Audi A5 Sportback 3.0 TFSI quattro S-tronic Review: Six Therapy

What we like:

Linear and smooth power delivery

gorgeous looks

build quality

enormous boot

What we dislike:

Costs noticeably more than an equivalent A4 model

Inside, you get the same luxurious appointments and practical features that make the A5 Sportback such a convincing package. There’s surprisingly more than adequate amounts of head and legroom at the rear despite its coupe like roof line but rear passengers sitting in the middle might find the fairly sized transmission tunnel in the way of their legs. The boot is both huge and well-shaped while a tall opening hatch equates to easy access. The hatch though, might take an arm wrestling effort to close for some and can’t be opened in low ceiling car parks.

Up front, the driver is greeted as the same dash as the ones found in other A5 variants. Its an ergonomically laid out environment and just like all current Audi models, perceived luxury and build quality are hard to fault.

Like the other updated A5 and A4 models, the rejuvenated Sportback features Audi’s improved MMI system with new menu interface, a new ‘skip’ function incorporated on the volume knob, a new hot key for the Drive Select instead of the two buttons that was needed to operate the system in the old car. Other new bits include a revised steering wheel design, new trim materials and a new gear knob.

The 3.0 TFSI quattro offers plenty more of standard equipment over the 2-litre – a Bang & Olufsen sound system, sat nav, SD card readers to store music files in the internal hard disk, iPod connectivity, bigger 19-inch alloys, S line aero kit and so on.

The 3.0 TFSI quattro will set you back an additional $17,000 more than the 2.0 TFSI quattro but you do get much more with the new V6 – more performance, the additional refinement of a V6 as well as a longer list of standard kit. Moreover, the 3.0 TFSI’s significantly stronger performance makes it a more justifiable prospect than the previous 3.2 FSI as the latter didn’t offer much of a performance advantage over the 2-litre variant.

Credits: Story by Raymond Lai Photos by Yang and Raymond Lai