Audi RS5 Sportback review

The Audi RS5 Sportback is a bit of a have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too type of performance car.

You see, with its dramatically-sloping roofline it has the elegant coupe looks that you’d associate with the likes of the regular RS5. But because it has two extra doors and a good-sized boot you can actually use it to, you know, transport people. And things.

Okay, so outright it’s not as spacious or as practical as an RS4 Avant. But if you’re in the market for a performance saloon such as the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio or the new BMW M3 Competition, chances are you’ll also be considering an RS5 Sportback.

It might not be quite as pretty as the Alfa Romeo, but next to the buck-toothed new BMW M3 the older RS5 Sportback cuts a fine dash.

Viewed head-on, you’ll struggle to differentiate it from the regular RS5 coupe. Both cars get Audi’s massive trademark grille, which has been blacked out for this high-end performance model. A more aggressive bumper with larger air intakes has also been fitted, and if you go for our Carbon Black test model or the range-topping Vorsprung, its trim inserts are finished in black instead of the silver colour you get on the base car.

That pumped up body work continues down the side, and as standard the RS5’s swollen wheel arches are filled with 19-inch alloys. Again, Carbon Black and Vorsprung models change this up with a new 20-inch alloy design and – predictably – these are painted black on the former. Then there’s the two additional doors and sloping coupe-style roofline that give this particular RS5 its Sportback credentials.

Round the back there’s a subtle boot lid spoiler, some more aggressive-looking bumper work and a set of slim-line LED tail lights. And it wouldn’t be a bonafide RS model without a matching set of massive, oval-shaped exhaust pipes either.

You’ll want to check out the Audi RS5 Sportback if you fancy something very nearly as fast as the standard RS5 rocketship but occasionally need to carry rear-seat passengers

All up, the RS5 Sportback is a very handsome beast, but it isn’t quite as striking or as in-your-face as the BMW or the Alfa. But those who prefer a slightly more subtle, refined look for their performance saloon will definitely be well catered for here.

In true Audi fashion, the RS5 Sportback keeps things classy on the inside too. The design of the dash with the touchscreen infotainment system mounted on top does appear a bit dated, but the graphics look bang up to date and it all works very smoothly.

Material quality is pretty great, too; and your back seat passengers won’t feel short-changed for space. The boot is a good size, but the BMW M3 and Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio both have more room back there than the Audi.

That said, it’s under the bonnet where you’ll find the RS5 Sportback’s main attraction. It’s powered by a twin-turbocharged 2.9-litre V6 petrol engine, which makes a meaty 450hp and 600Nm of torque. All of that muscle unsurprisingly makes the RS5 Sportback an exceptionally quick car in a straight line: nail the throttle from a standstill and you’ll hit 60mph in just 3.9sec.

Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive helps it stay quick when the weather doesn’t want to play ball, and ensures you’ve got a truckload of confidence-inspiring grip behind you on a twisty road.

It’s a pity that its handling isn’t as fun or energetic in these circumstances as the Alfa Romeo’s or the BMW’s, but it does help make up for this by being a surprisingly comfortable performance car around town and on the motorway.

So it’s not the most engaging performance saloon around, then. But if you want something that’s fast, comfortable, practical and impressively sure-footed even when it’s a bit slippery outside, then you could do a lot worse than the Audi RS5 Sportback.

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