- The new Audi RS5 blends muscular design and cutting-edge tech to take on rivals like the BMW M3 and AMG C63.
- Both sedan and Avant variants will feature a plug-in hybrid system pairing a twin-turbo V6 with electric power.
- North American buyers will likely get only the RS5 sedan, as the Avant isn’t expected to be offered here.
Update 11/10: The Audi RS5 has been caught flexing its muscles yet again, this time in sedan form, strutting through another round of testing. Predictably, it’s still cloaked in the ubiquitous swirly camouflage that’s practically a uniform for European prototypes, doing its best to keep prying eyes from soaking in too much detail. Along with this fresh batch of spy shots, we’ve extensively updated our article below with all the latest information we have on the high-performance model.
Audi hasn’t offered a sedan version of the RS4 since 2008, choosing instead to stick with the high-performance station wagon formula. However, that’s about to change. The latest generation will trade its RS4 badge for the RS5 nameplate and will be offered in both sedan and Avant forms. This shift fits into Audi’s new naming strategy, where odd-numbered models remain loyal to internal combustion while even-numbered ones embrace the electric future.
More: New Audi A5 Sedan And Avant Replaces A4 With Sleeker Looks
Before diving into more details, we should clarify that while Audi is referring to the entire A5/S5/RS5 lineup as a sedan, it’s technically a hatchback or more precisely, a liftback. Audi used to market this body style as the “Sportback,” but for reasons known only to Ingolstadt, that name has been shelved here.
Design: Muscular yet handsome
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Our spy photographers have snapped the new RS5 testing on numerous occasions in recent months, but all the prototypes we’ve seen have been wagons. As it turns out, Audi has also been hard at work on a sedan version, and this is our first close-up look at the four-door variant that’s shaping up to be just as butch and aggressive as its long-roof sibling.
Ingolstadt’s contender to the BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63 features a front end that sits wide and low, dominated by a large black singleframe grille sporting a new diamond-like mesh internal pattern. On either side, large vent openings hint at function over form, likely hiding a pair of symmetrical charge coolers behind their aggressive facade.
Watch: Can The Audi RS5 Avant Snatch BMW M3 Touring’s Nurburgring Record?
The muscular front wheel arches leave no doubt that this is a serious Audi Sport machine. Much of the sedan’s side profile is hidden, although we can see the vertical vents behind the front arches, bulging hips at the rear, and a beautifully sleek roof line. It’s an undeniably handsome package, one that looks poised to give its rivals a run for their money in the design stakes.
The finished car will also have a rear end that stands out as much as the front. Visible on this prototype are a small lip spoiler and large dual exhausts, a standard fare for an RS model. Curiously, though, these exhausts aren’t positioned at the far edges of the bumper as seen on other RS models. Instead, they’re set closer to the center, evoking a layout more reminiscent of the BMW M3.
Interior: Tech-Focused with a sporty flair
We haven’t had a peek inside any RS5 prototypes yet, but judging by the tech-heavy interiors of the standard A5 and the sportier S5 variants in both sedan and Avant guises, we have a good sense of what’s coming. These will include plenty of sporty trimmings, liberal use of RS5 badging, a signature flat-bottom steering wheel, and deeply bolstered sport seats designed to keep you planted during spirited driving. Audi will almost certainly throw in a unique configuration for the curved panoramic display, complete with custom graphics and exclusive RS-specific driving modes.
Chassis: Sharpened for speed
Beneath the flashy new sheetmetal of the A5 series lies what Audi claims will be its final internal-combustion platform, named the Premium Platform Combustion (PPC). Essentially an evolution of the outgoing A4 chassis, the PPC architecture will serve as the foundation for this swan song of gas-powered Audis, or at least that’s the current plan, as we’ve seen many automakers change course recently (see sister company Porsche, for example).
More: Porsche Changes EV Plan, Will Give Electric Models ICE Powertrains Too
Regardless, the RS5 will benefit from Audi Sport’s engineering expertise, with extensively tuned suspension, steering, and braking components, along with carefully selected wheels and tires to ensure it delivers the sharp performance you’d expect from the badge.
Powertrain: A plug-in hybrid evolution
There’s big news under the hood, as the RS5 will be the first Audi Sport model to embrace electrification with a plug-in hybrid system, blending old and new. While Audi has remained tight-lipped on the specifics, it’s believed to feature an updated version of the current twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6, offering more power and fewer emissions.
The key development here is the plug-in hybrid system, which will bring significant gains over the current RS4’s pure V6, which produces 444 hp. While this means the new RS5 will exceed that figure, it also means we can expect a weight penalty, similar to the latest BMW M5, pushing the new model’s weight beyond the current 1,745 kg (3,847 lbs).
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It’s possible that Audi will sandwich an electric motor between the engine and transmission, similar to the setup in the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid, which uses a—you guessed it—2.9-liter V6. In that model, the V6 produces 410 hp, with the electric motor adding another 134 hp for a combined 536 hp along with 25 miles (4 km) of pure electric range. It wouldn’t be out of the question for the RS5 to hit 600 horses or more. Will it rival the 671 hp of the C 63 S E Performance? Only time will tell.
Availability: Coming later in 2025
The new RS5, in both sedan and wagon body styles, should be revealed in the coming months, with a market launch slated for later in 2025. Since Audi won’t be bringing the A5 Avant to North America—unless they pull an RS6 on us—the RS5 sedan will likely be the only variant available here.
Additional reporting by John Halas