped me with good meals and wine so I may 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 observe 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 will probably be totally electrical fashions. The A5 and S5 will type of change the A4 and S4, however the brand new platform is a dimension 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 sometimes has, but it surely’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 operating with one thing extra CT4-sized. It’s greater, is what I’m saying.
The automobile is predicated on a Audi’s new Premium Efficiency Combustion (PPC) structure, however in actuality it’s a closely revamped revision of the prevailing MLB Evo platform utilized by the outgoing A4 and A5. The engine remains 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 greater, it’s really 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’ll be able to wager it’ll be a chunky 4,000 plus.
Other than being barely bigger and using on flippantly revised platform, the S5 is kind of a revamp of the previous automobiles it size-up replaces. The driving expertise will probably 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 varied drive modes extra impact within the adjustments to suspension damping. The Consolation mode has a noticeably softer really feel, and Sport mode may 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 should be modified?
Visually, I believe the automobile is enticing. It teeters on being a bit lackluster, with its new upright grille and nearly Ford-like aesthetic, however Audi manages to drag it off in a enterprise swimsuit sort of approach. 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 by way of know-how and rear seat consolation. A lot of the automobile’s newfound size was added for rear seat legroom, probably in an attraction to the Chinese language market. Earlier than it could have been a bit cramped for a full-sized grownup to take a seat within the again seat, however now it’s completely potential. I’m 6-foot-2 on a nasty day, and I used to be in a position to slot in the again seat fairly comfortably with the entrance seat adjusted to my seating place (an hour throughout city could be nice, however a several-hour street journey would get annoying).
Audi went all-in on screens for the brand new S5. Along with the large Digital Cockpit display behind the steering wheel, you get a curved panoramic 14.5-inch MMI middle display. If you wish to, you’ll be able to choice in a 3rd 10.9-inch display for the passenger as effectively. The passenger display can’t function with Apple CarPlay, however it might probably obtain apps and be used independently, that means your passenger can watch Netflix or YouTube. Some trick new privateness know-how means the motive force can’t see the passenger display as soon as the automobile is shifting, except it’s simply set to point out the navigation maps. You possibly can see it crystal clear when the automobile is stopped, however as soon as the automobile will get shifting once more the display 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 occasions, however like nearly each voice command system I’ve ever used I rapidly discovered it annoying and stopped asking.
The factor in regards to the Audi S5 I nonetheless can’t cease excited about weeks faraway from the driving expertise is the seats. Audi has all the time constructed some fairly good seats in my estimation, however these new sporty consolation seats are the right 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 approach, the primary time I’ve skilled a snug seat that felt like it could maintain me in place by twisty roads. The therapeutic massage features have been barely noticeable nevertheless, I might have preferred a bit extra strain.
The Bang & Olufsen audio system within the S5 is killer. I’m not a lot of an audiophile, but it surely was crisp and clear it doesn’t matter what was occurring outdoors 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 motive force’s headrest transmits the entire directions from the automobile’s navigation system instantly, giving the motive 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 may beat you up for taking a look at them improper, the brand new Audi S5 is a snug all-uses sort of automobile. It gained’t win any monitor days, but it surely’ll eat up a mountain street with relative ease, and with out inflicting seasickness in your passengers. Audi calls this a Grand Touring Sedan, and I assume that describes it effectively 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, every time that could 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 will probably be discovered someplace within the center floor. If you need fairly fast and cozy, and don’t need 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:
