Audi may halt some of that exodus in the luxury sedan segment with the A5/S5 siblings that offer coupe-like looks and the utility of an SUV or a wagon.
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- What’s Best: The looks and the practicality of the hatchback design.
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- What’s Worst: It can get pricey when you start checking off the option boxes.
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- What’s interesting: The Audi S5 line now has three variants — a coupe, a cabriolet and this hatchback design.
Audi calls its 2018 S5 Sportback a “no compromise” vehicle that offers the power of a sports car and the practicality of a family car.
After a few days with one, I couldn’t have said it better myself — this is a sports sedan that really does it all.
And for today’s buyer who has his/her eye on an SUV or a wagon, the S5 Sportback is one car that might actually change a few minds and bring people back into the sedan fold.
With the 40/20/40 split rear seat folded flat, the S5 Sportback offers 1,300 litres of usable cargo space (480 litres behind the back seat) and it does so in an overall package that ticks off three important ‘P’s’— power, panache and practicality.
The swoopy roofline of the S5 provides the perfect design for a sleek-looking five-door hatchback with the looks of a coupe.
And while said sloping roof does limit rear-seat headroom to a certain extent, I had no problem accessing the back seat as long as I ducked my head when entering and exiting the cabin.
For a few years now, buyers have been exiting the sedan market in droves, gravitating over to SUVs.
But with this design, Audi may halt some of that exodus in the luxury sedan segment with the A5/S5 siblings that offer coupe-like looks and the utility of an SUV or a wagon.
When it comes to Audis, I like to think of the cars with the ‘S’ designation as more sporty and speedy.
Thus, the S5 is the performance variant of the more sedate A5 that has a 254 hp turbocharged inline 2.0-litre engine.
The S5 Sportback, on the other hand, boasts a new-from-the-ground-up twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0-litre direct injection V6, making 354 hp and 369 lb/ft of torque.
With that kind of power under the hood, the S5 can move out with the best of them, doing the 0-100 km/h run in 4.8 seconds, according to the manufacturer.
An eight-speed Tiptronic handles the power transmission to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. It distributes slightly more power to the rear wheels, but when necessary can transfer the majority of power to the axle with the better traction.
Our tester had the optional sport differential ($1,900) that also actively distributes torque between the rear wheels.
The Sportback is one of three body styles available in the S5 line, joining the coupe and cabriolet on the Canadian market. In fact, the 2018 version of the S5 is actually the second generation of the A5/S5, which debuted seven years ago, but wasn’t available in North America at the outset.
The new Sportback has grown significantly inside, meaning more legroom for backseat passengers and increased shoulder room for driver and front seat passenger.
Our test car came in Technik trim, the upscale of two levels, starting with the Progressiv at $61,500. The Technik has a base of $65,600 and came in as tested at $78,035 including a freight charge of $2,095.
Major options included Advanced Driver Assistance Package ($2,100), Dynamic Steering ($1,500), Adaptive Suspension ($1,000), Heads Up Display ($1,100) and the previously mentioned Quattro Sport Differential.
The Daytona Gray paint added $890, while red brake calipers were $500, heated rear seats $350 and carbon atlas inlays in the cabin $900.
Advanced driver assist is well worth the money, adding adaptive cruise control with stop and go, active lane assist, Audi pre-sense city, traffic congestion assist, traffic sign recognition and Audi pre-sense front.
Audi has always been known for its superb cabins and the new S5 Sportback lives up to that reputation. The materials are first class and the craftsmanship superb as usual. Audi’s high-tech Virtual Cockpit is standard fare and the red-coloured leather upholstery on our tester was most inviting.
On the road, the S5 Sportback ratchets up the performance quotient over its A5 sibling. This won’t be a car you take to track days, but the extra power shows itself when you punch the throttle and is most welcome in overtaking manoeuvres and merging into high-speed traffic.
And, oh, the growl of the turbocharged V6 is music to the ears of any car lover, particularly when you dial in Dynamic drive mode.
In fact, there are four drive modes in all— Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual. I found Auto and Dynamic did the trick for me and never saw the need for the other two.
If this is to be an all-season road warrior, the quattro all-wheel drive feature will be most welcome in our Canadian winters, particularly for anyone heading up to the ski slopes for the day.
And with the Sportback, there’s plenty of cargo room in back for that weekend getaway.
So for those sport sedan drivers out there thinking of moving into the luxury SUV territory, think again and give the S5 Sportback a try.
It can be pricey when you start adding in the options, but this is one car that provides performance and practicality in one fine-looking package.
2018 Audi S5 Sportback Technik
BODY STYLE: Luxury mid-size five door sedan
DRIVE METHOD: Front-engine, quattro all-wheel-drive.
ENGINE: Turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 (354 hp, 369 lb/ft of torque) with an eight-speed Tiptronic transmission.
FUEL ECONOMY: (Premium) 11.5/8.0/9.9L/100 km city/highway/combined
CARGO CAPACITY: 480 litres behind second row seats, 1,300 litres with second-row seats folded
PRICE: $65,600, as tested $78,035 including $2,095 freight
WEB SITE: Audi.ca
Keyword: Sportback adds Utility to Audi S5 lineup