6 Things You Need To Know About The New 349bhp Audi S5

Audi’s pretty but ageing A5 coupe has been replaced by an all-new model, which goes on sale in the UK this November. The hot S5 has been revealed at the same time as the boggo A5 coupe, so let’s take a closer look at the car’s key points:

It's lighter

While a specific figure isn’t given for the S5, the A5 range is now 60kg lighter thanks to the use of Audi’s new MLB (that stands for Modularer Längsbaukasten, in case you were wondering) platform. And while we’re talking about structure, the body is a slippery so-and-so, with a drag coefficient of 0.25, which according to Audi is class-leading.

Styling changes are evolutionary

We normally reserve these comparisons for blink-and-you’ll-miss-it facelifts, but as the all-new A5/S5 doesn’t look particularly all-new, we thought we’d make an exception. It’s certainly a lot more angular than the old one, with the most obvious changes at the front being the heavily creased bonnet and a much wider grille. Is it an improvement over the old car? We’ll let you decide in the comments…

It's almost as fast as the outgoing RS5

Gone is the old supercharged V6, replaced by the same turbocharged V6 found in the new S4. It’s good for 349bhp, 21bhp up from the supercharged lump. No word on torque, but again it’ll be the same as the S4, which means 369lb ft - up from 325lb ft.

0-62mph takes 4.7 seconds, two tenths faster that before and just a couple of tenths off the RS5.

Even the non-S A5s are fast

We wouldn’t be surprised to see a proper poverty spec, low power A5 arrive at some point, but from launch, there won’t be a slow A5 in the UK. The least powerful - the base 2.0-litre TFSI petrol - kicks out a healthy 187bhp, with a more powerful version giving 248bhp. On the diesel front we’ve a 187bhp 2.0-litre TDI, plus a 3.0-litre V6 available with either 215bhp or 268bhp. Most are available in front-wheel drive or Quattro all-wheel drive forms, with the top-spec diesel getting AWD as standard.

All told, we’re looking at an average 17 per cent increase in performance and 22 per cent increase in efficiency.

No more DCT

Like the S4, the S5 has lost its seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Instead, in both the S5 and the most powerful diesel, you get a conventional eight-speed automatic with a torque converter. Other models still get the option of a seven-speed S Tronic DCT on top of a standard-fit six-speed manual.

The RS5 will look something like this

The S5 looks like a jolly fine bit of kit, but the one we’re really looking forward to is the RS5. And despite the S5 only being revealed last night, the world’s car renderers have already been busying themselves imagining how the hottest A5 might look. Rather dashing, is the answer. Expect it to be powered by a heavily modified version of the S5’s turbocharged V6 with a power output nudging 500bhp.