What is it?

The Audi S5 Coupe, freshly facelifted after four years on sale and with a new engine under the bonnet. It’s priced at £42,790. There’s also a cabrio (£45,895) and five-door Sportback (£41,840).

Technical highlights?

Efficiency is a buzzword that even sports coupes can’t escape these days. The old 4.2-litre naturally aspirated V8 engine is gone, replaced by the 3-litre supercharged V6 from the Audi S4. The downsized engine mixes similar power and torque figures (21bhp less, 1lb ft more) with a handy 12mpg hike and 93g/km fall compared to the outgoing manual S5.

A seven-speed twin-clutch transmission replaces the old six-speed manual and auto options in one go, while the carbon cause is also aided by electro-mechanical steering and the inevitable stop/start system. There’s even a new Efficiency mode in Audi’s Drive Select system, which cuts throttle response and lowers aircon power to stretch mpg further.

What’s it like to drive?

As you’d expect, much like the identically-engined S4. It lacks the drama of a V8 soundtrack, but the new unit sounds fantastic under load and feels quicker than the naturally aspirated engine it replaces - with its near-identical peak torque figure delivered 600rpm lower, that’s no surprise. A 4.9sec 0-62mph time is also 0.2sec faster than the V8, and only 0.3sec off the pace of the 116bhp brawnier RS5.

The steering feels good too, despite the switch to electrical assistance. While its weighting still feels artificial there’s plenty of feedback, giving you enough faith in the front end grip to keep the car accurately on line. Power out of corners with a boot full of throttle and you can feel the torque being variably shared between the rear wheels via the optional ‘sports differential’. It feels more rear-driven than all-wheel drive most of the time, and that’s a good thing.

Full judgement will have to wait until we get the car in the UK later this year – some of the bumpier roads of our Spanish test route occasionally sent the suspension into a bit of tizz. But using Drive Select to put steering, throttle, suspension and gearchanging all in their most dynamic settings creates a car that - while still feeling its 1.7-tonne kerb weight - can be driven with the confidence its RS5 bigger brother often can’t.

As with the S4, the loss of two cylinders hasn’t made for a lesser car, but instead a more compelling one.  

How does it compare?

The S5’s closest rivals are the BMW 335i Coupe and Mercedes C350 Coupe. Both are 26bhp less powerful and arguably not as smart looking as the S5, though they are around £4000 cheaper. Oh, and that barely quicker RS5 is a whole £14K more expensive than its little brother…

Anything else I need to know?

The facelift brings the usual new headlights and shiny new paint options, as well as a plethora of gadgets ranging from in-car Google maps to wifi and adaptive cruise control. Nearly all of the gizmos will live on the options list, though.