Audi S5 review

The new interior of the A5 family is a marked step on from what came before: the dashboard is sleeker and more modern, and the tech feels better integrated into the overall design. The old MMI screen looked like it had been glued on top of an old A4 dashboard, which is basically what had happened.

Like many modern cars the S5 is massively overscreened, but at least it looks intentional. You’ve got a 11.9in virtual cockpit, a 14.5in infotainment screen and another 10.9in touch display for the front passenger. It’s amazing there’s even room for something so prosaic as a steering wheel.

We didn’t really get on with the squared off wheel's haptic controls: it's still far too easy to turn the radio on by accident.

Are the screens up to scratch?

The screens are predictably high quality, but despite the central one being angled to the driver it’s tricky to make adjustments on the move without diverting your attention from the road. Not a problem unique to Audi, but still.

We like the new head-up display, which gives you a wealth of information (you half expect to see a stock market ticker along the bottom - do you really need a g-meter projected on the windscreen?), but the overly busy digital dash gets a thumbs down from us. Obviously you can tailor it a bit to your tastes, but why should it be so difficult to tell the time?

You’ve got wireless Apple and Android connectivity as standard, as well as wireless charging, which comes with a cooling fan underneath to stop your phone from exploding.

The use of ambient lighting is thoughtfully done: LED strips under the windscreen and in the doors aid navigation instructions and offer useful reminders and warnings in conjunction with the safety systems.

The passenger screen is overkill. Okay, so it's handy for your co-pilot to dip into the nav and media settings, but Audi has so little for it to do that one of the main menu tiles is... a legal disclaimer. And on our UK test drive you can see everything happening on there from the drivers seat: potential for distraction there. TL;DR, looks good in the showroom, adds little in practice.

Is there decent room?

The S5 is very relaxed up front, with plenty of space to get comfortable. You feel the car’s diminutive stature in every chair, though – the S5 feels very low to the ground, which means a bit of a drop into the car.

In the back there's decent legroom, but the seatbacks are made from a hard plastic (good luck if your knees press against it), and headroom is at a definite premium. If you've got adults in the back with any regularity at all, you'll want the S5 Avant instead.

You get a decent 445 litres of space in the boot with the seats up, which is only 30 litres less than the estate version of the car. They fold down too, unlike a more traditional saloon, expanding that figure to 1,299 litres. The Avant adds another 125 litres here.