It’s official. The RS5 is now electrified and offered in both sedan and Avant form to fill the shoes of the RS4, which was only offered here as an estate. But there’s more to it than a plug-in hybrid powertrain and two body styles. Audi is stepping back into the fight with the BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance.
To live up to that role, the RS5 needed to evolve. It now bridges the gap between the compact craziness of the RS3 and the highway-dominating RS6, blending refinement with raw pace. A 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 delivers 375kW, with a further 130kW arriving from the electric motor. A 0-100km/h time of 3.6 seconds and a 285km/h top speed are proper numbers for a performance car, and now they come paired with 80km+ of electric-only driving.
Yes, the added battery and motors do bring added weight, but it’s well distributed with the battery mounted above the rear axle. To ensure the new RS5 handles with greater precision than its predecessor, Audi implanted what it calls Dynamic Torque Control, which is a form of torque vectoring.
The rear axle anticipates driver inputs, sending torque across the axle in milliseconds to stabilise the car mid-corner. This enhances its quattro all-wheel-drive system, improving cornering response, precision, and composure. To sharpen the drivetrain’s responsiveness, the centre differential is pre-loaded to eliminate delay or unpredictability in power delivery. Reworked RS sport suspension with twin-valve dampers further refines how the car settles into corners.
As for its design, it’s bold. Really bold. It prioritises aerodynamic efficiency and wind-tunnel honing over marketing fluff. The front end features darkened trim elements, a massive grille, and prominent intakes. The side profile is attention-grabbing. And the rear? It looks aggressive as a sedan, but the Avant is all angles. Its twin tailpipes appear slightly more centrally positioned on both body styles, and the tailgate on the Avant is sleek and sloping. It’s gorgeous without being overdone. The car maintains its signature Audi style, while incorporating just enough new elements to make a statement.
It comes with 20-inch and 21-inch wheel options, backed by large steel or ceramic brake discs for the stopping power required.
The new RS5, then, is a sharper, higher-strung and considerably more powerful offering than its predecessor. Its design reflects the shift. Sharper. Louder. More assertive. This isn’t just a new RS5. It’s Audi rewriting what the middle of the RS range means.
