Let’s get surgical: Why Audi’s RS5 coupe is like an operating theatre

Audi’s performance division has grafted the efficiency, precision, pace and flair of a top surgeon into the development of the second-generation RS5 coupe.

CRAIG DUFF

3 min read

December 14, 2017 - 1:50PM

Surgeons are trained and tested on their efficiency, precision and pace. The best of them show some flair in the theatre while still getting the job done. Someone from Audi’s performance division has grafted that approach into the development of the second-generation RS5 coupe.

Attention to detail is evident in every aspect of the car, from the fit and finish of the panels inside and out to the way the eight-speed automatic transmission adjusts its shifts to the driving mode. This is a genuinely classy environment to operate in.

Audi RS5: Attention to detail abounds.

Audi describes the two-door weapon as a gran turismo and it stitches up the opposition in that role, delivering a relentless ability to cover ground in a package loaded with electronics to ensure the car stays grounded no matter what manner of road you’re traversing.

A drive-away price of $167,100-$172,850 (it varies between states) puts the RS5 in the same financial ballpark as the BMW M4 and Mercedes-AMG C63 coupe.

Unlike those rivals, the Audi adopts a clinical approach to corner carving in place of the flamboyant, tail-wriggling attitude that is the hallmark of rear-wheel drive performance cars.

RS5: Options include $1846 paint job and $4900 carbon-fibre roof.

The result is fuss-free driving at frighteningly quick speeds. The $3900 Technik pack is almost mandatory (and Audi says more than 90 per cent of buyers will tick the box), purely for the head-up display that serves as a line-of-sight reminder of just what velocity you’re achieving. The pack adds wireless smartphone charging and upgrades the LED headlamps to the rarefied kind that dips individual diodes.

No surprise for a prestige brand: any decent paint colour will add $1846. The optional carbon-fibre roof at $4900 will be appreciated more for its looks than for the 3kg saving.

ON THE ROAD

Fire up the RS5 and the sports exhaust snarls with intent before settling into a steady burble. It isn’t as evocative as the 4.2-litre V8 in the old car but compensates by delivering an extra 170Nm of shove.

The adaptive dampers can be set to smooth out broken bitumen in comfort mode or to ride every ripple in the dynamic configuration. It has the largest latitude of any of the prestige performance players, making the RS5 a viable daily driver for all members of the household.

RS5: A long-legged gran turismo yet a viable daily drive.

The Individual drive mode is the one to go for, enabling drivers to set a host of parameters to suit their style. On Tasmanian back roads, we opted for auto suspension, muted the sports exhaust (it can drone at 60-80km/h) and left everything else biased to performance.

Cornering grip is rib-crushingly tenacious and you have to be absolutely hammering to notice a tendency for the front end to push wide through the turns.

More evident is the fact the steering, while millimetre-precise, lacks the feel of something like an AMG.

That leaves the driver relying on the electronics to keep things under control and the RS5 does that with finesse, imperceptibly nipping the brakes on inside wheels and shuffling grunt fore and aft as required to maintain maximum momentum.

The brakes are brilliant, even without optioning the 400mm ceramic discs. Pedal travel and feel didn’t vary during a descent of the daunting Mt Arrowsmith road loved and loathed by Targa Tasmania competitors.

VERDICT

4 stars

Under control: Finessed electronics maintain the RS5’s momentum.

The RS5 operates as a stunningly quick, stress-free way to cover ground. It isn’t as engaging as its rivals but won’t be found wanting should one of those cars appear in the rear-view mirror.

WHAT’S NEW

RS5 cockpit: Digital display and top-spec infotainment.

PRICE The list price of $156,600 is $900 less than the sticker on the window of the first-generation RS5 when sales ended two years ago. Audi says the value equation is up by more than $20,000 once all of the toys, from tri-zone aircon to the digital driver’s display and top-spec infotainment, are factored in.

TECH Adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, active lane assist, rear cross-traffic assist … the list of electronic aids goes on. Audi claims there are more than 30 standard driver assistance features built into the coupe.

PERFORMANCE A twin-turbo V6 replaces the 4.2-litre V8. The soundtrack isn’t as aggressive; the performance is. All-wheel drive helps the coupe launch to 100km/h in 3.9 seconds: equal to the Mercedes-AMG C63 and 0.6 seconds quicker than the last RS5. To top it off, combined fuel consumption is down by 16 per cent and it is 60kg lighter than the previous car.

DRIVING Audi calls the RS5 a gran turismo and it fulfils that brief brilliantly. Improved handling and steering make it a sharper tool than its predecessor but it is a case of relying on the grip rather than revelling in its feedback on the limit.

DESIGN The RS5 sits on a 74mm longer chassis which has liberated room for front and rear passengers. Front and rear suspensions are five-link units — the outgoing model used trapezoidal-link rear suspension.

AUDI RS5