And it’s yours for a mere $157k.
The saloon car might’ve been the family car of choice for many, but it wasn’t always the case. Before we moved to the saloon (before ditching that in favour of the SUV), families generally moved around in estate cars. They made sense: There was enough room for the kids in the rear, their flotsam in the boot, and there was usually enough room left over for the family dog. The furriest member of the family probably liked the estate car, as he didn’t have to jump up as high as he does now. Damned SUVs.
But estate cars, and SUVs for that matter, suffer from a bit of an image problem. Their uber-practical layout means they’re the cars of choice for the consummate family man, and that’s not cool. No, being cool means throwing some considerations out the window, even when you’re shopping around the high-performance end of the market. So what do you do when you want to buy a hot Audi, but the RS4 Avant is too old-school, but the RS5 Coupé isn’t spacious enough?
Easy. You get an RS5 Sportback.
At $157,700, it’s exactly the same price as the RS5 coupé, which is a surprise to say the least. It’s also identical in firepower, as under the bonnet lives the 2.9-litre V6 biturbo mill, producing a hair-raising 331kW and 600Nm, with power sent to all-four wheels through an 8-speed torque-converter automatic paired to a performance-tuned Quattro all-wheel drive system.
And on the outside, it looks broadly similar to the coupé too. You have the usual smattering of performance addenda like the revised bumpers, the subtle bodykit, and the use of gloss-black for design highlights (as opposed to silver). You also have that flat, single frame grille underlined by the front spoiler that reads ‘Quattro.’
The whole car rides as standard on 20-inch alloys, and feature things like LED headlights an red brake callipers. Behind those alloys sits Dynamic Ride Control which imbues the RS5 Sportback with a lower ride-height than standard. You can option on carbon-ceramic brakes, or a variable-ratio steering system that’s been tuned specifically for its application here; The ceramic brakes are a flight of fancy to us, but the variable steering is a must-have option.
Step inside and you’ll enjoy things like unique front sports seats, wrapped in Nappa leather and trimmed in a hexagonal stitch pattern that would look familiar to Lamborghini owners. You also get an RS steering wheel (flat-bottomed, of course), RS badges all over the place, and specific displays in the digital readout that show important information like G-forces, instant torque, and tyre pressure.
The cabin also benefits from a panoramic glass roof as standard, along with a Bang & Olufsen audio system, wireless smartphone charging, rear-seat USB ports, and a heads-up display for the driver.
For $157,700 the Audi RS5 Sportback is a pretty appealing thing, particularly in this striking shade of green. Question now is, will your partner let you get one of these over an Audi Q5?
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