AUDI S5 Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

Audi surprised everyone in the summer of 2025 when it introduced the next chapter from the A5 book, showing the vehicle as a sedan and a station wagon, respectively, with its more potent sibling, the S5, in both shapes.

When Audi introduced the first generation of the A5 Sedan in 2024, the S5 was the most potent from its family. It was based on the newly developed PPC platform, created specifically for vehicles fitted with an internal combustion engine. Unlike the regular A5 lineup, it showed a distinct look with a more aggressive stance. Furthermore, customers could benefit from the latest technologies that were not compatible with the former MLB Evo platform used by the 2016 Audi A4, known as the B9. The new premium sports compact sedan was built for those looking for a vehicle with enough performance to compete against many other sports cars. However, it still boasted a comfortable and luxurious cabin.

Starting with the 2025 Audi A5 Sedan, the German automaker created a new design for the car’s front fascia. Instead of the tall singleframe grille, a shorter one that looked even wider was installed. It was covered by a hexagonal pattern, resembling the honeycomb structure used in motorsports and other lightweight materials. The LED headlights that flanked it provided a distinct, customizable pattern on their upper area. Lower, on the apron, Audi placed triangular tall air intakes on the sides that cooled the front rotors and created air curtains around the bodywork to lower drag.

From its profile, the low-slung 2025 Audi S5 looked dynamic even when standing still. Its flared front fenders and 19-inch alloy wheels with a unique design for this performance-oriented version let bystanders understand that this was no ordinary car. Furthermore, a set of piano-black side sills adorned the vehicle and made it look even longer. Like its non-S brother, the S5 had a low greenhouse with a sloped back that featured a third row of triangular windows placed behind the C-pillars. Finally, at the back, the automaker put a tailgate instead of a regular trunk lid, as in the A4 lineup. This system was also used on the previous Audi A5 Sportback (8T8). For the 2025 model year, the S5 Sedan had the same OLED taillights with a continuous red light stripe that crossed the car from left to right, making the vehicle look wider.

Inside, Audi created a luxurious-looking cabin but without boasting acres of leather and carbon fiber trims. Instead, it put a curved display on the dashboard, with the instrument panel fronting the driver, while the side above the center stack was a touchscreen for the MMI (Audi’s infotainment system). The front high-bolstered bucket seats were adjustable, provided comfort, and could hold their occupants in place during high-speed cornering. On the center console, the automaker placed the selector for the automatic transmission. In the back, despite the sloped back of the vehicle, the 2025 Audi S5 Sedan provided enough headroom for passengers. At the same time, the transmission tunnel that crossed the vehicle front to back limited legroom for a middle-seated person.

Audi created the PPC platform for vehicles fitted with internal combustion engines and mild-hybrid drivetrains, and the 2025 Audi S5 Sedan inherited it. Under its hood, it had a three-liter V6 engine fitted with a turbocharger with variable turbine geometry (VTG). In addition, an electric starter-generator helped the car get lower CO2 emissions. As expected, the S5 was fitted with a standard quattro all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring and an adjustable all-wheel drive clutch tuned for lateral dynamics.

Audi introduced the second generation of the A5 lineup in the summer of 2016 for the 2017 model year, and in the fall of the same year, it also unveiled the S5 version.

One of the reasons why many people chose the 2016 Audi S5 Coupe over its competitors was its understated appearance. It didn’t show its muscles or its performance. It looked almost like a regular two-door A5 coupe fitted with an oil-burner engine under the hood and a few extras. However, from the first twist of the crankshaft, the car exhaled performance in every vibration of its metallic, low-slung bodywork. In addition, the automaker added a modern, high-tech interior fitted with the latest technologies from those times. As for the drivetrain package, the four-ring brand was already reckoned for its quattro all-wheel drive system, which was offered as standard and gave customers peace of mind when driving on slippery roads.

The sharper look of the 2016 Audi S5 Coupe began with the angular-shaped headlights at the front. Their F-shaped LED daytime running lights looked like luminescent eyebrows over the light-emitting diodes of the high and low beams (Xenon plus for the U.S. market). To make the car look wider, Audi’s design team, led by Jakob Hirzel, reshaped the singleframe grille. Compared to the previous version, it looked like it was stretched from the sides to cover the front fascia. At the same time, the lower bumper boasted a pair of angular side scoops that suggested a V-shape, like the bow of a ship.

From its profile, the waistlines that crossed the vehicle from head to tail were sharp and had a curved section over the rear quarter panels. Some might believe that they resembled the Coke bottle styling from the American Muscle Car era. In addition, the automaker created an ascending sculptured area on the doors, which made the vehicle look like it was moving even when it stood still. Along with the second generation of the S5, Audi introduced new 18-inch cast aluminum wheels wearing 245/40 tires, with an option for a 19-inch set. At the back, the automaker put fresh LED taillights with dynamic turn signal lamps extended from the quarter panels onto the trunk’s lid. At the same time, below the bumper, the car manufacturer installed a satin-silver diffuser flanked by four oval exhausts adorned by chromed tips.

Like its predecessor, the 2016 Audi S5 Coupe boasted a high level of elegance, yet sporty ambiance. In addition, the automaker focused on the technology package. As a result, the driver fronted a fully digital instrument cluster filled with the 12.3-inch monitor of the Audi Virtual Cockpit. In addition, atop the center stack, the automaker installed an 8.3-display for the MMI infotainment system controlled via a rotary dial and four buttons placed on the center stack. The sports seats with high bolstered areas ensured their occupants that they wouldn’t slip out during high-speed cornering maneuvers. At the same time, the rear seats provided enough legroom and headroom for adults.

 But the most significant upgrade was under the car’s skin. The 2017 Audi S5 Coupe was motivated by a three-liter turbocharged V6 gasoline engine that produced 354 PS (333 hp for the U.S. market). Audi mated it with a standard eight-speed automatic gearbox that sent the oomph in all corners. As an option, customers could get the S5 Coupe with an electronically controlled sports differential for the rear axle.

Audi introduced a mid-life cycle refresh for the A5 lineup in 2012, five years after the model’s introduction, and one of the most significant changes was made to the S5 Coupe version.

When the German car manufacturer introduced the S5 Coupe in 2007, customers were thrilled by the V8 engine under the hood paired with a six-speed manual transmission. But five years later, the four-ring brand from Ingolstadt reconsidered its strategy and withdrew that eight-cylinder version and replaced it with a supercharged V6 that was already available for the S5 Cabriolet and the S5 Sportback models. Customers received that information with mixed feelings. On the one hand, the sound of the new unit was no match for the growling one sung by the V8 powerhouse, but on the other hand, acceleration times and fuel efficiency were improved. Besides these technical differences, the exterior and the interior of the 2012 Audi S5 Coupe were refreshed, giving the car a more aggressive stance and better interior features.

Along with the updated version, the 2012 Audi S5 Coupe received a new front fascia. Its headlights were narrower on the inner side and looked sharper compared to the rectangular ones that it replaced. In addition, the automaker installed new LED daytime running lights inside them, framing the headlights. The upper corners of the singleframe grille were beveled, making the car look wider. On the lower bumper, the automaker introduced new rectangular fog lamps in the reshaped side scoops featuring a honeycomb pattern and adorned by a chromed slat instead of three as on the non-facelifted version.

From its profile, there were small changes to the vehicle. However, a keen eye for detail could spot the V6T chromed badges on the front fenders. The low-slung greenhouse and the body-colored door handles remained the same as on the non-facelifted version. At the back, the 2012 Audi S5 Coupe received new LED taillights with lower-mounted reversing lights instead of the upper and larger ones from the previous version. Under the redesigned rear bumper, the quad exhaust with oval tips was integrated into a contrasting color apron.

Inside the cabin, customers found a new dashboard design with a fresh instrument panel. The speedometer and the tachometer were placed inside two binocular-styled clusters and flanked a monochrome LCD with sharper lettering compared to its predecessor. At the same time, atop the center stack, the 2012 Audi S5 Coupe had the seven-inch screen of the MMI (Man-Machine Interface) infotainment system. The automaker reduced the number of buttons needed to control the unit from eight to four, cleaning the look of the center console that housed them. Like on the non-facelifted version, the refreshed first generation of the S5 had sports seats with high bolstered areas and could be heated. In the back, the split-folding (60/40) bench seat allowed customers to load longer items, such as surfboards or skis.

The most significant difference compared to the non-facelifted version was noticed under the hood. Instead of a naturally aspirated 4.2-liter V8, the 2012 Audi S5 Coupe got a supercharged V6 powerhouse carried over from its Sportback and Cabriolet siblings. It developed 333 PS (329 hp), twenty less than in the 2007 model year. However, thanks to the enhanced seven-speed automatic (dual-clutch) S-Tronic gearbox, the car could rocket from naught to 100 kph (0-62 mph) in 4.9 seconds, which was half a second faster than on the V8-powered 2007 S5 Coupe.

The four-ring brand from Ingolstadt threw a gauntlet in the face of its competitors from München and Stuttgart when it introduced the V8-powered 2007 Audi S5 Coupe and thrilled its fans.

Audi tried for almost three decades to knock down its competitors, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, in the sports-coupe segment. Unfortunately, that didn't happen for the German premium car manufacturer from Ingolstadt. Its last S-badged coupe was retired in 1995 after it sold less than 8,000 units in four years. By comparison, the M3 E46 Coupe from BMW exceeded 45,000 units in its seven-year production run between 1992 and 1999. However, with the 2007 Audi S5 Coupe, the big brass from Ingolstadt realized that a beautifully styled two-door vehicle motivated by a punchy V8 engine would speak volumes and raise its image as a sports car manufacturer once again.

While the 2007 Audi S5 Coupe was based on the same MLB platform as its non-S sibling but featured distinctive design elements. At the front, the car sported the same rectangular headlights as the rest of the A5 range, with integrated pearl-like LEDs for the daytime running lights that underlined the high and low beam lamps. The massive singleframe grille between them sported a chromed surrounding and was adorned by seven satin-silver vertical slats and a tiny S5 red and silver badge. On the lower side of the bumper, the automaker installed a pair of side scoops that housed the fog lamps and flanked the bottom of the massive grille.

The low-slung silhouette of the 2007 Audi S5 Coupe looked almost identical to its non-S sibling. However, there were significant changes that a trained eye could spot. The car sported S-specific gray door mirror caps. At the same time, the flared fenders on both axles were identical, while the 18-inch alloy wheels with a five-twin-spoke design were specific for this version. In addition, a set of aerodynamic side sills made the car look lower to the ground. Unlike the S2, which had a liftback design, the S5 Coupe was a classic, two-door vehicle with a low greenhouse that featured a sloped-down rear window. Behind the cabin, the short deck contributed to the balanced design of the vehicle. Finally, at the back, the automaker installed a quad-pipe exhaust system placed under the bumper that flanked a satin-silver diffuser.

Inside, customers found an elegant, leather-wrapped cabin fitted with high-bolstered sports seats at the front and a bench seat in the back profiled for two passengers. The dashboard integrated the seven-inch MMI (Audi's infotainment system) placed atop the center stack, above the center vents. Fronting the driver was an instrument cluster that had a binocular design, with large dials for the speedometer and the tachometer flanked by the fuel level and the coolant temperature gauges. In addition, a small LCD placed in the middle of the control panel revealed data gathered from the car's onboard computer. The 2007 Audi S5 also boasted a few logos with the model's nameplate on the steering wheel and inside the rev-counter dial.

But what lured customers toward the car was what happened under the hood. Instead of a turbocharged inline-four powerhouse, the 2007 Audi S5 was motivated by a 4.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 engine. It sent the power in all corners via a torque-sensitive (Torsen) center differential. The standard transmission was a six-speed manual, which transformed the 2007 Audi S5 into a driver’s dream.