Audi S5

New generation proves it's not just a pretty face.

- Jez ​​​​​​​Spinks

IN ITS decade of existence, the S5 coupe has been a partnership of an alluring engine and slinky sheetmetal that never quite managed to get into bed with the sexiest chassis. It made for an enjoyable but not wholly satisfying fling.

Audi’s latest S5, like its S4 sedan/ wagon twins, knows it needs to vie harder for affection in a niche group that now features an AMG-badged model in the form of the C43. No coincidence, then, that the cost of the S5 has been slashed from $122,616 to $105,800 – making it a trifling $185 more than the Mercedes coupe.

Audi was there first with the performance all-wheel drive approach, of course, and its philosophy hasn’t changed. After the sonorous 4.2-litre V8 and sweetrevving 3.0-litre supercharged V6, the S5’s two axles are now served by another 90-degree-angled six-pot – this time with a turbo rather than a blower nestled between the banks.

Power and torque lift 15kW and 60Nm to 260kW and 500Nm, outputs that are a smidge below the C43’s but don’t prevent the S5 from matching its 0-100km/h claim of 4.7 seconds. That’s only a couple of tenths off the outgoing RS5, so this is one quick car.