For decades, Audi’s RS division has built its reputation on extracting astonishing performance from combustion engines, pairing muscular powerplants with the brand’s legendary quattro all-wheel-drive system to create machines that could embarrass exotic supercars while carrying an entire family… and their pets.
But times have changed. Stringent emissions regulations, the soaring cost of fuel and the industry’s rapid shift towards electrification all mean that even Audi’s most revered performance badge can no longer ignore battery packs.
Rather than resisting the inevitable, the Ingolstadt-based company has embraced it, introducing a plug-in hybrid powertrain to the RS 5 for the very first time. If that sounds like sacrilege, bear with me.
Because after spending time behind the wheel of the new RS 5 Avant, it’s clear Audi hasn’t simply bolted on some battery cells to appease legislators. Instead, it has used electrification to build its most technologically advanced RS model yet.
Audi hasn’t simply bolted on some battery cells to appease legislators.
The numbers certainly make a compelling argument. A 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 now works alongside a 130kW electric motor to produce a combined 639hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough to launch the angry-looking estate from 0-62mph in just 3.6 seconds before continuing on to a top speed of 178mph.
More surprisingly, the 25.9kWh battery (22kWh usable) also allows for up to 50 miles of all-electric driving, meaning many daily commutes can be completed without the V6 ever barking into life.
It’s a remarkable breadth of ability for a car that wears one of Audi’s most performance-focused badges. There is, however, one unavoidable downside.
At 2,370kg in Avant form, this is also by far the heaviest RS 5 ever produced. Physics hasn’t suddenly stopped applying just because there’s a charging socket hidden beneath the bodywork.
Fortunately, Audi’s engineers have spent years developing an arsenal of clever chassis technologies designed to disguise that weight.
Lightening the load
Spend a few miles behind the wheel and it’s immediately obvious that the biggest engineering challenge wasn’t adding more power. It was making sure you couldn’t feel the additional mass the big Audi is carting around.
The latest RS 5 rides on revised five-link suspension at both ends, complete with new bushings, refreshed suspension links and adaptive twin-valve dampers that can independently control compression and rebound.
Even rolling across broken urban streets, the ride quality is noticeably more compliant than you’d expect from a car wearing enormous alloy wheels and packing the sort of performance stats that should be reserved for a race circuit.
Audi says it specifically tuned the suspension for the scarred road surfaces found across Northern Europe, rather than focusing purely on track performance, and that effort shows.
Select Comfort mode and the RS 5 settles into an effortless grand tourer, cruising silently on electric power while cruising the congested streets with ease.
Select Comfort mode and the RS 5 settles into an effortless grand tourer, cruising silently on electric power while cruising the congested streets with ease. It’s no more difficult than piloting any one of today’s two-pedal electric vehicles. One pedal makes it go, the other makes it stop.
But switch into Dynamic or one of the dedicated RS modes, however, and the car transforms into a snarling beast.
Throttle response sharpens, steering gains weight and the drivetrain becomes noticeably more aggressive, but the biggest difference comes from a piece of technology most drivers will never actually see.
Audi’s legendary quattro system has always been synonymous with enormous grip, but the latest RS 5 introduces one of the most significant changes in its history.
The optional passenger display feels even more out of place here than it does on other Audi and Porsche products.
Instead of relying purely on mechanical differentials, Audi now employs an electromechanical torque-vectoring system capable of distributing power between individual wheels in less than 15 milliseconds. Have I lost you yet?
No? Good. Because an 8kW water-cooled electric motor continuously adjusts torque delivery under both acceleration and braking, helping rotate the car into corners before maximizing traction on the exit.
The effect is mightily impressive. Despite carrying more than two tonnes, the RS 5 changes direction like a hatchback, masking much of its weight and inspiring huge confidence through faster bends.
For the first time in an RS 5, Audi has also introduced a much stronger rear torque bias in its most aggressive driving mode, allowing owners to bypass the unrelenting grip of all-wheel-drive and light up the rear tires.
Not one to be tried on public roads, this ‘hooligan’ mode also includes a drift analyzer within the infotainment system that measures drift angle and G-forces for drivers taking the car onto a circuit. It’s not essential, but undeniably cool nonetheless.
Hybrid power done properly
This ‘hooligan’ mode also includes a drift analyzer within the infotainment system that measures drift angle and G-forces for drivers taking the car onto a circuit.
Performance plug-in hybrids often suffer from a split personality.
Some deliver effortless electric commuting but feel detached once the road becomes interesting. Others prioritize outright performance but offer such limited electric range that the charging port feels little more than a tax-saving exercise.
The RS 5 largely avoids both traps. The electric motor fills the torque gap before the twin turbochargers are fully lit up, making acceleration feel relentless regardless of engine speed.
The transition between electric and combustion power is impressively smooth, while the eight-speed transmission delivers satisfyingly aggressive shifts that kick you in the gut when the more focussed drive modes are selected. It feels gloriously old-school.
Audi has also completely redesigned the exhaust system, allowing the active valves to open to almost any position depending on the selected driving mode. In EV mode the car slips through traffic in near silence, but switch into the sportier settings and the V6 develops a deep, burbling soundtrack.
Equally impressive is the braking system. Like many modern hybrids, regenerative braking works alongside traditional friction brakes to recover energy, but the calibration here is excellent.
The transition between regenerative and hydraulic braking is almost impossible to detect, while the optional carbon-ceramic discs deliver extraordinary stopping power once speeds begin to climb.
At 17 inches in diameter, the front brake discs are almost as large as the wheels fitted to many city cars, and the stopping performance reflects that. Most importantly, none of these systems feel as though they’re competing with one another.
For tech’s sake
If the RS 5’s chassis is a masterclass in using technology to enhance the driving experience, the cabin is a more mixed affair.
Like the latest A5 range, the RS 5 adopts Audi’s new MMI Panorama digital cockpit, replacing the beautifully simple, driver-focused interiors of previous generations with an array of displays that dominate the dashboard.
There’s no shortage of screen real estate. A crisp 11.9-inch digital driver’s display sits behind the steering wheel, joined by a 14.5-inch central infotainment touchscreen running Audi’s latest software. Buyers can also specify a 10.9-inch passenger display, allowing the co-driver to access navigation, entertainment and selected vehicle functions independently.
Graphics are sharp, processing is quick and the interface feels considerably more responsive than older Audi infotainment systems. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both included, while configurable RS-specific displays provide quick access to performance data, power distribution and hybrid energy flow.
But the optional passenger display feels even more out of place here than it does on other Audi and Porsche products. During ‘spirited’ driving, it’s difficult to imagine anyone wanting to spend much time interacting with yet another touchscreen for fear of losing their lunch.
Likewise, Audi’s ever-growing collection of configurable driving modes, suspension settings, steering weights and drivetrain options offers huge flexibility, but also introduces a level of complexity that borders on overwhelming.
The everyday supercar
Performance estates have always been about delivering supercar pace without sacrificing practicality, and despite the additional battery hardware, the RS 5 Avant still performs that role admirably.
The sports seats strike an excellent balance between support and long-distance comfort, making it easy to imagine covering hundreds of motorway miles without complaint.
Rear passenger space remains adequate rather than generous, although adults will still fit comfortably enough for longer journeys. There’s also an RS 6 on the horizon if you need something even bigger.
The plug-in hybrid system inevitably eats into luggage capacity compared to previous generations, with the Avant offering 361 liters of boot space or 1,302 liters with the rear seats folded.
That’s less than key rivals, like the BMW M3 wagon, but still more than enough for family duties or a weekend away. More importantly, the plug-in hybrid powertrain transforms the way the RS 5 can be used every day.
With up to 50 miles of electric-only driving available, many owners could complete their weekday commute without using a drop of petrol.
With up to 50 miles of electric-only driving available, many owners could complete their weekday commute without using a drop of petrol, only unleashing the full 639hp when the road — or the mood — demands it.
Charging isn’t class-leading, with DC rapid charging capped at 40kW, meaning replenishing the battery takes longer than newer EVs. But most owners will charge on a driveway or in a garage home, where the battery will be fully brimmed each morning.
Audi’s decision to electrify the RS 5 was always going to divide opinion. But after spending time behind the wheel, it’s difficult to argue that the technology hasn’t made the RS 5 objectively more capable.
The plug-in hybrid system isn’t just there to reduce emissions or improve fleet averages. It genuinely enhances the driving experience, delivering instant electric torque, meaningful zero-emission range and seamless integration with one of Audi’s most sophisticated chassis packages to date.
What’s more impressive is the sheer breadth of its ability. Few performance cars can creep silently through city traffic on electric power before transforming into a 639hp all-wheel-drive monster capable of embarrassing dedicated sports cars on a twisting road.
The suspension is superb, the torque-vectoring system is nothing short of remarkable and the way Audi blends regenerative braking with enormous carbon-ceramic stopping power demonstrates just how refined modern performance hybrids have become.
Hardcore driving fans will still bemoan the sheer amount of weight here, but this is the reality of modern super saloons and estates. If you want to avoid eye-watering tax sums and fuel bills, a hybrid system is the only way.
But Audi has shown that plugging in doesn’t ruin the fun. The RS 5 still feels like a very special car.
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