Arriving in 2025, the Audi RS5 Avant is a formidable sports estate that will initiate the Audi Sport performance division's electrification journey. The Audi Sport's first plug-in hybrid will replace the current pure-V6 RS4, but it will go by a different name in keeping with Audi's strategy to give EVs even numbers and combustion cars odd numbers. It is anticipated that the RS4 e-tron, the corresponding electric model, will be available by 2026.
RS5 Avant: Road Appearance
The first publically seen prototypes of Audi Sport's first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) showcase the vehicle's performance attributes, with massive five-spoke sports wheels and heavily flared arches concealing large-diameter drilled brake discs.
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Additionally, the front end appears to have been sculpted to maximize engine cooling and airflow, as evidenced by the large air outlet located behind the front wheel arches. The standard A5 will come with sedan and Avant estate body styles, both of which are unlikely to get larger than the current A4. The current model has dimensions of 1,435 mm in height, 1,847 mm in width, and 4,772 mm in length.
To date, only the estate has been observed undergoing testing in full-bore RS configuration; it is unclear whether Audi intends to release a sedan version, similar to what Mercedes-AMG offers with the C 63. Michl assured Autocar UK that Audi Sport will be able to keep up with Audi's broader electrification program despite its slower transition to an EV lineup. He declared, "We are acting very synergistically."
RS5 Avant: Powertrain
A 2.9-liter V6 engine will provide additional power for the vehicle through the use of electric motors. It will outperform the current model with a maximum output that exceeds 443.84 bhp and 600Nm. Despite this, the next generation will keep employing VW's reliable MLB platform to add an extra layer of safety.
To accommodate a larger, 14.4kWh battery, which gives the current A6 PHEV an electric range of 72 km, it will be modified to allow plug-in hybrid versions.
Notably, the Mercedes-AMG C 63, one of the RS5's main competitors, has also converted to a plug-in hybrid drivetrain and can now generate an incredible 680 horsepower and 1020 Nm, matching the V8-engined predecessor's peak output.
Audi Sport is planning a hybrid car.
Audi has not yet revealed the powertrain that will replace the mild-hybrid V8 in the current RS6, but a plug-in hybrid replacement should not be far off given the arrival of the rebadged A7 and the limited-edition RS6 GT, which is a celebration of the 630 horsepower family wagon.
Prospects for the Indian market and plans
The availability of the new RS5 in India is still unknown.
Nonetheless, the current model is available for Rs. 1.13 crore (ex-showroom) as a Sportback four-door coupe.
When the second-generation model without a facelift was introduced in 2018, it was only offered as a two-door coupe.
The electrification strategy and customer retention of Audi Sport
Even Audi Sport is electrifying, and up to there, we are thinking about and discussing plug-in hybrids," stated Rolf Michl, managing director of Audi Sport. He underlined how crucial it is to maintain the DNA of the RS model, which combines outstanding driving performance and everyday versatility. Michl said they "do not want to lose customers" but are "amazed" by the advancements in technology, as they proceeded "step-by-step" towards switching to electric power.
It can be thus concluded that once introduced, Audi Sport, the performance arm's first plug-in hybrid, will take the place of the RS4 and compete with Mercedes-AMG's C 63 PHEV.
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