The German sports sedan that finally finds the right balance

Audi’s sedan range has always been great, known for offering just the right amount of class and luxury without feeling tacky or going overboard. And whenever Audi has traded the A for an S on the badge, enthusiasts are more or less happy with what follows: a well-balanced sedan that combines luxury and performance, with a dash of style. The same is the case with the A4/A5 sedans and the S5 Sportback, which bridged the gap between a sports coupe and a luxury sedan.

Since its founding in 2007, the Audi S5 Sportback it was always about balance, bringing together the best qualities of several Audi cars, not just the corresponding sedans for laymen. Think: the aggressive stance of the A7, the refined qualities of the A4 and the performance history that comes with the S logo. Despite being an attractive choice, the S5 Sportback never really found the right balance. Fortunately, the new S5, in its B10 iteration, promises to fix that.

The outgoing Audi S5 was a near-perfect luxury sports sedan

The Audi S5 Sportback, as it was known in its previous B9 iteration, was a capable luxury sports sedan that captured the hearts of enthusiasts including yours truly. It looked sharp, with its sloping coupe-like roofline and sharp shoulder lines, and it had the performance to back that look. Powered by a turbocharged V6 engine, it delivered 349 horsepower through an eight-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels, resulting in brisk acceleration. Add to that the sharp reflexes with Quattro support, that give you the confidence to throw the car into corners, even if it’s your first time behind the wheel of the S5.

Despite all its highlights, the S5 has never really been a hit with many enthusiasts, neither as a sports coupe nor as a luxury sedan. See, the interior had all the high-quality materials and plenty of tech features to satisfy a modern buyer… back in 2018, when the B9 generation debuted. By 2025 it was starting to feel a bit outdated, with rivals catching up or surpassing it in terms of luxury and features. The back wasn’t that spacious either. And one comment about it Reddit read: “the [2024] The S5 has aged beautifully,” which shouldn’t be the case for a brand new car you pay $60,000 for.

Performance-wise, the S5, while great for most enthusiasts, fell a little short in hitting the nail on the head. Its main rival, the BMW M340i, was the benchmark here, and the S5 was often criticized for not having the same soul and drama as its Bimmer rival. Furthermore, the M340i was more powerful, with 374 hp, aided by a mild hybrid system. Owners also complained that the S5 Sportback’s transmission wasn’t as quick as the Bimmer’s ZF unit. Simply put: the BMW M340i simply offered a better driving experience for the price.

That now changes with the latest S5

Confusingly, Audi sold the previous generation S5 Sportback alongside the latest S5, both as 2025 models. But now it has been streamlined. Audi has completely discontinued the A4 brand, and the new generation is the A5 and S5, with the number of bodies reduced to just one: a four-door fastback sedan, or as some would call it, a hatchback. The S5 also does away with the Sportback label, as there are no other S5 body styles you’d confuse yourself with.

Etymology aside, the new 2025 and 2026 Audi S5 is completely new in its B10 generation and promises to solve the shortcomings of the previous generation S5 Sportback. The new S5 smooths out the sheetmetal but adds a few inches to the wheelbase, improving rear-seat comfort. Under the hood is Audi’s new internal combustion platform, which produces more power, and the cabin is packed with the latest that Audi has to offer for the price, including more screens and LED lighting. However, the latter is not offered for the American market.

The new 2026 Audi S6 adds more ‘sport’ to the sports sedan

The new Audi A5 and S5 are the first sedans to feature the brand’s new Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture, which is also said to be Audi’s last internal combustion platform. Here, the S5 features a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 that produces 362 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. That’s 13 more ponies and 37 pound-feet more than the outgoing S5 Sportback. Audi has also swapped the eight-speed automatic for a seven-speed DCT unit that is said to be responsive and crisp. The Quattro all-wheel drive system remains standard.

The A5 and S may not be significantly faster than the equivalent BMW, but they provide a more aggressive launch thanks to their dual-clutch transmissions. Audi has programmed a clutch dump launch control at 4,000 rpm, which feels entertaining in the A5 and exciting in the S5. It comes off the line like an electric car and presses your head against the seat.

– Jared Rosenholtz, CarBuzz journalist

Thanks to these updates, the new S5 sedan goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds during recent tests by Car and driverwhich is faster than the older S5’s 4.2 second acceleration times. The car can also reportedly cover the quarter mile in 12.5 seconds at a speed of 110 miles per hour. The EPA also reported a fuel economy of 22 miles per gallon combined, which is one MPG lower than the outgoing model. And thanks to the latest emissions standards, with the pedal to the metal in Dynamic mode, you can expect a subtle exhaust note of up to 78 decibels.

Dealing with improvements over the last generation

The Audi S5 sedan has a sports suspension and optional adaptive dampers, which are standard on the top-end Prestige version. You can choose from three modes: Comfort, Balanced and Dynamic. Comfort mode smoothes things out in everyday driving, which should soak up bumps as well as you’d expect in a performance sedan. In Dynamic mode, things stiffen up and owners praise the admirable body control and composure. Going by the previous S5, the newer S5 should handle even better when thrown around.

Adding to the handling is the brake-based torque vectoring, which is claimed to make the car feel more balanced with less front-end pressure than the outgoing S5. That’s great for that a car that weighs more than 4,300 pounds! The only complaint owners have voiced is that the new S5’s steering is light and muted, even in Dynamic mode, making it slightly heavier. So the S5 should feel sharper and more composed on the road, especially in corners, compared to the previous model, without sacrificing day-to-day drivability.

And a longer wheelbase and more comfort add more “luxury”.

On the surface, the new S5 looks neater, with the wavy creases of the outgoing models smoothed out. A similar update follows on the inside, with the S5 getting a cleaner cabin design. The panels are covered in suede-like material, along with ambient lighting at the bottom of the windshield. The comfort factor is further enhanced by heated and massaging front seats, panoramic sunroof and three-zone climate control, which are said to improve the overall comfort level of the car.

Thanks to the longer wheelbase, rear legroom increases by more than an inch, while headroom is also improved by the higher roofline. The outgoing A5 Sportback was too tight in the back for tall adults, but this new model is much more comfortable.

– Jared Rosenholtz, CarBuzz journalist

In the front you have sports seats with high backrests and fixed headrests, covered with leather and plastic upholstery. At the rear, taller passengers will notice an improvementthanks to the new car’s longer wheelbase, which adds a much-needed inch or two for legroom. That takes the rear seat from cramped to good enough for most adults, as long as you don’t cram the fifth passenger in the back. Despite the sloping roofline, headroom is also decent. Even the trunk is bigger than before, and thanks to the hatchback it should be just as easy to get your stuff in there.

Finally, new technology brings the Audi S5 up to date with rivals

As much as some of us would like to do away with the screens in our sports sedans, that’s not the world we live in. So for those of us who like the more tech-savvy approach, the S5 has a lot more to offer than the older generation. The older model had a digital meter and a 10.1-inch display, which upgrades the new S5 to a curved screen that wraps over the driver’s side of the dashboard. It features an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.5-inch touchscreen, which has more features than before. At least the volume knob is still there.

Audi also offers a 10.9-inch display for the front passenger. Other standard features include a driver’s heads-up display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an available 20-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system. Other markets will also get adaptive matrix LED headlights and taillights, which can display warnings or shimmering effects. These show how outdated US security laws arebut that’s another topic we’ve already discussed.

Audi has discontinued the older S5 Sportback and only the 2026 Audi S5 is available for sale in the US. It starts at $63,300, although we recommend splurging for the mid-range Premium Plus trim, which comes with the Bang & Olufsen sound system, adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree monitor. For the price, the Audi S5 is now hard to beat. It’s still not as sharp as the M3, nor as confusing as the Mercedes AMG C43but it arguably offers a better balance of performance, technology and luxury.

Sources: Audi, The EPA