The new Audi RS 5 is here, and it’s a very different car from the one it replaces. Audi Sport has added a plug-in hybrid system to the latest A5 platform, pushing output to 630 horsepower. The catch is weight: at around 5,200 pounds, this is one of the heaviest sports sedans in its class. Early drives suggest the chassis carries that weight remarkably well. For S5 owners and anyone weighing an M3, the real question is timing.
One clarification first. The U.S. RS 5 is the four-door Sportback-style model, a sedan shape with a liftback hatch. Audi builds an RS 5 Avant wagon for Europe, but it isn’t coming to the U.S.
What’s under the skin
The A5 family has changed. The two-door coupe is gone, and the A5 now fills the old A4 sedan role as a four-door liftback. The RS 5 builds on that with serious hardware:
- Engine: twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6, 503 hp and 443 lb-ft, up from 444 hp in the previous RS 5
- Electric motor: 174 hp and 339 lb-ft, mounted ahead of the ZF eight-speed automatic
- Combined output: 630 hp and 609 lb-ft
- Battery: 22 kWh, mounted over the rear axle
Placing the battery at the rear brings weight distribution to 49/51 front to rear. That’s the trade Audi Sport made: more mass overall, but better balance and real electric range.
The weight and the plug-in numbers
Audi puts curb weight at about 5,200 pounds. There’s no getting around it. This is a heavy car, and anyone coming from the last RS 5 should know that going in.
Audi claims up to about 50 miles of electric range on the European test cycle. Car and Driver estimates closer to 40 miles in real-world use, and there’s no EPA figure yet. Audi says a full recharge takes about 2.5 hours, and the car can run up to 87 mph on electric power alone.
Audi quotes 0–62 mph in 3.6 seconds. Car and Driver expects a quicker 0–60 time once it runs its own instrumented tests. In practice, the electric motor fills in the gap while the turbos spool, so the car pulls hard the moment you touch the throttle.
Quattro gets cleverer
The old RS 5’s clutch-pack rear differential is gone. In its place, a small electric motor on the rear axle shifts torque between the left and right wheels in milliseconds. A Torsen center differential splits power anywhere from 15/85 to 70/30 front to rear, and an RS Torque Rear mode, with a drift analyzer, lets the rear end come out to play.
Other key hardware:
- Quick 13:1 steering with 2.1 turns lock to lock
- Twin-tube adaptive dampers
- 285/30R-21 tires all around
- Optional carbon-ceramic brakes, about 66 pounds lighter than the steel setup
- A structure Audi says is about 10 percent stiffer than the base A5’s
How it drives
The first impressions are encouraging. In Car and Driver’s first drive, the torque vectoring felt more natural than the old system and sharpened turn-in without making the car feel nervous. The ride in Comfort mode was described as better than the weight would suggest. The takeaway is that Audi Sport has tuned a 5,200-pound car to feel considerably lighter than it is. We’ll reserve full judgment until we drive one on U.S. roads, but that’s exactly what an RS car is supposed to do.
Cabin and design
Inside, Audi Sport has dressed up the A5 cabin with forged carbon trim, Alcantara, and leather, plus seats with bigger bolsters for when the rear axle gets lively. The curved Digital Stage displays carry over. The hatch still opens onto a usable cargo area, and the rear battery doesn’t eat into it in an obvious way.
Outside, the flared fenders and muscular rear haunches give the RS 5 the stance the regular A5 lacks. Lighting options on U.S. cars may differ from the European-spec cars shown here.
Spec sheet
| Spec | 2027 Audi RS 5 |
|---|---|
| Body (U.S.) | 4-door liftback sedan |
| Combined output | 630 hp / 609 lb-ft |
| Engine | 2.9L twin-turbo V6, 503 hp / 443 lb-ft |
| Electric motor | 174 hp / 339 lb-ft |
| Transmission | ZF 8-speed automatic |
| Battery | 22 kWh |
| EV range (Audi, EU cycle) | Up to ~50 mi |
| EV range (C&D estimate) | ~40 mi |
| Curb weight (Audi) | ~5,200 lb |
| 0–62 mph (Audi claim) | 3.6 s |
| Drivetrain | quattro, Torsen center diff, electric rear torque vectoring |
| Brakes | Steel standard; carbon-ceramic optional |
| U.S. price / on-sale | Not announced |
U.S. specs may change once Audi of America publishes official figures.
Verdict: buy an S5 now, or wait?
Buy the S5 if you need a car this year. It’s on sale now, it’s quick, and it carries a known price. The RS 5’s U.S. pricing and launch date haven’t been announced, and Car and Driver expects it to arrive in late 2026 or early 2027 at the earliest.
Wait for the RS 5 if the plug-in is the point. That means electric miles for the daily commute, instant 630-hp response, and the new torque-vectoring rear end. Nothing else in the A5 lineup offers that combination.
If you’re cross-shopping an M3, drive it now, then hold your decision until Audi publishes U.S. pricing. Any RS 5 price you see quoted before then is speculation.
Audi Sport has built a heavy, clever plug-in sports sedan that, by early accounts, drives far lighter than it weighs. The open question is when you’ll be able to order one, and for how much.
Before you buy
If the wait sends you looking at a used S5 or a previous-generation RS 5, our Audi pre-purchase inspection checklist covers what to check before you sign.
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