2025 Audi S5 Avant – First Drive

Last year, Audi announced that electric vehicles would get even numbers and their combustion siblings would have odd numbers. The decision was met with some backlash from the media and enthusiasts after 30 years of the number signifying the size of the vehicle.

However, earlier this year, that decision was reversed back to Audi’s original naming structure. This decision came about too late for the new B10 A5/S5, which was already making its way onto the market, so here we are with the all-new Audi S5 Avant B10 generation, replacing the B9 A4/S4/RS 4. While some may be sad to see the S4/RS 4 nameplate go, the S5 is significantly larger than the outgoing B9 S4. Coming in at 4835mm in length with a 2896mm wheelbase, with shorter front and rear overhangs. It’s wider too, 1860mm at the front and 2099mm in the rear. Making it almost as wide as the B9 RS 4. So expect the 2026 RS 5 to be even wider when it gets unveiled in 2026.

What’s under the hood?

The S5 is powered by a 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol V6, the same one found in the outgoing S4. Changes include a new turbocharger with variable turbine geometry, revised intake ports, a higher compression ratio and two indirect water-to-air intercoolers. These changes give the S5 a power output of 270kW from 5500rpm to 6300rpm and 550Nm from 1700- 4000rpm. The S5 has a top speed of 250km/h.

Power is sent through a seven-speed dual-clutch S-tronic transmission with Audi’s permanent quattro system. Attached to the transmission is a 48-volt mild hybrid system named MHEV Plus by Audi, with a water-cooled 1.7kWh lithium iron phosphate battery that produces 18kW and 230Nm for short periods. Under regenerative braking and deceleration, it can recoup up to 25kW.

The MHEV plus system allows the S5 to drive short distances under electric power at low speeds. So good for setting off at traffic lights or coming out of driveways in silence. It’s not designed for range but rather for rapid cycles of being emptied and filled, the battery chemistry being selected to handle thousands of quick charge and discharge cycles to try and minimise wear on the battery capacity.

The system works to eliminate turbo lag and helps the S5 achieve a 0-100km/h of 4.5 seconds (0.2 seconds quicker than the B9 S4)

For those of you hoping the new PPC (Premium Platform Combustion) might finally break Audi’s fondness for putting their engine ahead of the front axle. You are not in luck. However, Audi has made improvements to dial out the inherent understeer from such a setup. The front wheel camber has been increased, rear axle control arms have been stiffened and electronically controlled adaptive dampers improve the feel of the front end.

It sits 20mm lower than the A5 with Audi S sport suspension and a sports differential in the rear, and a torque vectoring brake system aids in rotating the S5 quicker in the bends. The S5 rides on 20×8.5-inch wheels with a 245/35/R20 tyre. The Ascari blue S5 has the standard wheels, and the Dayona grey S5 is wearing one of the two optional wheel styles on offer. Of the examples we drove, one had a Bridgestone Potenza Sport tyre and the other had Pirelli P Zeros.

From the outside

Visually, the S5 has softer styling than the B9 S4, with a lower front nose, more rounded front grill and no S badging at the front. The front shut line of the bonnet now sits further back from the headlights. Speaking of the bonnet, it has curved scallops that help direct the air, as do the vents below the headlights, aiding the S5 to achieve a drag coefficient of 0.24. The vents below the headlights come standard in brushed aluminium or gloss black, with the Black Gloss styling package a $2500 option direct air to the side of the car.

The matrix headlights have nine different configurations, allowing you to give your S5 a unique look, as do the OLEDs in the rear.

On the side, the shoulderline has moved lower, cutting through Audi’s new door handles, which open by touching the underside.

A larger character line helps reduce the side profile height and blisters on the front and rear quarters, a hallmark of Audi quattro are softer than the sharper lines of the outgoing B9.

Out back, the S5 gets taillights similar to those on the Q6, with the quad exhausts synonymous with S cars. A new rear badge sees the S logo separated from the Audi Sport rhombus with a new typeface for the S5 letters, which only appear to be available in gloss black (probably because many got these painted).

What’s it like on the inside?

As usual, by Audi, it’s a stylish and well-built affair, with plenty of soft touches and quality plastics. The first thing you notice is the screens, three of them. With the driver getting an 11.9-inch screen, a central 14.5-inch screen and a 10.9-inch screen for the front passenger, they span the entire width of the dash. Resolution and responsiveness are top-notch. A new heads-up display is 85% larger than the previous model. A new interaction light at the base of the windscreen is aimed at minimising driver distraction lights up when you indicate or use hazards.

The S5 comes in two interior colours. Black Nappa leather, or if you want to be interesting, Arras red leather. Both get diamond stitching and are complemented with Dinamica trim (Audi’s Alcantara) on the dash and door cards. Carbon micro twill, inlays on the door cars and central console are standard. A $5000 optional panoramic glass roof is available with nine sections and switchable transparency.

You’ll want to keep a microfibre cloth handy as the piano black centre console, buttons on the steering wheel, and smart door buttons are magnets for fingerprints.

The new Sports seats plus are very comfortable and hold you well, they feature optional B&O speakers in the headrests which allow you to take calls, hear GPS directions or enhance the music.

Bright aluminium accents are relegated to the pedals with Vanadium Darkened metal (a darker anthracite colour) for the door handles and trims as Audi is steering away from chrome and bright silver in its interiors.

Open the power-assisted rear hatch, and a powered luggage cover reveals 448L of boot space (1396L with the rear seats folded down). With a cargo net to secure luggage and levers in the rear to easily fold the rear seats down.

Can you get the sedan?

At this point, the Audi S5 is only offered in Avant, not the liftback sedan. The PHEV A5 Avant e-hybrid is expected to arrive later this year, followed by the RS 5 in 2026. The RS 5 is getting a 4-door liftback and wagon body style. However, it’s not yet confirmed if we will get the RS 5 liftback here in Aotearoa. The RS 5 is expected to get a PHEV version of the twin-turbo 2.9-litre V6 found in the current RS 4/RS 5.

How does it drive?

We took the Audi out to Piha, and true to the S car ethos. It’s comfortable and refined in comfort mode, but switching it into dynamic, the sleeper Audi kicks it up a notch. In the bends, the steering feels even more communicative with plenty of grip in the front end and stability through corners. The active dampers kept it planted with hardly any body roll. The brake-by-wire can feel a little strong initially, but the pedal feel is good as it combines the regenerative system with mechanical braking.

Under acceleration, you don’t notice the electric motor kicking in to assist the turbo; it all works seamlessly to eliminate turbo lag. There are the usual drawbacks of a dual-clutch in low-speed traffic, but this feels like an improvement over the last dual-clutch used in the B8 generation (the B9 got an 8-speed triptronic ZF unit). The quattro system gives you supreme grip confidence. It’s now even easier to set up the chassis, clip the apex and let the hybrid system help put the power down as you exit the corner.

Read More

2024 Audi RS 4 Competition Plus Review
2024 Audi S4 Avant Review
2024 Audi Q6 e-tron S-Line Review

Competitors

Audi’s faithfulness to the Avant body style means the S5 currently has no direct competitors to speak of but here are some alternatives that come close.

• Mercedes-AMG C-43 4MATIC sedan
• Skoda Octavia Wagon RS
• Cupra Leon Sportstourer VZ (arriving mid-2025)
• BMW 3-series touring (320d Touring and M3 Touring don’t exactly line up with the S5)
• Jaguar XE 300 Sport sedan
• Lexus IS 300h F sport sedan

How much is it?

The Audi S5 Avant is $147,990. But check below to see what optional extras you can spec.

Standard equipment

Optional extras include