NO COUPE IS SACRED THESE DAYS. NOT N the Capri, not the Puma... Okay maybe the Prelude is safe, but Honda's 2025 revival of that particular model is an exception to the rule. The Audi S5, however, is no longer a svelte, upwardly mobile, warm three-door coupe or five-door coupe-ish Sportback.
Fear not, though, because it has not become an electric SUV. Instead, it is an S4 replacement, with only four-door saloon and Avant bodies available. The new application of the name is part of Audi's line-up rejig that reserves even numbers for EVs and odd numbers for ICE models. An actual A4, with electric power, will arrive soon.
With an uplift in style and riding on the new Premium Platform Combustion architecture, the latest S5 should possess the requisite presence, performance and dynamic polish to aid it in facing off the Mercedes-AMG C43 and BMW M340i. At least, that's what Audi hopes. Powering the S5 in this new generation is a 362bhp turbocharged 3-litre V6. Familiar from the old S4 it may be, but it now features a revised combustion process and a variable geometry turbo, as well as Audi's new MHEV Plus 48-volt mild hybrid tech. In the S5, Audi claims this saves up to 17g/km of CO2. Conversely, performance figures remain competitive, with the 0-62mph sprint taking just 4.5sec for saloon and estate (0.2sec quicker than the old S4) on the way to a limited 155mph top speed.
Denne historien er fra January 2025-utgaven av Evo UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra January 2025-utgaven av Evo UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
BMW M135 xDrive
The M135 has lost an and gained chassis revisions and a restyle. Is it enough to make it a benchmark hot hatch?
Audi S5
S5 by name, S4 by nature, is Audi's new mid-size petrol-powered saloon a step in the right direction?
Lamborghini Urus SE
Lambo's super-SUV gets a major mid-life overhaul, going hybrid in the process. Has it become any easier to like?
HALL evo OF FAME
The evo Hall of Fame was established to recognise the great and the good of our corner of the universe. Prepare to welcome this year's inductees
CIRCUIT DAY
After three days of assessing their behaviour on the road, it's time to head to the Circuito de Navarra to find out how our nine contenders respond when their handling limits are explored
EVO CAR OF THE YEAR 2024
Nine brilliant cars, from flyweight roadsters to bombastic supercars to a be-stickered estate(!), do battle on some of Europe's finest and most spectacular roads. Which will emerge victorious? Place your bets now.
Porsche Panamera GTS
It lacks the raw power of its hybrid rivals, but does the new GTS’s more traditional approach give it its USP?
Alpine A290 GTS
The new electric Renault 5 has won plenty of plaudits. Is the hotter Alpine version a car to win petrolheads' hearts too?
BEST BUYS BMW M CARS
THE PERFORMANCE CAR LANDSCAPE WOULD HAVE looked very different over the last five decades without BMW. Its M division, founded in 1972, has produced some of the best driver’s cars ever to hit the road, and in the process has provided a stream of benchmark models for its rivals to chase. In recent years, stricter emissions regulations, downsizing and electrification have seen some of those rival cars falter, yet by and large BMW’s M machines have remained strong. In fact, some rank among the greatest the department has made think of the eCoty-winning M2 CS and M5 CS while others are the only options worth recommending in their respective segments. Price tags have risen with performance, however, putting those latest offerings out of reach for many, but the marque’s popularity means there are numerous earlier M models available on the second-hand market for far more attainable figures. Here are four of our favourites.
TYRE 2024 TEST
Want to fit the very best tyres to your performance car? The annual evo Tyre Test identifies the cream of the current crop
