An updated version of the Audi S5 due out by the end of 2009 will have a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 engine, rather than the 4.2-liter V8 currently in use. The move will align the 2010 S5 with the new S4, which already uses the V6. The switch will improve efficiency while maintaining a similar level of performance.
The new engine will deliver “nearly the same horsepower” as the aging eight-cylinder currently in use, and “more torque,” an Audi spokesperson told Edmunds. Critically, the V6T engine will offer 30 percent better fuel economy, the representative said.
While not confirmed, we suspect the 2010 S5 Convertible will begin life with the V6, rather than the V8.
In the new S4 sedan, the powerplant delivers 333 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. By all accounts, the 2010 S5 will have identical output figures.
The next Audi S6 is also expected to take a step down in cylinder count — moving from a V10 to a twin-turbo V8. BMW is said to planning a similar move with its next-generation M5 and M6 models.
