S5 – AUSmotive.com

Audi S5 Sportback – Australian pricing & specs

Audi’s very svelte and very attractive S5 Sportback went on sale last week. Audi has set the list pricing for this car at $129,300.

For your money you get the same excellent 3.0 litre supercharged V6 engine from the S4 saloon. With that comes the same power specs, too; 245kW and 440Nm of torque.

It’s a ripping engine that offers plenty of poke through the entire rev range. In the S4, at least, it’s also well matched the the 7-speed S tronic transmission. Which is a good thing, because there is no conventional manual box on offer for S5 Sportback in the Australian market.

Mr Uwe Hagen, Managing Director of Audi Australia, said “the S5 Sportback is a great addition to our unique A5 Sportback range. It is not only practical enough for daily use, it is also sporty and fun to drive.”

Audi has modest sales expectations for the S5 Sportback, hoping to to sell around 10 per month. Full details and a nice gallery of local images have been kindly offered by Audi Australia and you can see them all after the break.

Audi S5 / A5 Cabrio show

Audi has lifted the lid on its S5 and A5 models. From Audi’s press blurb, is this rather quaint opening line: “Dynamic and wonderful to look at, the new A5 Cabriolet is a real Audi, and an especially exciting one at that.”

What is exciting is the new 3-litre supercharged V6 in the S5, which offers 245kW of power and 440Nm of torque to the driver. Oddly enough, this new engine is badged as a V6T. The blown V6 takes the roofless S5 from rest to 100.km/h in 5.6 seconds, but, amazingly, when driven conservatively, can achieve fuel consumption of 9.6l/100km. At least, that’s the claim.

The new Cabriolet models conform to Audi’s softtop philosophy, and are able to open in 15 seconds. Closing the roof takes 17 seconds. A basic animated GIF of the roof opening on the S5 Cabriolet is shown after jump (not time accurate). Audi say the benefits of the lighter softop help improve handling over hardtop designs through a lower centre of gravity. They also reckon their use of foam inside the roof lining makes interior noise almost on par with a folding metal roof.

The use of high strength steel and strategic reinforcements in the chassis are said to complete the strengthening required after removing the roof. Rollover bars pop up from behind the rear seat in the event of an accident and there are also head and chest air bags mounted in the doors to aid side impact protection.

A full complement of engines and transmissions are on offer for the A5, including a new seven speed S-tronic on selected models. The S-tronic box is standard on the S5.

Audi’s full international press statement in shown below.