Audi A5 and S5 2025 Review - International

Let's hope that when pricing is announced for the 2025 Audi A5 it is priced from around the same $80,000 charged for the cheapest current BMW 3 Series, with the wagon version commanding a premium of around $3000.

The flagship Audi S5 is expected to cost around $110,000, which should pitch it up against cars like the BMW M340i xDrive.

Our fear is Audi might choose to cash-in on the A5's looks and raise the price of its latest sedan to make it more of a rival for the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe.

The bad news is there's unlikely to be a replacement for either the existing Audi A5 coupe or convertible, although in the near future expect a full fast RS version that could offer a wild hybrid V6 with more than 450kW.

Audi Australia has yet to announce full specification for the 2025 Audi A5 and S5, but when it lands here in the first-half of 2025, we think the A5 will only be available in the sportiest S line trim.

That means Aussie-spec A5 models will get the sportier front bumper and black radiator grille with larger air intakes and a rear bumper that incorporates a diffuser. Side skirts and matte aluminium window trim will be standard, although a black exterior pack will also be available.

The S line rides 20mm lower on its Sports suspension, and gets Audi's variable Progressive Steering and sporty red badging.

Large 19-inch alloy wheels will be included, plus LED headlamps that include high-beam assist, LED taillamps, windows with acoustic and heat insulating and tinting, an electric rear tailgate, front heated S line sport seats and three-zone climate control.

There's also an 11.9-inch OLED digital instrument cluster, a large 14.5-inch OLED infotainment system that works with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat nav with live traffic updates, an AI-powered on-board assistant, a 10-speaker 180-Watt sound system, plus a wireless phone charger.

Brushed aluminium reappears within as interior trim, while stainless steel is used for the pedals and footrest. A three-spoke leather-wrapped flat-bottom steering wheel and black headliner complete the long list of standard equipment that also includes an extensive range of driver aids.

Options should include a Sound and Vision pack that adds a large multi-colour head-up display, an interactive ambient lighting system, plus a powerful 16-speaker 810-Watt Bang & Olufson premium sound system.

Like all Audis, the latest A5 and S5 are backed by a five-year/unlimited kilometre factory warranty.

It's not been announced but expect the A5 and S5 Sedan and Avant to be offered with a five-year/75,000km servicing plan, with maintenance intervals likely to be scheduled every 12 months/15,000km.

Neither Euro NCAP nor local ANCAP have had a chance to evaluate the 2025 Audi A5 and S5 Sedan and Avant wagon, but both cars are anticipated to score the full five stars for safety.

Boasting plentiful driver assist aids (ADAS), the A5 and S5 come with the car-maker's latest autonomous emergency braking (AEB), which features both pedestrian and cyclist detection as well as vehicle detection.

There's also a 360-degree camera for parking, Park Assist Plus that self-parks the car, adaptive cruise control, swerve assist and turn assist, a traffic-sign-based speed limiter, traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning, plus advanced driver attention and fatigue detection.

Audi is also proud of the new second-generation OLED rear lamps it has developed that will be optional. They not only look cool but are capable of car-to-X communication, projecting warning triangles to alert drivers behind of hazards.

Unusually, Audi allows owners the choice of eight digital light signatures if you order the Matrix LED headlamps and the OLED rear lamps. Engineers couldn't explain how exactly that boosts safety but owners of other Audis with customisable daytime running lamps reportedly enjoy the new feature.

Even though the PPC platform the Audi A5 and S5 sits on is hardly new, Audi’s embedded the advanced E3 1.2 electronic architecture that features in the upcoming Q6 e-tron SUV – and that is new for the A5.

Not only is the system capable of over-the-air (OTA) updates, it has switched to a smoother, quicker Android Automotive operating system. That means third-party apps like YouTube and Spotify can be downloaded, while navigation apps like Waze can be displayed on both the digital instrument cluster and even the head-up display.

The infotainment screen is far larger than most of its rivals at 14.5-inches and offers clear and precise information. Behind the screen, the system harnesses the power of a self-learning voice assistant and will have embedded ChatGPT tech that should grow in sophistication as the car ages.

What's missing is a separate display for the climate control, although a row of shortcuts along the bottom of the screen help make up for that.

A further 10.9-inch passenger display is also offered as an option that allows your co-pilot to control various functions, as well as keep track of the turn you just missed.

There are two USB-C charging ports in the front and the rear and the upgraded 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system gets small speakers embedded in the headrests.

A wireless phone charger is standard.

When the 2025 Audi A5 and S5 arrives in Australia in the first half of 2025, it’s likely there will be the choice of just two petrol models.

The base engine will be a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that gets a variable-geometry turbine for the first time for enhanced efficiency and improved responses down low in the rev range.

Running lower friction internals, higher pressure injection and better cooling, the revised engine produces 150kW and 340Nm of torque. That's some way off the 195kW/400Nm other 2.0T engines in the VW Group produce, but Audi claims its engine is significantly more efficient in the real world.

Combined with its quattro all-wheel drive hardware and a quick-shifting seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, the base engine variant – badged TFSI 150kW quattro – can knock over the 0-100km/h sprint in 7.8 seconds and carry on to a top speed of 248km/h.

At the top of the tree, until the inevitable RS 5 arrives, the new S5 gets Audi's latest MHEV Plus mild-hybrid tech. Boasting a 3.0-litre turbo V6, the faster hatch and wagon get a new variable-geometry turbine, the usual 48-volt electrics and a small lithium-ion battery providing energy for not one but two e-motors.

The first motor is an integrated starter generator and the next is a second 'powertrain generator' that lives in the seven-speed transmission. As well as adding an 18kW boost, under braking the new system can claw back up to 25kW. The same transmission motor can also drive the car in EV-mode alone for short distances.

Total output for the S5 is 270kW and 550Nm, which is enough for a rapid 0-100km/h dash of just 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 250km/h.

In some markets a lower-powered 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine is also available, as well as a 150kW 2.0-litre turbo-diesel with the MHEV Plus tech.

The 2025 Audi A5 TFSI 150kW Quattro averages around 6.6-7.9L/100km which equates to 151-179g/km of CO2 – both very respectable figures for a 2.0-litre turbo.

The all-wheel drive Audi S5 with the MHEV Plus mild-hybrid tech is said to return 7.4-7.9L/100km and emits between 169-179g/km of CO2.

The big shock with the new 2025 Audi A5 is how much better it drives compared to the old car.

Despite the PPC architecture it sits on being very closely related to the old car's MLB evo platform, the A5’s much improved handling is the result of a radical rethink by Audi’s chassis engineers, who have specified a new steering rack with stiffer mountings, a new anti-roll bar that gets more rigid bushings and, in if you tick the box for them, a set of reconfigured adaptive dampers.

That might all sound boring, but behind the wheel you'll soon start singing the engineers’ praises, because the A5 goes from mid-pack dynamics to the top of the class, with the sporty five-door coupe delivering well-balanced handling that resists the old car's nasty habit of washing wide when pushed too hard.

The A5 is now far more agile and responsive to throttle inputs while remaining safe and predictable at all speeds.

Even with its variable-ratio steering rack, the steering feels natural and makes it easier to position the car. But on bumpy roads, the A5 offers a more cossetting ride than its BMW 3 Series rival.

As you might expect, the fast Audi S5 is even more impressive and with its extra torque, it provides a convincing impression of a powerful rear-wheel-drive performance sedan.

Both A5 and S5 ride well, better than the last generation sedan and wagon, with welcome suppleness in the dampers over rough roads.

The smoothness of the MHEV Plus was also notable – at least in the powerful S5 model. In the diesel it's another story, the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission on the car we drove suffered some unwelcome but minor driveline shunt.

Both the A5 and S5 were quiet at highway speeds and we can't wait to pitch them against the BMW 3 Series, which currently leads the premium mid-size segment for sales, and the Mercedes C-Class.

The 2025 Audi A5 once again scores highly when it comes to its cabin, and mirrors what designers and engineers have achieved with the excellent Q6 e-tron.

The new Audi A5 measures in at 4830mm long (+67mm), 1860mm wide (+13mm) and rides on a wheelbase that has grown by 68mm to 2900mm for more space within – and, indeed, there does feel like there's more legroom in the second row than before, with enough headroom for tall passengers as well.

Boot space is acceptable at 442 litres and that figure expands to 1229 litres when the 40/20/40-split folding rear bench is dropped.?

For fit, finish and design the Audi A5 leads the class, especially when perched behind the imposing 'Digital Stage', which is the name for that panoramic screen that stretches almost entirely across the cabin if you order the optional passenger display.

Sure, we miss the odd physical button, but love the presence of an old-fashioned volume dial and appreciated how intuitive and easy all the tech is to use - something Audi has always been good with.

The 2025 Audi A5 and S5 follow a long line of well-made classy A4 sedans and wagons that impressed with their tech, powertrains and quality of their cabin but were ultimately let down by the way they rode and drove on Australian roads.

The new Audi A5 and S5 are different. Pleasingly so.

Both add dynamic brilliance to the mix and if you buy into the new styling, the latest German mid-size entrant could be the most appealing mid-size premium sedan and wagon currently on sale in Australia.

2025 Audi A5 TFSI 150kW quattro at a glance:
Price:?$80,000* (plus on-road costs)
Available: First quarter, 2025
Engine:?2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output:?150kW/340Nm
Transmission:?Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel:?6.6-7.9L/100km (WLTP)
CO2:?151-179g/km (WLTP)
Safety rating:?Not tested

Join the conversation at our Facebook page
Or email us at editor@carsales.com.au