Latest news with #S5
Motor Trend
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
2025 Audi A5 First Drive: A Damn Fine Daily Driver
As sedans fight to find their place in an SUV-hungry world, the Audi A5 enters 2025 (yes, we know the year is half over) with a full redesign, attempting to entice drivers away from choosing yet another crossover. Success? We traveled to scenic Aspen, Colorado, to drive the new 2025 A5 and find out. The 2025 Audi A5, redesigned as a luxurious hatchback, offers practicality with ample cargo space and a refined interior. Powered by a 268-hp turbocharged engine, it provides a stable drive, though lacking thrilling performance. It serves as a quiet, comfortable daily driver. This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article Read Next The Audi A5 Then and Now The A5 has evolved significantly leading up to this third-generation version, known as the B10 by Audi aficionados. Introduced for 2008, the first A5 was a two-door counterpart to the popular four-door A4, which it shared fundamental hardware with while draped in evocative coupe styling. The A5 lineup expanded later to include a soft-top convertible, as well as a Sportback—that being not a true sedan but a sleek four-door hatchback. For the 2025 A5, there is no two-door version, and this Sportback body is the standard offering. (Americans don't get the sweet A5 Avant station wagon sold overseas.) That's largely because the A5 has assumed the A4's position in the lineup while the latter is on a production pause as Audi plots its path into electrification. The German automaker once planned to use even numbers for EVs and odd numbers for combustion-powered vehicles, but no longer, as the A6 and A6 E-Tron—completely different cars—indicate. One more item to get up to speed—literally—with the A5 story is that a sporty S5 variant has long been part of the lineup. The S5 will be sold in the U.S., and we already drove it in European specification. A high-performance RS 5 also appears to be in the works, though when or where it will be available is unclear. Outside and Inside On to the 2025 Audi A5. Built on a new vehicle architecture called Premium Platform Combustion (PPC, akin to the PPE basis of Audi's latest EVs), the A5 changes in its adaptation to the role of replacing the A4. The wheelbase increases, and the body is slightly longer, wider, and taller than before. Notably, it appears to have a traditional trunk, but it doesn't. Audi says this design element was added to look familiar to traditional three-box sedan buyers even though the rear decklid and glass open together to reveal a hatchback cargo area. Compared to the outgoing A5, this profile is less alluring, and the overall styling seems somewhat generic. It doesn't look bad, but aesthetics are no longer as strong of a reason to want the A5. In contrast, Audi made the interior more appealing. From the driver's seat there's newfound visual interest, seen in the shapes, textures, and trim details that the last A5's austere cabin lacked. There are some hard plastic panels, but those are well hidden so that soft-touch surfaces are the ones you see and interact with most. Quality of materials and overall assembly is excellent. Big screens are prominent inside the 2025 A5. All models get an 11.9-inch digital driver's display paired with a 14.5-inch infotainment touchscreen inside a single curved enclosure. The high-end Prestige trim gains a 10.9-inch touchscreen ahead of the front passenger, while the Premium and Premium Plus models below have a lame shiny black plastic panel there instead. The new 2025 Audi Q5 offers the same screens as the A5. For the positives and negatives of that tech, check out our 2025 Audi Q5 Interior Review . Beyond a premium feel, the new A5 provides superb practicality. There are plenty of spots to stash daily carry items around the cabin, but a key selling point for this car is how much cargo space it has. With 22.6 cubic feet of capacity behind the back seats or 36.6 cubic feet when those seats are folded, there's considerably more volume than the typical trunk-equipped sedan and enough to reasonably rival some small SUVs. The power-operated liftgate moves quickly, and the huge aperture presented when it's open makes loading cargo easy. Moving Right Along Like before, the A5 is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 engine, but it's now stronger, producing 268 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, increases of 7 hp and 22 lb-ft. It's all sent through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission to Audi's signature Quattro AWD system. The automaker claims a 5.8-second 0–60-mph time; fuel economy of 22/31 mpg city/highway is slightly worse than before. Setting off from a stop, the dual-clutch transmission can show slight hesitation as its clutches engage, but that's fairly unobtrusive; it's a common blemish with this type of gearbox. Once underway, shifts are imperceptible aside from a subtle change in engine sound. There's enough power from the turbocharged four-cylinder, not so much to thrill with acceleration but certainly a sufficient amount for everyday driving. How it's tuned makes ample torque available from the powerband's low end, most useful for helping the A5 feel unstressed during around-town driving and getting up to freeway speeds, though there is some turbo lag when pressing the accelerator while underway. In the manner of many four-cylinder engines, the idle at a stop is a little choppy. A large steering wheel diameter and relaxed ratio for the lightly weighted adaptive steering rack don't provide much engagement or connection with the chassis. Still, it turns just where it needs to, and Audi's chassis revisions within the PPC structure provide a stable, secure handling experience. It's quite apparent the A5 isn't meant to be driven with verve—that's what the S5 is for—but when doing so, the car follows its driver's input, resisting understeer impressively and moving with a cohesive balance between its front and rear axles. More poised than plush, ride quality is comfortable despite the taut suspension sensation over larger impacts and potholes. The A5 doesn't glide over pavement, nor does it devolve into floaty imprecision when the road gets rough, instead remaining settled as the suspension keeps body motions well controlled. Even though the brake pedal travel is long, it engages at the very top as soon as you press it. That reactivity takes a little getting used to, but there's still enough progression through the brake stroke to allow for smooth, gradual stops. New Audi A5: Chill, Versatile, and Upscale Built in high-end Prestige trim, the 2025 A5 we drove in Colorado featured acoustically laminated glass for the windshield and front doors that made the cabin remarkably quiet as tunes poured out of the Bang & Olufsen audio system, which includes speakers in the front headrests. Under incredible scenery, the trick electrochromic glass roof allowed for a view of what's above or an instant switch to opacity when it got too bright. During our time in the new A5, the car's high level of competence shone. There's not an abundance of notable personality, but the overall package is unobtrusive, and its uncomplicated nature made it a pleasant place to spend time inside and take in the surroundings. Glancing back at that huge hatchback cargo area, we became convinced the 2025 Audi A5 will make a pleasant and practical daily driver back on city streets or cruising along the open road.
Car and Driver
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
2025 Audi A5 Sedan First Drive Review: Simplified Evolution
The Audi A4 is no more, and in its place is a new sedan-esque five-door named simply A5. You can think of it as the spiritual successor to the A5 Sportback, because that's precisely what it is, just without the Sportback appellation, as there's no A4 sedan from which to differentiate it. We always preferred the looks and added liftback practicality of the A5 Sportback anyway, so no big loss. This combined effort makes sense given the rapid expansion in nameplates as Audi fills out the electric half of its portfolio. Audi's compact car hasn't gone e-tron yet, however. This latest A5 and its S5 performance partner are built on what may be the brand's final internal-combustion architecture, dubbed Premium Platform Combustion. In addition to being bigger than the outgoing A5 Sportback in every dimension, this new A5 has new looks wrapped around updated tech and a familiar yet slightly improved powertrain. View Exterior Photos Audi An A5 That Looks Kind of Like an A4 In profile, the A5 looks like the average between a sedan and a Sportback—call it an A4.5—as it's not obvious that its raked rear glass is attached to a hatch instead of terminating ahead of a traditional sedan trunk. Its surfaces appear a little more chiseled than those of the old A4 and A5, and flush door-release pockets add to the muscular sleekness. Audi's busy lighting department came up with available DRLs and OLED taillights that feature eight lighting signatures that an owner can choose from for an extra bit of personalization. There's one more light innovation inside, where an available Variable Light Control glass roof offers six dimmable liquid-crystal panels. While the opaque-to-clear treatment is not new, the A5 offers an interesting stripe mode that alternates the pattern between blocks of opaque glass and ones that are clear. We couldn't discern a great use case for this other than to get a noncontinuous tan, and we expect the function that mimics a traditional sunshade will get more action. View Interior Photos Audi Your eye is likely to be drawn to the A5's wall of screens, which Audi calls Digital Stage. It consists of an 11.9-inch gauge display (Audi still calls this Virtual Cockpit) that sits next to a 14.5-inch center touchscreen. An available 10.9-inch passenger display lets your co-pilot mess with audio and navigation and features an active filter that blocks the driver from seeing video content when the vehicle is in motion. We appreciate the subtle curve to the center display, which makes its farthest edge easier to reach. If that's not enough to look at, a color head-up display is optional. View Interior Photos Audi Available Bang & Olufsen headrest speakers can send audio more directly to your earholes; when the nav system cuts in with directions or you're on a phone call, the other speakers keep playing your selected audio while the driver gets a personalized and localized aural overlay. We found it preferable to the abrupt loss of all sound that usually accompanies such break-ins. And of course there's more space inside. A 2.6-inch wheelbase stretch favors the rear passengers, giving them much-needed extra legroom—enough that full-grown adults won't balk at sitting back there for a longer journey. Cargo capacity also increases, from a max of 35 cubic feet to 37 on this new model. When the rear seats are in use, there are 23 cubes available in the hatch. View Interior Photos Audi A Little More Dynamic, Still Comfortable In the transition to a single compact model, Audi has also streamlined the powertrain offerings, which are down from two previously to just one in the A5. Whereas the A4 sedan and A5 Sportback were sold with two versions of the VW Group's turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the new A5 comes with one that eclipses their output figures. With 268 horsepower—seven more than the former "45" powertrain and well above the 201-hp "40"—the revised engine is also up 22 pound-feet of torque on its predecessor, with a total of 295. It's backed by a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and standard all-wheel drive. We didn't want for power in the new A5 and found its shifting smooth and unobtrusive, even at low speeds—not always a given with this flavor of transmission. Audi claims 60-mph arrives in 5.6 seconds; we clocked the lighter 252-hp A5 Sportback to 60 in 5.0 seconds, so the manufacturer's claim for the new, higher-output version is likely conservative. The only thing that made the A5 feel remotely slow was getting out of it and into the new S5, which we've reviewed previously. View Exterior Photos Audi The A5 is again equipped with a progressive steering system that tightens up the ratio as you wind on lock. Audi now mounts the rack directly to the unibody for more direct feedback, which we liked, but the system is still lacking in overall feel, something we found with the new S5, as well as these cars' Q5 and SQ5 crossover platform-mates. Aside from the numb steering, attacking corners in the A5 doesn't uncover any major faults. The passive dampers in the A5 keeps the body level enough and mostly free of big perturbations that we didn't miss the adaptive setup that's offered on the S5. The tune is definitely more on the comfort side, but you still feel the occasional road imperfection and have enough sense of what the car is doing to push it. In fact, this car feels just a little less nose-heavy than previous A4s and A5s, imparting more of a sporty flair than before. View Exterior Photos Audi With all of these improvements, Audi is making it slightly confusing to shop for a new 2025 A5. These non-Sportback models are being sold alongside A5s and S5s from the previous generation that are also labeled as 2025s. The truly new model is once again offered in Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige trims. The entry price is $50,995 for the Premium, which is just slightly higher than the outgoing 2025 A5 Sportback's. The upshot is that you won't have to explain what Sportback means to your friends when they happily plop down in the back seat. Specifications Specifications 2025 Audi A5 Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback PRICE Base: Premium, $50,995; Premium Plus, $54,595; Prestige, $57,445 ENGINE turbocharged and intercooled, DOHC 16-valve inline-4, iron block and aluminum head, direct fuel injection Displacement: 121 in3, 1984 cm3 Power: 268 hp @ 6500 rpm Torque: 295 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm TRANSMISSION 7-speed dual-clutch automatic DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 113.8 in Length: 190.1 in Width: 73.2 in Height: 57.0 in Passenger Volume, F/R: 55/43 ft3 Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 37/23 ft3 Curb Weight (C/D est): 4150 lb PERFORMANCE (C/D EST) 60 mph: 5.2 sec 100 mph: 13.3 sec 1/4-Mile: 13.9 sec Top Speed: 130 mph EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/City/Highway: 26/22/31 mpg Reviewed by David Gluckman Contributing Editor Ever since David was a wee Car and Driver intern, he has kept a spreadsheet listing all the vehicles he's driven and tested. David really likes spreadsheets. He can parallel-park a school bus and once drove a Lincoln Town Car 63 mph in reverse. After taking a break from journalism to work on autonomous vehicles, he's back writing for this and other automotive publications. When David's not searching for the perfect used car, you can find him sampling the latest in gimmicky, limited-edition foodstuffs.
Edmunds
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Edmunds
The 2025 Audi A5 and S5 Continue to Raise the Bar
The turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine makes 268 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, increases of 67 hp and 59 lb-ft over the outgoing model. The A5 delivers power smoothly; acceleration is never more than a modest surge. The seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission can be slow and a little hesitant to react to your commands, whether you try to shift with the wheel-mounted paddles or bury your foot into the accelerator. What impresses me more is how composed the A5 is on the road. Nothing is really able to flummox this sedan's smoothness — the body is always well controlled. Plus, aside from a little highway-speed tire roar, the cabin is perfectly well insulated from the outside world. If you want something with more poke, the S5 has a 362-hp 3.0-liter turbocharged V6. (Need more power? An RS 5 will be coming.) The S5 is sharper than the A5, with more immediate power delivery, plus it's accompanied by a nice yowl from the V6. Whether you're in manual mode or letting the S5 shift on its own, the transmission is much snappier as it runs its way up and down the gears.
NZ Autocar
14-06-2025
- Automotive
- NZ Autocar
2025 Audi S5 Avant Review
The latest Audi is the new S5. It's the replacement for the old S4, which we quite liked. Is the new one better? Remember the A4? It's gone, Audi now calling it the A5. The first model we get here is this, the S5, the sportier version with more go. It's only available as a wagon, or Avant in Audi lingo. That's the way Kiwis prefer to buy an Audi that isn't an SUV. More A5 models will follow in time, like a new plug-in, and perhaps even the sedan (which is more like a hatchback now). The S5 Avant kicks off at $147,990, and that gets you the first Audi built on the firm's new Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture. So pretty much everything is new here, including fresh styling, an electrified driveline and more screens. Electrified naturally Under that sleek new bonnet lies a 270kW 3.0-litre V6 petrol with a variable geometry turbo while the driveline is aided by a 48v mild hybrid motor. The so-called Powertrain Generator adds 18kW and 230Nm to proceedings and helps trim emissions by 17g/km, equivalent to 0.74L/100km according to Audi. That's because it allows for engine-off running under a light throttle load, and you can creep along in traffic and in the car park on the motor too. But the number you really want to know is 4.5, as in seconds to 100km/h. Click the DSC off, push down on both pedals and this will set the V6 to 4000rpm. Release the brake and then the seven-speed 'S tronic' auto suddenly has to deal with 550Nm of torque surging through its clutch plates. The S5 sinks back on its haunches as the fronts scratch for added traction and it roars off. It's comfortably quick, shall we say, without being rabidly fast. It needs to leave some room for the expected RS version after all (see below) In everyday ramblings, the hybrid system is generally smooth; you don't notice that the engine is sleeping on the job, and it's switched back on seamlessly when you add gas again. Occasionally you might notice a smidge of hesitation and there can also be a minor moment getting away from stopped, though only when you're in a hurry. The engine otherwise delivers the usual abundant torque an S5 owner will want. Its dual-clutch is a refined shifter, although make sure you give the brake a pump when on inclines to initiate the hill holder. Otherwise you'll start rolling backwards. The fuel figure is stated as 7.8L/100km on Rightcar, though the long term average here was knocking on 11. Its steering weight is light in the Comfort mode, and the rack is quick. The turning circle is a little large, the clarity of the surround view camera could be better too, especially for a six-figure machine. S5 gains adaptive dampers which deliver a rather compliant ride in Comfort mode for a low rider on 20s. It's an easy car to live with day to day. Business as usual inside? There's a new look in the cabin, inspired by the Q6. This 'digital stage' sees a larger central screen (complete with OLED tech) flanked by the driver's screen on the right and a smaller screen for the passenger. These screens are all well integrated into the dash. The passenger display is something for the kids to play with but doesn't seem overly useful otherwise. Nor are the reflections it adds to the cabin. The new way of doing things on the main screen will take a fair chunk of your attention, at least until you get used to it all. There is a lot of new stuff here for Audi, and you'll have to login with your Audi ID to get the best of it (while they gather up all your preferences). Learn to utilise the voice help and you can get things done quickly; it can even select the drive modes for you. The digital instrument panel has a few different views but nothing particularly sporty for an S5 as the driver assistance features take pride of place. The head-up display can be configured to show a raft of information, but also features a minimal mode. There are new haptic buttons on the wheel that work okay (for haptics that it is). While there are 'premium soft fabrics' on the dash and cushy spots in the right places, there are some harder plastics on the lower bits too. Some of the shiny black surfaces were already showing signs of wear. Storage is a little lacking in the cabin but there are enough charging options, including a pad that keeps your device secure in place. The driving position feels snug compared with all the SUVs we drive, the wheel (now flattened top and bottom) is power adjusted and the sports seats are nicely trimmed, not too rigid and have a trio of tricks (heating, ventilation and massage). The indicator tick seemed to be oddly muted but perhaps it's to do with the LED strip lighting under the windscreen. This is used to bring your attention to hazards if one of the driver aids senses danger, while a portion at the base of the pillars blinks green when you indicate. The lighting is also used to help direct you about when using the nav. S5 safety minders are plentiful but largely quiet. There is a very discreet ding when you break the limit but that's about it. The adaptive cruise works perfectly well, though lacks an assisted mode to take care of the steering on the motorway. Its aero-friendly door handles usually work well, although they didn't want to unlock that one time it was pouring down, typical. Despite being 4.83m long, rear seat space seems a little tight in terms of both leg room and entry. It's more of a 2+1 rear bench. The load space isn't overly generous either, merely adequate measuring up at 448L. Goes like an S should? Clicking the Drive Select button a couple of times shuffles the S5 through the Efficient, Comfort, Dynamic and Individual modes, but we wondered where Adaptive had gone? We like that setting in an Audi, the car doing just that, adapting to your inputs to save you fiddling about. Individual lets you tune the steering and suspension between Comfort, Balanced and Dynamic settings, but the other parameters include driver assist and the dials, nothing for the powertrain. You can click the transmission to S mode but then it will default back to D mode if it deems you're not going hard enough. So we rolled with Dynamic, though it can be a tad racy for the road. The suspenders aren't too firm in this setting but be prepared for a few bumps along the way. The engine snarls a bit louder in Dynamic. It revs quickly but not that high, done just past 6000rpm. From 2000rpm onward this feels brawny, however, and the trans is snappy with the shifts, teeing up a well-timed downshift when braking too. While they say this new generation of twin-clutch is lighter, relieving some weight from the front axle, the S5 still has a tendency to work its front tyres hard if you're too hot heading into the turns. It's therefore better to temper your enthusiasm on the way in, get it turned and then gas it up early. Then the rear sports diff with its active torque vectoring can get to work properly, helping it stick like an AWD machine should. The steering is okay, doing nothing wrong but is light on interaction. The brakes are solid performers, without any regen gremlins. What else to consider? There's nothing much in this price range if you want a quick and comfortable wagon. The M340i is a match on money ($139,400) and with 275kW and 0-100 in 4.4sec, it's a contender but is a sedan. There is the M3 Touring but that's $200k, and perhaps a little too hard core for the drive to work. The AMG C43, is a four door as well, but with 300kW. It is currently priced from $138k, if you don't mind driving a four cylinder. If you are really concerned about the economic outlook but need new wheels, the Skoda Octavia RS is not in the same league of performance but is a likeable performance wagon for a lot less cash. Audi S5 Avant $147,990 / 7.8L/100km / 178g/km 0-100 km/h 4.5s Ambient cabin noise 76.1dB@100km/h Engine 2994cc / V6 / T / DI Max power 270kW@5500-6300rpm Max torque 550Nm@1700-4000rpm Drivetrain 7-speed twin-clutch / AWD Front suspension Mac strut / sway bar Rear suspension Multilink / sway bar Turning circle 12.1m (2.0 turns) Front brakes Ventilated discs (360mm) Rear brakes Ventilated discs (350mm) Stability systems ABS, ESP, TV Safety AEB, ACC, BSM, LDW, RCTA, ALK, AHB Tyre size f/r-245/35R20 Wheelbase 2896mm L/W/H 4835 / 1860 / 1444mm Track f-1616mm r-1601mm Fuel capacity 56L Luggage capacity 448-1396L Tow rating 750kg (1900 braked) Service intervals 24 months / 30,000km Scheduled servicing 3yrs / 150,000km Warranty 5yrs / 150,000km ANCAP rating Not yet rated Weight (claimed) 1965kg
RTÉ News
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- RTÉ News
First Drive: MG's new budget electric SUV
Despite attracting European tariffs of up to 45 per cent on their products in Ireland and elsewhere, Chinese electric car companies continue to surprise the market with their pricing of new cars. A case in point is MG's new S5 electric, family SUV, which has just gone on sale here at just under €30,000 - an indication of how it can withstand tariff pressure until it opens its own factories in Europe to counteract that pressure. MG has even managed to become the dominant Chinese EV brand in Europe, mainly thanks to pricing and levels of standard equipment - a tried and tested strategy for new car companies to establish market share around the world. And what it has, it intends to hold. The new S5 has familiar MG family styling cues, but it's a lot smarter looking than anything that has gone before. You couldn't describe it has exciting but it certainly looks modern, with a long wheelbase, short overhangs at the front and rear, and narrow LED headlights running across the bonnet. Inside, it is the spaciousness that strikes one. There's excellent head and legroom, and the interior is bright, with the car being based on the MG 4 underpinnings. MG has introduced its largest ever screen - a 12.8-inch infotainment unit that stands proud of the dashboard, and the driver's display is also a decent 10.25 inches. MG has obviously been listening to customer feedback, and the S5 has physical buttons for controlling functions such as heating and ventilation. And you even have a button to adjust the wing mirrors on the move. Other manufacturers should take note because the level of distraction caused by screen-only controls isn't just annoying, it's dangerously distracting on some cars. The S5 comes with two battery options: a 49 kWh unit and a 64 kWh unit for a longer range. MG claims a range of 340 km for the smaller battery and 480 km for the bigger one, and it claims a charging time of 28 minutes to get from 10 per cent to 80 per cent capacity on a fast charger. The usual caveats on claimed ranges apply until we see how the car performs in real-world conditions. The smaller battery version has a starting price of €29,995, and the longer range version comes in at €33,495. For comparison, a BYD Atto starts at €37,078 and a Skoda Elroq comes in with a starting price of €36,495, underscoring MG's aggressive pricing strategy. All versions come with extras such as a hands-free tailgate, a reversing camera, keyless entry, alloy wheels and Apple and Android compatibility. There are different energy recovery modes to maximise range and a one-pedal driving capability. A thinner-than-usual battery allows for a completely flat floor to add space, and there's a 60/40 rear seat split for loads. The boot space is a generous 453 litres with lots more when the seats are folded down. There's a full range of safety features, and the car has recently been awarded a full five-star rating in the EuroNCAP crash testing programme. There is a seven-year warranty on the car, or for 150,000 kilometres and an eight-year guarantee on the battery. MG has been selling in Ireland for 18 months now, and the company says it has not had a "single battery issue" in that time.
