Less than two months ago, Audi landed the bewitching S5 Sportback in India. Since it took the direct import route, its asking price of Rs 79.06 lakh was on the higher side. Those who got it at that price must be feeling lucky as Audi is now asking for a bit more. The S5 Sportback now has an ex-showroom price of Rs 80.49 lakh. Do the math, and the hike comes out to be Rs 1.43 lakh.

The S5 sits right between the more sensible A5 and the more hardcore RS 5. In other words, the S5 Sportback is more performance-driven than the A5 but not as much as the bonkers RS 5. The main highlight is the S5’s engine. It packs a 3.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V6 that produces 349bhp/500Nm. Mated to the powerplant is an 8-speed automatic transmission, which harnesses and routes the oomph to all four wheels via the Quattro all-wheel-drive system. As for the performance figures, the S5 Sportback can hit 100kmph from nothing in 4.8 seconds and reach an electronically-limited top speed of 250kmph.

Audi has equipped the S5 Sportback with a handsome list of features. As standard, the car comes with stuff like a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a panoramic glass roof and three-zone automatic climate control. Matrix LED headlamps with dynamic indicators, Audi Drive Select, sports suspension and a rear-view camera, are also part of the same list. The options list includes sports suspension with damper control, a head-up display, red brake callipers and a 19-speaker, 755-watt Bang & Olufsen sound system.

In India, the S5 Sportback competes directly with the BMW M340i xDrive. Despite being a bit more powerful, the latter, at Rs 62.90 lakh, costs Rs 17.59 lakh less than the former. But Audi fans won’t care, would they! If you had to choose between the two, which one would you put your money on?