Audi RS 5 Sportback 2019 Review

In the crucible that was last year's running of Australia's Best Driver's Cars the Audi RS 5 coupe finished in a middle-ranking position.

Fast around the track at Winton and widely praised for its equipment and value, the Audi was let down principally by its weight, which had some impact on cornering and braking.

But away from the demanding rigours of ABDC, the coupe's family-friendly counterpart fares better. Powered by the same engine as the coupe, the Audi RS 5 Sportback is the coupe stretched about 60mm and packing two extra doors for roomier accommodation in the back. Audi has positioned the Sportback at the same price as the Coupe.

Everything shared by the Audi RS 5 across the two body styles makes the Sportback variant – only on sale in Australia since February – something quite special.

There's the same steroidal V6 engine, for instance, which exudes menace from the moment it bursts into life. At a steady cruising speed of 100km/h the revs are holding at just 1600rpm and you won't hear a peep out of the engine at that speed. You have to strain to hear the engine on a light throttle, other than the mild turbo whine at lower speeds.

But it's a very different matter with the Audi Drive Select system set to 'Dynamic'. Then, the engine is prone to some burping on the overrun between gear changes and delivers a note with a lot more animal about it, especially with the throttle wide open and at revs between 5000 and the redline of 6500rpm.

There's torque available right through the rev range, but it's in the final 1500rpm up to the maximum engine speed (6500rpm) that the V6 is really on song and producing formidable performance. It all comes together in a guttural, hairy-chested explosion of sound that's nearly enough to satisfy those who pine for some V8 thunder.

The eight-speed automatic is a great match for the turbocharged V6. It's very smooth in the Comfort mode and pretty snappy – but not harsh – in Dynamic mode. Manual selection with the shift paddles is truly 'manual', with the transmission holding gears at the redline, rather than changing up automatically.

The V6 stumps up so much performance from the mid-range that drivers can opt to pluck the next gear using the paddles long before the redline – but equally true, the engine will forge on to the redline with plenty of zest.

This is the polar opposite of the Mercedes-AMG C 43 that took part in ABDC for 2017. While the driver is wringing the neck of the Mercedes V6 for every last kilowatt in a narrow power band – and running out well before the redline anyway – the Audi is just stupendous. It outguns the Mercedes for power, torque, response and power delivery.

In handling terms the RS 5 Sportback is very poised. Even with the power applied the Audi holds the line well, with prodigious front-end grip. The tyres will begin to protest eventually, but the RS 5 is undeniably secure at higher speeds. Back off into a corner and the nose of the Audi tucks in so fast it feels almost like a tail-out slide, but it's not – the rear suspension and tyres keep the RS 5 Sportback tracking true, while the front tyres bite harder with a bit more weight on them.

For ABDC last year, racing driver and Bathurst winner Luke Youlden said of the RS 5 Coupe that "it has a slight understeer tendency to it, but it’s really well balanced and because it’s all-wheel drive you can mash it out of the corners."

That's essentially true of the Sportback version as well.

In Comfort mode the RS 5 Sportback is relatively supple, but there's still some choppiness in the ride over sections of country road, and the suspension is firm, bordering on brittle when adjusted to Dynamic mode. Even in Comfort mode the RS 5 Sportback's suspension will crash over potholes. That said, most people would find the Audi's ride quality perfectly acceptable most of the time, when left in either Auto or Comfort modes.

The brakes of the RS 5 Sportback are strong and communicative through the pedal, but aren't as well calibrated for soft-stopping as most Jaguars, for instance. There's a slight lurch as you bring the car to a halt if the idle-stop system kills the engine at the same time.

We found the coupe's brakes struggled at times over the course of our ABDC drive program, and similarly, the Sportback's brakes didn't feel especially strong on a 70km test loop. If the brakes do feel underwhelming at times it's probably because they're being asked to rein in considerable bulk from high speeds.

The Audi weighs over 1700kg unladen. Throw in the driver and the RS 5 is likely to exceed 1800kg. And with enough engine output to reach 100km/h from a standing start in under four seconds, there's a lot of inertia to overcome when circumstances demand.

The Audi's combination of performance and weight also has some impact on fuel economy. Audi claims a combined-cycle fuel consumption figure of 8.9L/100km, and on the open road the RS 5 Sportback can easily sneak in below 9.0L/100km in the real world, but around town the consumption could be up to 13 or 14.0L/100km. Over a 70km test loop the final figure was 12.5L/100km, according to the trip computer.

Overall, the RS 5 Sportback is very quiet. The tyres can be rowdy on coarse-chip bitumen, but on better roads roar from the 275/30 ZR20 Continentals (fitted to optional wheels costing $4500) is muted. Wind noise is prominent at speed, and that may be exacerbated by the RS 5 Sportback's frameless windows.

Unfortunately, on country roads, particularly on rippled bitumen, squeaks from soft fixtures in the cabin and some minor rattles are apparent at times. This could be evidence of a hard life, with the test vehicle having already notched up over 3500km in the hands of the press.

The Audi came to us with the option of Matrix LED headlights, costing $1900. Being a cheapskate who just happens to drive nice cars once in a while, I would normally baulk at paying that much for an option – but the money's justified in this case. The Audi's headlights are simply excellent. They're fine as is on low beam for most occasions, let alone with the intelligent high-beam assist enabled.

One point that detracts from the Audi's daily-driving practicality is the front airdam, which hangs too low to clear the driveway at home when backing in straight. I took to driving the car in forwards and backing out in the morning in order to approach or depart the driveway on an angle and keep the airdam slightly clear of the road surface.

The Audi RS 5 Sportback offers a great driving position, with the only qualification being the transmission tunnel, which encroaches on the left side of the footwell, plus the foot rest could be higher off the floor. But in almost every other respect the RS 5's helm is very commanding and ergonomically scientific.

There's plenty of power adjustment in the driver's seat for snugness and comfort – not just the usual ranges of adjustment either, but also lumbar, tilt and side bolstering. The infotainment displays an animated graphic to show you what you're adjusting while you're fiddling around with the switchgear at the base of the seat.

While most of the instruments are easily legible and the binnacle can be configured through Audi's Virtual Cockpit setup to prioritise the navigation mapping, or the tachometer or the other instruments, I'm still dubious about Audi's fuel gauge design. You have to study it to see how much fuel remains in the tank.

But overall, once you're familiar with the switchgear operation, the RS 5 is very user-friendly. And voice recognition was very effective at translating a mumbled address into an actual destination, provided that the address was entered in reverse order – suburb, street and number.

The three-zone climate control was very effective during Melbourne's week of autumnal days – cool in the morning and warming up to high 20s during the day.

Various USB ports abound, with one charge port in the rear of the centre console for rear-seat passengers and two more data ports in the front (under the armrest and one below the climate controls in the centre stack). Also under the folding centre armrest is an inductive charging cradle for a smartphone. It was large enough to accommodate and recharge an iPhone 8 Plus.

Curiously though, there are no cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest to serve the rear-seat occupants.

The RS 5 Sportback sits quite low. It's not a car for the old folks with their creaking, arthritic joints. And for those seated in the back, the headroom is headroom for six-footers, although knee room is fine.

The boot is practical and reasonably deep for a vehicle with rear drivetrain components, thanks in part to the space-saver spare residing under the floor of the boot.

By the end of the week the Audi RS 5 Sportback had scored another win for Ingolstadt. It's an elegant design with an attractive, practical interior featuring colourful ambient lighting at night. But ultimately the RS 5 Sportback's appeal lies in its jaw-dropping powertrain and very composed dynamics.

How much does the 2019 Audi RS 5 Sportback cost?
Price: $167,050 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Engine: 2.9-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 331kW/600Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.9L/100km (ADR Combined), 12.5L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 202g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: N/A