The all-new Audi RS5 is a practical estate car with McLaren power

After over 25 years on our roads, the Audi RS4 is no more. Its replacement is the all-new RS5, that will be available in both saloon and estate forms, with the first cars hitting the road this summer. One minor catch is that this car will start from £90,220 in the UK, over £20,000 more than the RS4 did when it left the market.

There is some justification for this price tag though, because if its looks aren’t enough of a giveaway, this is a much more serious machine than the car it effectively replaces. Audi Sport has thrown all of its latest tech at this new project in hopes of tackling popular alternatives like the BMW M3 Touring, and on-paper, at least, things look promising. I’ve been to Germany to dive deep into the details of Audi Sport’s new offering first-hand.

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Powertrain, specs and 0-62mph

The Audi RS5 doesn’t fall victim to engine downsizing like its Affalterbach rivals, but instead retains the same 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6 as its predecessors. We’ll admit that this engine wasn’t our favourite in its previous forms, but work has been done to enliven the motor: valve timing, higher injection pressures and tweaks to the intake system have been made, helping to increase engine output by 59bhp over the previous RS4/5, bringing the total to 503bhp. As a bonus, Audi also says these changes have made this engine 30 per cent more fuel efficient too.

The keen-eyed will have noticed that this number isn’t a match for the total power figure, and that’s because the V6 has a bit of help. This is the very first plug-in hybrid Audi Sport model, home to a 25.9kWh battery pack, a 400V electrical system and a motor mounted within a new rear transaxle with an eight-speed torque converter automatic. That motor brings an additional 127bhp to the total to give the new RS5 630bhp, more than an RS6 Performance, the swansong R8 V10 GT RWD and even a McLaren GTS – torque stands at 608lb ft. Power can be split between 70:30 and 15:85 front to rear, sent through 285-section tyres.

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Given the substantial capacity of its battery, it’s no surprise that the RS5 is capable of running in electric-only mode – Audi quotes an electric-only range of around 50 miles. If you want the full 630bhp though, you’ll need to engage that V6, and doing so unlocks some impressive performance figures. The 0-62mph sprint is said to come in 3.6sec, three tenths quicker than the previous RS5, with top speed standing at 177mph should you select the right options. 

Chassis and technical highlights

Audi hasn’t just given the RS5 more power and left it there. Its body structure is 10 per cent stiffer than an ordinary A5, there’s bespoke five-link, twin-valve shock suspension at the front and rear, and even components like rubber bushings have been upgraded in order to handle the forces at play. Its 13:1 steering ratio is around 20 per cent quicker than the standard car too. 

The RS5’s brake-by-wire system is also said to have been adjusted for improved feedback, acting upon either steel or optional carbon ceramic discs. Should you opt for the latter, you get 440mm discs at the front and 410mm discs at the rear, nestled behind 20 and 21-inch wheels. The brake upgrade also reduces weight by a not unsubstantial 30kg, which given the RS5’s mass, is very useful indeed…

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The RS5 weighs 2355kg in saloon-form, or 2370kg in estate-form, making it over 620kg heavier than the previous RS4 Avant. For some perspective, a BMW M3 Touring weighs 1865kg, so while that car is at a 100bhp power disadvantage it actually leads the RS5 in power-to-weight department by 12bhp/ton. In fact, despite all of that extra power, it’s only 8bhp/ton ahead of the previous pure-combustion RS5.

As always though, it’s not all about the numbers, and Audi has worked hard to make this new car excel in the dynamics department despite its weight. Its Quattro all-wheel drive system is said to be ‘completely new’ with an electro-mechanical torque vectoring set-up on the rear axle unlocking new capabilities. The system employs a dedicated 10bhp electric motor to shift torque to each of the rear wheels within milliseconds, recalculating requirements at a frequency of 200Hz. This active system allows it to be completely effective not only under acceleration, but deceleration too.

Interior and design

We’ll have to wait for our first drive to find out if this complex engineering improves the driving experience over more conventional alternatives, but what we can determine is that it’s got the looks. Seeing the RS5 Avant for the first time under studio lights in Germany left me impressed, its swollen arches (wider than a standard A5 by 9cm), squat stance and clever lighting units giving it presence like an RS6.

The previous RS4 Avant looked good, but it never shouted about its performance credentials quite like an M3 Touring. This car does, with huge, oversized central oval exhaust tips nestled within an aggressive diffuser section, and plenty of exterior carbonfibre making its RS DNA known if you option the Audi Sport package – this adds more aggressive trim, alongside that heighted 177mph top speed and an RS Sports exhaust system that sounds much better than you might expect for a new plug-in hybrid.

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There are few neat design touches throughout including subtle square arch vents aft of the front wheels as seen on models like the RS6 GT, and a second hidden central brake light with a chequered flag design designed solely to reflect off the window. The lighting in this car is impressive throughout, with the slim headlights darkened Matrix LED items, and the rear lights utilising Audi’s second-generation OLED technology.

Inside it’s very 2026, with an 11.9-inch digital dash, 14.5-inch central infotainment display and a 10.9-inch passenger display dominating the experience. Thankfully the software these run is now as snappy and sharp as you’d hope, and Audi has incorporated features like a new ‘driving experience’ system as standard that analyses circuits you’ve driven, display driving analysis and stats like maximum drift angle achieved, of course – Audi says this will even map road routes in the future, so you can time yourself on your drive home…

The new RS5 is a leather-free car, but there is plenty of soft-touch Dinamica microfibre and contrast-stitching to break things up. Physical controls are sadly few and far between and if you’re not a fan of glossy black plastic, avert your eyes, but Audi will swap some of that for ‘carbon camouflage’ (forged carbon) should you tick some boxes.

The new Audi RS5 is an interesting new entrant into the segment, as while BMW is holding strong with the class-leading M3 Touring in the pure-combustion corner, Mercedes-AMG is in the middle of a range-wide shake-up after the failure of its hybrid four-cylinder 63s. Might this be a real threat to Munich? We won’t need to wait long to find out…

90220 for the saloon
92120 for the Avant

Audi RS5 (2026) specs