Aboveleft:RS5Sportback rides on 20-inch alloys –
testcar’s Anthracite black and diamond-cut versions
are a no-cost option.Aboveright:panoramic tilting
and opening glass sunroof comes asstandard
an RS badge (0 to 62mph is donein 3.9sec). But
it’s still not whip-crack quickor pin-you-back-in-
your-seat thrilling.Muchof this is down to the mute
vocals that accompany the process, the remainder
the switch-like gearchanges that feel more
PlayStation than 13-timeLe Manswinner.
Forget aboutthe enginebeingan emotionalpull
and turn to the dynamics and the RS5 Sportback
has a surprise or two. It’s no M3 Comp Pack when
you start to pushand go lookingfor feel and
feedback. Neitheris it a C63 whenall you want are
thrillsand tyre bills. However, whatit is is a faithful
device that can cover ground,no matter how
challenging,with such resolute surefootedness
that the RS5 Sportback’s reason for beingsuddenly
becomes clearer.
It’s blisteringlyquickacross A-roads, blending
tenaciousgrip from its quattro four-wheel drive
with a sense of connection and feel unfoundin
the RS5 coupe and RS4. It settles into a corner
with a reassurance and a level of feedback that’s
unexpected, but oh so welcome.The steering
weights up with a precise motion,allowing you to
lean on the tyres’ grip rather than guess where it
is, and the car controls its mass with a fluidity that
allows you to work with it rather than against it,
whichmeans quicker corners are less of a leap of
faith and more of a linear, controlled process.
However, it’s whenyou arrive at a slower, tighter
deviationin the road that the RS5 Sportback feels
out of its depth.It’s here that the steering lacks
low-speed precision,culminatingin a less-than-
fluid turn-inas you take a numberof bites to
latch on to the apex. And then the mass needs
controlling,because if you’re too fast and have
committed too early the bodypitches with a lurch
and there’s little you can do until it settles down. It’s
frustratingthat a car that has such good high-speed
composure falls over in the slower stuff.
A bit of a dampsquib then,the RS5 Sportback?
Not quite. We know it doesn’t have the
sophisticationin its chassis of a GiuliaQuadrifoglio,
M3 or C63. Neitherdoes it have the single-minded
focus on pure performance of the aforementioned.
But it does have huge appeal for those who want
somethingthat’s special, is a step up from the model
beneath it in the range and offers an alternative look
from the norm.It’s the Audi RS from today’s crop
that I’d considerabove all the rest.
Stuart Gallagher(@stuartg9 17 )
EngineV6, 2894cc, twin-turboPower444bhp @ 5700-6700rpmTorque442lb ft @ 1900-5000rpmWeight1720kg (262bhp/ton)0-62mph3.9secTopspeed155mph (limited)Basicprice£68,985+Unique looks, quality, high-speed composure
- Uninspiring engine, flat-footed on more technical roads
evorating
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