No, there isn’t a typo in the headline. The super wagon from Ingolstadt is transitioning from the RS4 badge to the RS5. Audi has already moved the A4 and S4 Avant models to the higher number and will do the same for the range-topping version. Ahead of its official debut likely next year, the BMW M3 Touring rival has now been spotted during high-speed testing at the Nürburgring.
It’s already been five years since Audi announced the next-generation model would be a plug-in hybrid. However, unlike the four-cylinder Mercedes-AMG C63 Estate, the RS5 Avant will not have a downsized combustion engine as Audi Sport has ruled out making four-banger RS models. The inline-five is going away and we can’t imagine the V-8 coming back in this segment, so the V-6 is a safe bet.
It would make sense for the hot new wagon to retain the V-6 considering the S5 Avant still has six cylinders under the hood. Electrification is necessary to keep up with increasingly stringent emissions regulations. That yellow sticker on the top-left corner of the tailgate’s glass reveals the test vehicle has a hybrid setup. You can already tell the weight of the car will increase after adding the hybrid bits. The outgoing model tips the scales at around 3,874 pounds but its successor seems to be heavier.
The test driver was going flat out, abusing the tires and even sliding through some of the corners. Hardly any owners will likely drive the RS5 Avant like that, but Audi is trying to make the sports wagon as dynamic as possible, even with the added weight. It remains to be seen whether it’ll be just as fun to drive as the gas-only model. The electric boost should make it quicker to accelerate in a straight line.
The M3 Touring will remain the only non-hybrid hot wagon from the German luxury trio, and that’ll give it an advantage in the eyes of enthusiasts. At around 4,111 pounds, the BMW should also be the lightest, well below the AMG C63 Estate’s 4,728 pounds. Logic tells us that the new Audi RS5 Avant’s curb weight will fall somewhere between its competitors.
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As for power, expect way more than the 362 hp offered by the new S5 Avant. In addition, it should pack a greater punch than the defunct 444-hp RS4 Avant given the hybrid setup. This will be Audi Sport’s first plug-in hybrid model and will get a bigger brother in the RS6 Avant-replacing RS7 Avant, likely electrified as well.
Unfortunately, the A5 Coupe and A5 Convertible are dead and won’t be returning for a new generation, so the days of the S5 and RS5 models with two doors are over. Lest we forget Audi killed the TT last year and it also pulled the plug on the R8 a few months ago.