2025 Audi S5 First Drive: When Two Become One
We get our first taste of the new A5 in a European-spec S5 trim.
Audi’s shift to electrification is upending the luxury automaker’s lineup. With even numbers set to denote EVs and odd numbers marking gas-powered vehicles, some of Audi’s most iconic models are set to look mighty different in the near future. That’s led to both an expansion and consolidation of its lineup, with some newer vehicles replacing two older ones. The first product of this shakeup, the 2025 Audi A5, is hitting the streets in Europe this fall. To preview what’s to come for American buyers next summer, Audi invited us to rainy southern France to sample the Euro-spec 2025 Audi S5 and get a taste of our next A5.
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Tweentastic
With the goal of replacing the existing A4 and A5 lines and thus broadening its appeal, the new A5 line is in some respects unrecognizable from the version it replaces. Gone are the coupe and cabrio variants the A5 launched with; instead the new car carries a muscular new evolution of the old A5 Sportback four-door fastback’s design while also inheriting the Avant wagon body style from the A4. (Before you get your hopes up, Audi was so adamant that its wagons wouldn’t be coming stateside that it actively kept American journalists away from the S5 Avant, lest we fall in love.)
Riding on a third evolution of the Volkswagen Group’s MLB platform, called Premium Platform Combustion (PPC), the new A5 is bigger than the A4 and A5 models it replaces, sitting almost square between the old A4 and A6 in both wheelbase, length, and width. Platform revisions contribute to improved steering feel and a more neutral cornering behavior, while Audi also makes a shift to a brake-by-wire system to support hybrid models (which we won’t be getting in the U.S.).
In the S5’s case, that hybrid powertrain gets a version of Audi’s 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 updated with variable turbine geometry, mated to a small permanent-magnet motor mounted between the engine and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Although primarily intended to boost efficiency by allowing electric-only travel at low speeds and engine-off “sailing” for short spurts on the highway, the 24-hp motor also works to backfill engine torque as the turbocharger spools up. Total system output is 362 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque.
When the A5/S5 line comes stateside late next summer, we’ll have a slightly different version of this powertrain in our S5 that forgoes the electric motor. Audi isn’t convinced the hybrid system will net any meaningful improvement on the EPA cycle or that its American customers will know what to make of their engine turning on and off seemingly at random. It believes instead that Americans will prefer a smoother-operating stop-start system, so that’s what we’ll be getting. The U.S.-spec S5 will be lighter than the European model while still producing the same 362 hp and 406 lb-ft.
All S5s will feature torque-vectoring all-wheel drive, now with a revised limited-slip differential in back, and a sport-tuned electronic adaptive suspension—a feature that’ll be available on lesser A5s, too.
Meeting Expectations
Like the S5 it replaces, the new one expertly walks the fine line between being too sporty and too cushy. In other words, it’s exactly what you want out of a good grand tourer. The hybrid powertrain we won’t be getting is particularly nice. Its small 1.7-kWh LFP battery is big enough and the motor torquey enough to make urban stop-and-go traffic an engine-off affair, and when the road opens up, it eliminates any semblance of turbo lag from the V-6. As is the case in similar hybrids sold stateside, the S5’s turbocharger feels as if it hits boost right as the motor gets out of its powerband. It’s a great “have your cake and eat it too” system; if the nonhybridized engine America is getting captures this feel, we expect happy drivers.
The new seven-speed dual-clutch, when left to its own devices, shifts seamlessly in the background. Switching the S5 from its default Balanced to Sport mode, meanwhile, has the transmission holding gears for longer and downshifting into corners as you modulate the natural-feeling digital brake pedal—just the way you want it.
It’s often the case with midgrade sporty models that the default drive mode leaves something to be desired, but not with the new S5. Audi’s default Balanced mode is as advertised, seamlessly matching steering effort, power delivery, and ride firmness to match how you’re driving and the road conditions, negating much need for the driver to fuss with drive modes.
There’s a payoff to be had for when you do decide to fuss with drive modes, too. Sport mode firms up the suspension without ruining the S5’s ride quality; this, coupled with the progressive-ratio steering rack’s shorter ratio in Sport, makes the car’s nose feel far quicker than the previous-generation car’s did without the understeer Audis are known for. While rain-soaked mountain roadways generally kept our speeds in check, they also highlighted how quickly Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system and limited-slip rear diff works in tight hairpins, routing power to the S5’s outside wheels and helping get the car turned quickly.
Step Inside
While the drive experience is great, we suspect most customers will be equally impressed with the new A5 lineup’s cabin. Audis have long been known for having beautifully finished interiors, but the new S5 advances the art even further with a distinctive “soft wrap” panel arcing from one side of the car, across the dash, to the other, which provides visual and textual separation between the lower half of the car and the screens that dominate the upper portion.
Screens are nothing new in modern cars, but the thoughtfulness behind their integration into the overall interior design really elevates the S5 experience. Drivers get a clear, easy-to-read 11.9-inch instrument cluster with a driver-facing center-mounted 14.5-inch infotainment system featuring Audi’s latest MMI software. The new version of MMI removes the lower control screen of existing Audis, placing HVAC controls on the bottom bar of the display, augmenting it with six shortcuts on the left side of the screen. All the new controls rest within the driver’s natural eyeline and are easily reached without straining, making adjustments easy.
Passengers might have a slightly harder time using the center-mounted display, so Audi also offers an optional 10.9-inch screen for passengers. It duplicates the functions of the main display while also allowing the passenger to browse the web, watch videos on YouTube, or search for points of interest on downloadable apps like Yelp while the car is moving. (You can do this from the main display when stationary, too.) A filter ensures the driver can’t see the passenger’s screen while the vehicle is in motion.
The cockpit-style cabin makes good use of the S5’s newfound real estate, offering comfortable front seats, a spacious 6-footer-friendly back seat, and deep cargo area afforded by its hatchback.
When Can I Buy One, and How Much Will It Cost?
Our first taste of the new A5 via the European version of the S5 has us eagerly anticipating strapping our test gear onto the fastback once the American spec makes its way across the Atlantic. It’s going to be a wait, though. Audi is targeting a summer 2025 launch for the new A5, ensuring it’ll hit dealers in time for the 2026 model year.
Audi says pricing for the 2026 A5 and S5 is still to be determined for our market, but sources say that the car will likely split the difference in cost between the existing A4 and A5 Sportbacks. That’d put A5 prices around $46,000 and S5 prices around $56,000. While it might take some time to get used to Audi’s new naming scheme, if our time in the new S5 is any indication, folks are going to like the cars no matter what they’re called.
I generally like writing—especially when it’s about cars—but I hate writing about myself. So instead of blathering on about where I was born (New York City, in case you were wondering) or what type of cars I like (all of ’em, as long as it has a certain sense of soul or purpose), I’ll answer the one question I probably get most, right after what’s your favorite car (see above): How’d you get that job? Luck. Well, mostly. Hard work, too. Lots of it. I sort of fell into my major of journalism/mass communication at St. Bonaventure University and generally liked it a lot. In order to complete my degree senior year, we had to spend our last two semesters on some sort of project. Seeing as I loved cars and already spent a good portion of my time reading about cars on sites such as Motor Trend, I opted to create a car blog. I started a Tumblr, came up with a car-related name (The Stig’s American Cousin), signed up for media access on a bunch of manufacturer’s websites, and started writing. I did everything from cover new trim levels to reviewing my friends’ cars. I even wrote a really bad April Fool’s Day post about the next Subaru Impreza WRX being Toyota-Corolla-based. It was fun, and because it was fun, it never felt like work. Sometime after my blog had gotten off the ground, I noticed that Motor Trend was hiring for what’s now our Daily News Team. I sent in my résumé and a link to my blog. I got the job, and two weeks after graduation I made the move from New York to California. I’ve been happily plugging away at a keyboard—and driving some seriously awesome hardware—ever since.
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