On the outside
The Audi RS5 coupe in its second-generation is a 450hp AWD competitor to the BMW M4. It also takes on Mercedes’s C63, but with two lesser doors. The German carmaker calls this third body style the Brat Pack in India. And according to us, this Audi is nicest looking. This car is a good match of aggressive design cues paired to a nice two-door body. The black headlight and taillight shells, the gloss-black grille and Quattro lettering on the front also look neat. The car can also be optioned with the 20-inch rims that are chrome-finished and look rather nice. Being an RS, it also has a prominent diffuser and two large oval exhaust tips.
The really impressive part about the design of the car is the elegant, smooth-flowing body style. Don’t get us wrong, the Sportback and Cabriolet models are also equally impressive. The car also has large, wheel-arch extensions that further accentuate the car’s sporty nature.
On the inside
Coming to the interior, the car is a lot less exciting. It feels unchanged and like every other A5 model on sale. You do get a flat bottom steering and sportier looking instrumentation but this can be found on the S5 Sportback as well. The biggest difference comes in form of the front seats, they offer better support than the ones found on the S5. This doesn’t mean the seats lose out luxury features like adjustment and massage functions. However, owing to the large front seats, the rear seats get close to no leg room. The interior on the car is built well and oozes quality like most Audis.
How does it drive?
The Audi is so refined it can be dangerous at times. If you are driving along in Comfort mode, you could be doing double the speed you think you were doing. The car behaves in a civilised manner and builds speed almost unknowingly. The car is comfortable as well, even after riding on 20-inch wheels with extremely low-profile rubber. However, on a uneven road these wheels and tyres do manage to send in some thunks into the cabin.
Setting apart the RS5 is the new engine. It is a V6 unit that displaces 2.9 litres with two turbos. It is the same unit one can find in the Panamera S and Cayenne S. This motor produces 450hp and 600Nm of torque and like most new RS offering, it uses an eight speed automatic gearbox.
Audi claims that the car will reach 100kph in 3.9 seconds. Driving the car in Comfort mode offers a really pliant ride and power delivery. However, Dynamic mode is where the car becomes a lot more aggressive. The quick shifts of the mode will also see you using the manual mode more frequently. The produces a good note but lacks the special soundtracks its German rivals have.
Should I buy one?
The car is priced at Rs 1.10 crore (ex-showroom) and this puts it lower than two of its biggest rivals by around Rs 25 lakh. The RS5 has a very capable engine and gearbox that can change personalities according to the mode it is set in. However, the car does miss out a bit in terms of thrills. The dull steering a refined sounding motor don’t help its case. Nonetheless, the RS5 should be the car of choice if you want a coupe that can be both, classy and sporty.
