Audi RS5 PHEV

Overview 

THE installation in 2023 of Gernot Döllner, one of the masterminds of the Porsche 918 hybrid hypercar as chief executive of Audi, appears to have coincided with the four-ringed brand from Ingolstadt rediscovering its mojo. 

The events are interrelated. The Döllner regime has seen red tape and unneeded bureaucracy slashed across Audi management. Read between the lines and it’s clear the German luxury marque has seen the asteroid that is Chinese competition coming, and it has decided to compete. 

Changes under the bonnet at Audi AG will include a wholesale change to the way new models are developed with the new goal of two-year development cycles, borrowed from Chinese partner SAIC, putting a rocket up a German industry long marred by stifled productivity. 

Processes will accelerate but executives say Audi will still start and end with product, and it has been determined that restoring aura to the brand’s halo models will be key to standing out. Expect a restoration of the TT within two years, and possibly a Defender rival in three.  

While the latest ‘B10’ Audi A5 (itself a replacement for the A4 family) was locked in before the arrival of Team Döllner, the new boss told GoAuto one of his first calls in the job was to jam down the throttle on the release of the new RS5. 

Previewed to GoAuto on the sinuous Circuit de Marrakech and the bumpy, blind but mightily scenic curves of the Atlas Mountains above the Moroccan capital, the new RS5 catapults the well-liked RS4 wagon and RS5 Sportback into the future by way of a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system. 

While Audi Sport chiefs said milder hybrid concepts were prototyped, a six-cylinder PHEV concept kept emerging as the engineering favourite in the testing phase thanks to its ability to develop huge power while hauling the 2.9-litre V6 through emissions regulations for another generation. 

Enter the ‘B10’, which upgrades the EA839 bent six to 375kW/600Nm (+44kW) via the Miller combustion cycle and two new turbos. Before hitting the eight-speed torque converter automatic, a new 130kW/460Nm RS-specific electric motor appears, fed by a boot-mounted 22kW (usable) battery. 

Heady combined peak outputs of 470kW/825Nm (+139kW/+225Nm) manage to offset eye-widening weight gain to 2355kg (+520kg) because the immense fill-in capability of the electric motor sees the power-to-weight ratio jump 10 per cent to 200kW/tonne, from 180kW/tonne. 

On release, the 400-volt plug-in 2.9TT RS5 will slot logically into the Australian A5 lineup above the 48-volt mild-hybrid 3.0T S5 model (from $114,900 plus on-road costs). Expect at least a modest price rise from the $168,015 + ORCs sticker of the superseded RS5 Sportback. 

German fans are reeling from much larger cost increases caused by the fact that the highly customisable Euro spec of the previous car has been displaced by an all-singing, all-dancing launch trim that is much more reminiscent of the full-fat variants Australians tend to get by default. 

Beyond the PHEV system, other standard equipment includes 20-inch alloy wheels, matrix LED headlights and OLED taillights both capable of projection, Bang & Olufsen premium audio, 12-way power-adjustable heated, cooled and massaging front seats, and 100-watt USB-C charging. 

Also included are three displays (11.9” driver, 14.5” OLED centre, and 10.9” passenger), online connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, three-zone climate control, perforated leather sports steering wheel, and full keyless entry and start. 

A single optional Audi Sport package is expected to be pricey, as it adds ceramic brakes behind diamond-cut 21-inch wheels, along with a louder sports exhaust, camouflage carbon trim outside and inside the car, dark green/bronze highlights, and a bespoke bumper with larger air intakes. 

Audi Sport designers have become much bolder in recent years, pushing RS models away from subtle Q-car styling and toward cues of full-blown muscle cars. The RS5 is still handsome and tidy, but the assertive shape is much broader – 90mm wider than an A5 across the hips! 

Our tester Avant models were finished in Progressive Red with a now-standard exterior black pack, while the liftback-format Sedans with Audi Sport package were painted Bedford Green. Planners expect much higher take-up of the Audi Exclusive custom paint program for the new RS5. 

Inside, Europe’s standard Cascade cloth interior is likely to be substituted for leather sports seats in Australia finished in black, light grey or red. Audi Exclusive allows for more leather colours while buyers can pay to replace carbon inlays with aluminium or even wood. 

European market claims regarding the RS5’s efficiency were close to reality based on our first drive. Against official stats of 84km electric range then 9.5-10.2L/100km on a discharged battery, we managed 95km (at 23kWh/100km) and 11.5L/100km. Not bad for 2.3 tonnes. 

Recharging the battery can be done via AC cable at up to 11kW if you have access to three-phase power; that takes 2.5 hours. However, the V6 engine aggressively recharges the 22kWh battery when requested, at the cost of some fuel from the (small) 48-litre tank being used.  

Driving impressions 

All European manufacturers are grappling with how to deal with the vexing problem of keeping halo combustion-era models alive in the context of incredibly tough emissions laws in the EU (and now Australia). 

The big problem is that European regulators and ordinary people appear want diametric things. The EU wants car-makers to achieve zero tailpipe emissions in short order, but too many of those pesky consumers keep throwing cash at car-makers for big, desirable combustion engines. 

That is not to say that battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are not selling. Fully electric cars are finding their role in the market and for what it’s worth, top Audi engineers get a huge kick out of the brand’s flagship RS E-Tron GT BEV model. 

In Europe as in Australia, car-makers can keep ICE alive either by selling huge volumes of BEVs as a proportion of overall sales (creating headroom for high-CO2 ICE engines), or by slashing the CO2 of ICE cars themselves. 

The latter is most easily achieved with hybrid tech, and PHEV systems have enjoyed an unexpected renaissance in recent years as a method to drive down ICE emissions, at least as far as the official CO2 test is concerned – and beating the test is all that matters. 

Getting PHEV right in a performance car has proved tough. Mercedes-AMG jumped first, adopting a plug for the C63 2024. Importantly, Benz also downsized the underlying engine from V8 to the A45’s inline four-cylinder. 

That appears to have been a big mistake, and one that Audi watched carefully from the sidelines. GoAuto was told there was never any consideration of a four-cylinder RS5; the official line is that customers need to be walked step-by-step to electrification. The V6 was a must. 

And thank goodness, because the 2.9-litre six shared by Audi and Porsche is an incredibly important part of the appeal of the new RS5. It revs quickly and cleanly, accompanied by an addictive mechanical shriek at high RPMs. The sports exhaust is loud, and it crackles on the overrun. 

We liked the ‘EA839’ in the old RS4/RS5 models, but we have to be honest: PHEV tech has improved it. In terms of acceleration, the electric motor jumps into action to supplement the V6 with absolutely no lag: it just goes, evidenced by the 3.6 second 0-100km/h time (-0.3 sec). 

The Volkswagen Group has learned a lot about PHEV calibration in the last 15 years, and the RS5 represents possibly the best tuning effort we’ve ever seen with this technology, with real maturity in the interaction between ICE and electric components. It’s a well-conducted orchestra. 

Smooth, blended acceleration is a task that has been accomplished via the eight-speed automatic, but Audi has also given a big nudge to getting hybrid brake pedal feel right. The one-box Bosch brake-by-wire system feels natural underfoot and there is also strong regen if you want it. 

Those brakes have a bit of a task, though. The standard steel units with red or black callipers measure 420mm front, 400mm rear, while the bronze ceramic brakes from the Audi Sport pack are 440mm/410mm; the latter cut unsprung weight by a considerable 30kg. 

Beyond quicker acceleration, Audi is particularly proud to have reduced stopping distances from 100-0km/h to just 30.5 metres from 34.4 metres in the old car despite the weight gain. Not bad for a big beast. 

And it is big – not just the extra half tonne aboard. The ‘B10’ has a pretty large footprint at 4896mm long (+119mm), 1952mm wide (+86mm), 1446mm height (+39mm), on the stretched 2903mm wheelbase (+72mm) unlocked by the Premium Platform Combustion chassis. 

Smirk all you like about this being a huge and heavy M3 rival. It gets wiped off your face rather rapidly when digging into the RS5’s dynamic abilities on objectively challenging roads with an even mix of tight hairpins and big, wide sweepers with ample room to push hard. 

The ‘B10’ represents the biggest upgrade to the dynamic bandwidth of the RS4/RS5 line yet, despite its on-paper portliness. The result is chalked up in equal parts to platform-derived benefits, RS5-specific geometry, extended nth-degree fine tuning, and also to technology. 

Something interesting happens in the corners. Winding up once again to assist is the plug-in hybrid system, which the engineers worked out could power not just the main, propulsion electric motor, but also a special additional 8kW/40Nm motor for the rear transaxle. 

Dynamic Torque Control (DTC) might have a subtle name, but there’s nothing understated about the way this world-first electrified electromechanical torque vectoring system works. 

First, an updated Torsen-style Quattro AWD system sends up to 85 per cent of total torque (a mammoth 700Nm) to the rear wheels. Drivers can influence this by selecting the RS Individual mode and setting the AWD system to ‘dynamic’. Damping and steering can also be adjusted. 

Then, it’s over to the DTC transaxle to shuffle that grunt between either of the rear wheels. Ultimately – just like a BMW M3 with xDrive – the RS5 feels uncannily rear biased, with the front axle getting out of the way. 

Massive power oversteer is available, sure, but so is a delicate ability to tweak a cornering line by nibbling at the throttle. The days of understeering, pushy RS4 or RS5 models are gone. It’s a new era. 

DTC is is not the end of the RS5’s polish. Quick steering (a 13:1 ratio) combines with high grip levels and a slightly aft-shifted engine to provide zealous and keen turn-in, and drivers find cornering flow easily in this car. 

No four-wheel steering is available but that is fine because the pivot sensation is already so strong in the RS5, and drivers are given so many options.  

Ride quality is much better than average with four-setting, twin-valved adaptive dampers managing compression and rebound separately. We found the ‘comfort’ suspension most agreeable on Moroccan bitumen which wasn’t so far removed from that found in Australia. 

Only in two environments can you sense the underlying mass of the RS5. You’ll find it if you very seriously overdo corner entry speeds – there’s inertia there – and you’ll also sniff it out in the RS Torque Rear setting, which is an Audi euphemism for drift mode.  

The RS5 will drift very easily now, but it eats tyres with incredible speed. Still, it’s (briefly) a manageable thing in gymkhana conditions due to that long wheelbase. 

Inside, the RS5 gets the basics right by way of exceptional front sport seats, which are supportive without being too aggressive, a nicely finished steering wheel (now with new scroll wheels in an early fix to the A5 product), and an appropriate driving position. 

Other elements aren’t quite right, including the packaging compromises forced by the under-boot location of the traction battery, which reduces cargo room to 361L (in the Avant). The seats fold, though. 

Further forward, while the curving display panel is technically impressive – and the central touchscreen is easy to use – the subtly integrated cabin tech of the old RS4/RS5 has been lost here. We’re unsure a passenger display is needed here. 

Then there are the cabin materials. Some – such as the leathers – still feel like they have been selected from the top shelf, but the secondary stuff below the beltline isn’t up to Audi standards of old and many of the old model’s clicky, tactile switches are gone. 

Audi has already committed to returning to those lofty heights in future cars, and the eventual mid-life update to the RS5 might benefit. But this original release won’t. 

Good thing the dynamics are so impressive because you tend to focus on them rather than on the cabin plastics. 

We think the RS5 will be a good fit for the variation of Australian roads while also being capable of both track work (if you dare, and if you can afford tyres and brakes) and of silent commuting in electric mode – a boon for owners with rooftop solar and home charging. 

What will be interesting is seeing how the new RS5 fares against its key rivals. AMG is set to abandon the four-pot PHEV C63 in favour of a mild hybrid inline six for a new C53 model. The next BMW M3 will keep its straight-six with an MHEV system bolted on. 

With Mercedes exiting, the RS5 now looks like it will be the only one of the Teutonic trio that will proudly lean into PHEV power. It’ll take back-to-back testing to reveal which level of electrification is best.