The Audi RS5 is dead. Long live the RS5.
Okay, not dead-dead. But the badge has shifted, the mission has sharpened, and in the process Audi has quietly retired the RS4 name in favor of a new-era RS5 that does something no RS-badged mid-sizer has done before: it plugs in.
Yes, this is the first performance Audi to pair a twin-turbo V-6 with a battery big enough to make your local EV drivers nod in approval. And no, Ingolstadt hasn’t gone soft.
A Hybrid With a Hammer
At the core sits a familiar 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6—at least in displacement. As Audi Sport boss Rolf Michl put it, “The only thing that we kept is the 2.9 litres.” That’s not marketing fluff. The engine now runs a modified Miller cycle for better efficiency (read: Euro 7 compliance), features higher-pressure fuel injection, and swaps in water-cooled variable-geometry turbos for sharper response.
On its own, the V-6 makes 510 horsepower—39 more than the most potent “25 Years” RS4. But the real story is the 174-hp electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic gearbox and fed by a 22-kWh usable battery pack. Combined output? A stout 630 horsepower.
That’s a 166-hp jump over the old RS4. And while the spec sheet says 0–62 mph in 3.6 seconds—just a tenth quicker than before—the numbers don’t tell the whole story. At 2370 kg (about 5225 pounds), this thing isn’t exactly on a diet. But Audi claims that in a rolling drag race against the previous RS4 Competition, the new RS5 stretches a two-car-length gap in just 2.5 seconds. Instant electric torque has a way of making turbo lag feel like a relic.
Top speed drops slightly to 177 mph (down 9 mph), but unless you’re late for a private runway booking, you won’t notice.
And here’s the twist: it’ll also do around 50 miles on electric power alone. A 630-hp company car that can commute silently through town? That’s either peak 2026 or the beginning of the end, depending on your forum habits.
Understeer Is So Last Generation
If you’ve driven previous RS4s hard, you know the story: colossal grip, big speed, and a faint but persistent push at the limit. Audi says that chapter is closed.
The new RS5 gets Dynamic Torque Control with an electromechanical torque-vectoring rear differential—essentially a limited-slip diff with its own 11-hp motor capable of shuffling up to 1475 lb-ft side to side in milliseconds. There’s also a new locking center diff that can send up to 100 percent of drive rearward.
In “RS Torque Rear” mode—yes, that’s drift mode—the system goes full hooligan.
Michl doesn’t mince words: “Basically, there is no understeer.” Bold claim. But it puts the RS5 squarely in the same conversation as the BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63, both of which have embraced rear-biased all-wheel-drive systems to keep things interesting.
Stopping power is equally serious: 420-mm steel front discs and 400-mm rears come standard. Want less unsprung mass and more bragging rights? Carbon-ceramics shave 30 kg—for £6000.
More Muscle, More Attitude
Visually, this is the most aggressive RS mid-sizer yet. It sits lower and wider than the standard A5, squatting over 20- or 21-inch wheels. The front end is dominated by an expansive black-mask grille designed to keep both the V-6 and its electrified companions cool. The daytime running lights and rear brake lights feature a chequered-flag motif—subtlety is not on the options list.
And then there are the tailpipes. Massive, inboard, and apparently sized according to the engineering brief: “How big can they be?” The answer, per designer Wolf Seebers, was essentially “Yes.” They’re large enough to fit a fist through, which is either childish or glorious, depending on your maturity level.
Buyers can choose between Avant estate and fastback-saloon body styles, with the UK getting the latter for the first time since the B7 era. The more rakish shape and broader appeal make sense, especially as Audi aims this car at both European die-hards and North American sedan loyalists.
The Price of Progress
Pricing starts at £89,400, climbing to £95,400 for the Carbon Black and topping out at £107,400 for the Performance Vorsprung, which bundles extra tech and unlocks the full 177-mph top speed.
Deliveries begin in June.
So what is the new RS5? It’s a 630-hp plug-in hybrid that can drift, commute on electrons, haul a family (and their dog), and still line up against the M3 and C63 without flinching.
If this is Audi Sport’s idea of electrified compromise, it feels less like surrender—and more like a warning shot.
Source: Audi
