Audi has officially ended the era of pure internal combustion for its mid-sized performance cars. The new RS 5 arrives as a plug-in hybrid that attempts to find a middle ground between the downsized Mercedes-AMG C 63 and the combustion-only BMW M3.
It’s horses that matter most in this segment. The decision to pair the familiar 2.9-liter V6 with a high-output electric motor raises the RS 5’s output to approximately 640 hp. That figure eclipses the outgoing model (the RS 4 for all clarity) and puts it within striking distance of the 671 hp Mercedes-AMG C 63 S E Performance.
For 600 kilos more
Yet the engineering team in Neckarsulm faces the same penalty for the electrified driveline as BMW, which was criticized over its obese M5. The new RS 5 Avant (also available as a sedan) weighs 2,370 kg.
That is roughly 600 kg (!) more than the car it replaces. The rocket disguised as a mid-sized dog-friendly wagon shoots into SUV territory.
The German premium players are somewhat divided in a segment that used to follow a predictable formula. For decades, Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz mirrored each other with six or eight-cylinder engines.
That alignment is gone. Mercedes-AMG swapped its V8 for a four-cylinder plug-in hybrid, but due to low demand, the model will return to a six-cylinder.
Audi avoided that specific pitfall by retaining the V6 engine, not in the least to preserve the emotional soundtrack. But it could not escape today’s reality of hauling a 25.9 kWh battery pack (22 kWh usable) to align better with its overall fleet emissions.
The CO2 emissions are kept just below 100 g/km (98 g/km), a drop of almost 60% compared to its predecessor.
Solutions to the weight penalty
Audi Sport Managing Director Rolf Michl defends the transition in the field of driving characteristics. He points to advanced chassis technology on the new PPC (Premium Platform Combustion) architecture as the solution to the weight gain.
The new RS 5 features RS sport suspension with twin-valve shock absorbers and aggressive torque vectoring designed to mask the mass in corners. It’s also engineered to dampen the understeer effects for which the RS series is reputed.
An additional locking differential in the middle can effectively transfer all the power to the rear wheels. The 174 hp (130 kW) electric motor, in turn, fills any gaps in the power band and allows for up to 85 km (52 miles) of zero-emission driving.
The outlier from Munich
BMW remains the outlier in this group. Munich has kept the current M3 free of hybridization. The model relies solely on its twin-turbo inline-six engine. It weighs roughly half a ton less than its two rivals.
Reports indicate BMW will continue this approach with the next generation. The plan involves offering a combustion model alongside a dedicated electric version on the Neue Klasse platform, rather than merging them into a single heavy hybrid vehicle.
Visually, the new RS 5 steps back from the sharp, angular aggression of the outgoing generation in favor of a more muscular aesthetic. The front end is dominated by a wider, flatter Singleframe grille with a new diamond-mesh pattern that governs almost the entire nose.
The four-ring badge has moved up from the grille to the leading edge of the hood, a styling cue borrowed from the R8 and e-tron GT.
At the rear, the design emphasizes anything but the electrified nature of this beast on wheels, with ever-so-large exhaust tips elevating the game and the V6’s noise. Apparently, it was a customer clinic demand that the exhaust couldn’t be wide enough. The diffuser isn’t less massive.
The RS 5 will launch later this year. The model serves as a bridge to the fully electric future Audi RS has promised for the next decade. Whether enthusiasts will use the bridge or defect to the lighter BMW M3 remains the open question for the product planners in Ingolstadt.
