- Redesigned 2025 Audi S5 replaces both Audi S4 sedan and S5 Sportback
- S5 gets sharper handling
- S5 interior offers up to three screens
On the tight roads of the Provence Alps region of southern France, there are Citroens to the left of me, rock walls to the right, and I’m stuck in the middle in the 2025 Audi S5.
There are worse places to be stuck. The new S5’s sharp steering and controlled handling make it a great companion to deal with the wannabe Tour de France bicyclists who appear suddenly as I round corners and the French drivers who are often uninterested in minding the center line. With its 2025 redesign, the S5 takes a leap forward as a gas-powered grand tourer, and the roads outside Nice are a great place for a grand tour.
The S5 is the sportier, more powerful version of the new A5, and this redesign marks a new era for the duo. Both are part of a shift in naming strategy in which gas-powered models use odd numbers in their names and electric models use even numbers. The A5 and S5 employ a hatchback body style with the shape of a sedan, so they replace both the A4/S4 sedan and the A5/S5 Sportback hatchback. An S5 Avant wagon is offered in Europe, but we won’t get it because we can’t have all the nice things.
The new A5 and S5 both arrive as part of a new product onslaught that will include several gas vehicles redesigned around the new Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture. At the same time, Audi has introduced a new Premium Platform Electric architecture for a series of new EVs. All told, Audi will introduce 20 new or significantly updated global vehicles in the next two years.
Audi S5: New platform, new design
The 2025 Audi A5/S5 is larger than the cars it replaces. At 190.1 inches long, it’s 2.9 inches longer than the outgoing A5/S5 Sportback on a wheelbase that grows 2.9 inches to 114.1 inches. It’s also 2.9 inches taller at 56.9 inches and 0.6 inch wider at 73.2 inches. The larger size adds up to 375 more pounds based on the European curb weight of 4,300 pounds.
With the new platform comes a new design that seems wider and more planted, thanks mostly to pronounced rear wheel haunches that make the S5 look like it’s ready to pounce. The nose gets a revised version of the Audi single-frame trapezoidal grille with a honeycomb texture. It’s flanked by squinting headlights and lower air intakes with black surrounds. The biggest change is in the profile where the S5 straddles the three-box shape of the S4 sedan and the pure fastback shape of the outgoing S5 Sportback. The S5 resolves with an integrated rear spoiler, a full-width taillight panel, and quad exhaust outlets. The A5 has a slippery coefficient of drag of just 0.25, down from 0.29, and the S5 is in the same ballpark.
The S5 is also available with advanced lighting technology, with LED matrix headlights up front and digital OLED rear lights, each with 60 segments, that can be configured in eight patterns, though not on the fly. It retains traditional Audi cues while taking a decidedly different and muscular direction.
Audi S5: Refined dynamics
Audi engineers put a lot of effort into tuning the A5/S5 for improved handling and more immediate responses. The PPC platform has 10% more torsional rigidity than the outgoing MLB platform, and the negative camber of the front tires increases 10%. Audi stiffened the steering connection by mounting it directly to the body and giving it a stiffer torsion bar. The engineers also used a stiffer axle design, and stiffened the axle bearings, front and rear stabilizer bars, suspension mounts on the front axle, tie rods, and subframe bushings. The dampers are firmer as well, and have a greater delta between the adjustable dampers’ Comfort and Dynamic modes. Finally, Audi moved the roll center more toward the rear with tuning of the stabilizer bars (stiffer bars out back will do that).
The S5 uses a sport suspension that sits 0.8 inch lower than the standard A5, and it also pairs the standard steel springs with adjustable dampers. Audi makes 19-inch wheels standard on the S5, but my tester has a square set of 245/35R20 Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport summer tires.
From behind the flat-top and -bottom steering wheel, the changes combine to move the S5 a step forward in handling and refinement. It has variable-ratio steering that quickens at low speeds and slows for stability at higher speeds. Light and direct, the steering helps me put the car in tight spots without the unpredictability that can sometimes accompany a change of ratios on the fly. It also provides more road feel than is typical for an Audi, though I’d still like more.
The sport suspension strikes a great balance of handling and ride quality. The S5 irons out the bumps, even in the suspension’s sportiest Dynamic setting, and yet the car reacts quickly on turn-in, takes an immediate set, and carves stable lines through the twisty roads of the Provence Alps. It appears the stiffer structure and mounting points allowed Audi to go with firmer suspension settings without hurting ride quality.
Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system and the S5’s standard electronic limited-slip rear differential also aid handling. The AWD system can send all of the power to the front or rear, but in these corners it has a rear bias for more of the playful character of a rear-drive car. The rear differential apportions torque to the outside wheel to help the car rotate more willingly—also aided by brake torque vectoring. It also manages torque on the whole rear axle for best traction when exiting the corners, which lets the car accelerate more quickly on corner exit.
The Goodyears have more than enough grip for this type of mountain road driving, but a set of Michelin Pilot Sport S 5’s would likely be even grippier.
The S5 is quiet, too, despite the open area where there used to be a trunk in the S4. I don’t detect road noise coming from the rear wheels, though that could change on coarse American roads.
Overall, the S5 boasts a sporty, pleasant driving character that is getting lost more and more these days as low-set cars give way to taller crossovers and SUVs.
2025 Audi S5
Audi S5: Power equilibrium
Ready power doesn’t hurt, either. Under the hood, the S5 retains a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 that spins up 362 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. That’s a jump of 13 hp and 37 lb-ft over the outgoing model thanks to an optimized combustion process and a new turbocharger with variable turbine geometry. While it’s one of the few ways the S5 has moved forward only nominally, it didn’t need to take a big leap.
I’m piloting a Euro-spec model that has moved further forward. The engine is the same, but it also uses a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that adds 24 hp during acceleration and can power the vehicle alone when driving at city or parking lot speeds. It can also add torque fill between shifts of the generally responsive and well-behaved 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
In U.S. spec, which won’t have the mild-hybrid system, Audi quotes a 0-60 mph time of 4.6 seconds. The additional power of the mild-hybrid system makes it slightly quicker at 4.5 seconds in the 0-62 mph run. The difference is likely quicker throttle response from a start and slightly more punch in the midrange. Either way, the turbo V-6 provides plenty of punch for any need and emits a throaty growl while doing so.
Audi does a fine job of blending the 48-volt mild-hybrid’s brake regeneration with the S5’s mechanical brakes to create a natural pedal feel. The S5 uses 14.2-inch front rotors and 13.8-inch rear rotors, all with single-piston floating calipers. That proves enough to handle some hard driving on these mountain roads, but I wouldn’t chance it on a racetrack.
Audi S5: Bigger, more tech-laden cockpit
Audi completely redesigned the cockpit as well, making it larger for passengers and offering the latest in connectivity. The dash now sports up to three screens. An 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.5-inch center touchscreen form a standard bank of screens, and the latter is canted toward the driver to put it within easy reach. A 10.9-inch touchscreen for the front passenger is optional, and it lets riders control the entertainment and navigation functions, and also watch videos that can’t be seen by the driver.
The S5 runs the latest version of Audi’s infotainment software that can control vehicle, navigation, and entertainment functions. It is aided by ChatGPT and will only use this AI feature when the native system can’t handle the request. The center screen is configurable as users can drag apps to their desired spots. Available Bang & Olufsen headrest speakers can create a sound zone for the driver to listen to navigation directions without disrupting the audio for other passengers.
2025 Audi S5
Also new are touchpads on the doors to handle the mirrors, seat memory controls, front and rear fog lights, and door locks. At first blush, they seem like touchpad overkill, but they work almost the same as most door controls.
The redesign gives the S5 more space for occupants and cargo. Occupants are treated to standard leather upholstery and front-seat riders get sport seats with heating, cooling, and a massage function. Back seat occupants enjoy an extra inch of legroom. I found good space to sit behind myself with my 5-foot-9 frame, but anyone 6-foot or over will start to have problems with rear legroom and headroom.
2025 Audi S5
Though it looks like a sedan, it’s a hatchback with 24.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat, and that expands to 45.9 cubes when the 60:40 rear seat is folded flat. That makes this low-set car almost as practical as the typical compact crossover SUV.
Occupants are also surrounded by soft-touch materials befitting a high-end cabin, though perhaps without quite as much design flair as Audis past. My Ascari Blue S5 has black and steel gray nappa leather upholstery with contrast stitching on the seats, armrests, dash, and center console. The cabin also sports synthetic suede on the dash below the screens, piano black trim on the center console, and small bits of carbon-fiber trim along the sides of the center console. It lacks some of the contrasting aluminum of previous versions, but it comes off as tech-rich and high-end.
2025 Audi S5
Pricing and a complete equipment list haven’t been announced for the 2025 Audi S5 and they likely won’t be until shortly before it hits U.S. dealers early next summer. With its move forward as a sporty, pleasant, and practical hatchback, expect it to top the $56,195 starting price of the current S4 sedan and the $58,595 of the S5 Sportback and coupe. Don’t look for the coupe or convertible body styles to return, though, as this more practical body style will serve the most U.S. buyers.
Do expect more equipment, though. Audi says the A5 and S5 will come standard with leather upholstery, navigation, a panoramic glass roof, a power-opening hatch, and a wireless phone charging pad. Options will include the Bang & Olufsen sound system with headrest speakers, a power-adjustable steering column, and the 10.9-inch front passenger display.
2025 Audi S5
Standard safety features in other markets will include parking sensors, lane-departure warnings, and a driver-attention monitor, but expect more features in the U.S., including automatic emergency braking, front cross-traffic assist, adaptive cruise control, and a basic rear-seat reminder system that works if the rear doors have been open. Audi will also offer a more advanced rear-seat reminder system that’s sensor-based, as well as Adaptive Cruise Control+ that monitors the vehicle surroundings, uses map data and swarm data from the cloud, and has traffic sign recognition to let drivers drive hands-free for short intervals.
Those who do buy the new S5 won’t feel stuck at all. They’ll get a quick, sporty, and smooth riding car that has good space for four people and their stuff. Audi may be embarking on an ambitious move toward EVs, but the 2025 S5 moves the brand’s gas offerings forward as well.
Audi paid for travel and lodging for Motor Authority to bring you this firsthand report.
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