Audi RS5 is not just a sports car, even though the badge clearly defines it as one. To begin with, it has a 2.9 L biturbo V6, accounting for the formidable power on leash. The RS5 stands two rungs above the sporty S5 and the laymen’s Sportback A5. Audi’s racing sport midsize sedan has 202 hp more than the A5 and 101 more than the S5. To be more precise, 450 hp and 600 Nm torque sends the RS5 flying past the 100 kmph mark in 3.9 seconds. The usual suspects responsible for that sporty sigh – the V6 warble, plenty of G-force and sideways slide – are all reasons for me to call this a bundle of thrill!
THE DIMENSIONS:L x W x H 4723 mm x 1861mm x 1370mm, wheelbase 2772mm, Ground clearance (unladen) 109 mm, Weight 1655 kg
THE SPECS: 2.9L biturbo V6 engine, 8-speed Tiptronic transmission, 450 hp @5700 – 6700 rpm, 600 Nm @1900 – 5000 rpm, 20” wheels
THE PERFORMANCE: 0 – 100 kmph in 3.9 sec, Top speed: 250 kmph (280 kmph optional), Test fuel economy: 9 km/l, CO2emissions 206 g/km – EU6Plus emission standards, Turning circle: 11.6 metres
WOW! FEATURE: Nardo Grey colour, Handwriting input for navigation and phone
THE PRICE: AED 375,585 onwards Test model: AED 402,885
UPSIDE: Unique exterior colour, exhilarating drive, comfort features
FLIPSIDE: Firm ride quality, rear mid-seat to be overlooked
The Design
The aggressive black honeycomb grille and lower mesh grille, the wildly aggressive headlamps, the 20” alloy wheels and the spoilers at the fag end of a very sporty rear slope are all part of the stunning presence of the RS5, signed off with the RS badge on the sides and the rear. Inside and out, Audi has made a good example of the usage of ‘carbon twill’ as they call it – a statement that when used aesthetically, carbon fibre is still not a cliché. The perforated dark leather on the steering and gearshift is another sporty designer wear that the cabin dons.
The Sonoma Green of the Audi RS5 Sportback is special but the Nardo Grey that wraps my test car is one with an overcast sky with ominous forebodings, waiting for the thunderous power to be unleashed. It even turns a blueish grey in twilight – almost magical!
The Drive
The Audi RS5 drives with its four wheels planted on the ground as its advanced Quattro distributes torque gauging the grip each tyre has! The system is standard in the RS6, making for exhilarating handling on tricky roads or in corners. Apart from this, there is a rear sport differential available, that manages the torque between rear wheels, helping the car to lessen understeer or oversteer when shooting past bends. The RS6 is rather sharp.
The electronically assisted steering is sensitive enough to impart the pleasure of command-response gratification and yet keep things easy at makeshift U-turns without a sweep-in bay. While on the subject of handholding and responsiveness, there is a forbidding refinement about the Audi RS for those wish to play it too hard with the manual paddles. The forced downshift curtails the rise of revolutions, of course to protect this amazing engine but got to agree it is a killjoy at times.
The RS6 has an 8-speed transmission. Audi’s turbo lag is not something you can merely wish away but the sport mode is thankfully a panacea, especially when you are tackling a sharp curve or racing out of corners. If you are in comfort mode, you might notice that you are cruising on 1400 or 1500 rpm while at good speed, which is great news for the gallons of gas you are bound to save; but you realise that you can’t get enough of exhilaration, which is what this badge is all about. Good news is just around the corner, literally, coz you only have to approach 2000 rpm to be churning out tons of torque. There is even a turbo boost gauge in the instrument cluster that is also a measure of your adrenaline rush!
Family Drive
The choice of comfort and sport modes has an inbuilt sense of irony despite these honey-comb styled Nappa leather seats that hug you in corners. The comfort mode often felt more punishing on the bum than the sport mode, whose chassis and suspension settings were taut all over, preparing you better for the sporty ride!
The sport back design denies legroom and headroom only to really tall folks but the RS5 for all practical purposes is a 4-seater – try settling into the leather plank that masquerades as the mid-seat! Storage in this cabin and boot is ample. But with the Sportback slope, I feel there is a little more flexibility in using the boot space and that is one reason I like this design a bit more than the coupe.
The RS has enough hints of luxurious comfort in its well-endowed interiors. Like a 3-zone air-conditioning that allows the driver, front passenger and the rear seat occupants to have their way with the climate! Or the available Bang & Olufsen 3D Sound system that in Audi’s words ‘treats the listener to a new dimension of surround sound’. The music is concert class.
Cabin and controls
Technology is the power that justifies the fat cheque that the RS commands, besides power itself. Audi virtual cockpit is now an essential feature in top trims of all models – in the RS it comes with a 12.3” digital screen behind the steering wheel. A button on the wheel lets you choose what fills this screen – vehicle speed, engine speed or the media info. Well, ‘fills’ gets its full meaning when you choose to view the neat navigation graphics on this screen.
One of the ‘wow!’ features I have chosen is the handwriting input method for navigation and phone. The console houses a jog dial with which you primarily navigate your choices on the 8” MMI screen and its keyboard – by turning or tilting the dial and then pressing to select. The surface of this dial is also a touchpad that you can directly write on. The process is slightly slower than on the Audi A6, which has a dedicated, larger touch input screen that even facilitates running hand – but then this MMI screen too reads you right! The third input method is by voice command that works best for radio and telephone. The smart phone era demands the presence of a wireless charger and that of Audi RS5 appears under the armrest, almost like a lid to the storage pit.
There is no dearth of driver Assistance tech in this racing-sport model. Right from Audi Side Assist that warns of vehicles in the blind spot and prevents you from changing lanes to a 5-mode camera system which intelligently switches from rear view to front view if you are too close to a wall in front while getting ready for backing up!
The essential Audi RS5
Wait till you hear this one thing about the RS6. I am not talking about its glorious sound but its fuel economy figures! At the end of the drive, one question that is stuck in my head is: Forget the claim of 11 kmpl by Audi; how does a car that teleports to 100 kmph in less than 4 seconds manage almost 9 km from every litre of petrol? Beats me.
