The Audi RS5 is going electric! Sort of. It isn’t going full BEV like the Audi S6, but the German manufacturer is using a plug-in hybrid powertrain in the 2027 edition of its mid-range performance sedan.
Audi’s RS5 PHEV is going to belt out around 630 horsepower through a combination of a 2.9 liter turbocharged V6 and a 174 horsepower electric motor. Total torque comes in at 608 lb-ft, with the RS5 offering a 0-60 time of just 3.6 seconds, with a top speed of 177 mph (provided you opt for the “Sport” package). If you decide to give the V6 a break, you can move the vehicle over 50 miles on battery power alone.
However, the standout feature on the RS5 is the “Quattro with Dynamic Torque Control” which is a bit of a world first. It essentially adds an incredibly precise electro-mechanical torque vectoring system to the rear axle, which allows for far better handling. Audi’s “Quattro” system wasn’t the world’s first AWD system (Jensen had one in a passenger car around a decade earlier) but it was good enough to be revolutionary. If this latest addition is true to form, it’s going to be groundbreaking.
While the specs look solid on paper, it may not all be smooth sailing. BMW made a similar move with the 2025 M5, and received some criticism for the added weight the hybrid system’s batteries included. Audi’s shift to a PHEV system adds around 1,100 pounds in weight, bringing the total heft of the vehicle to a pretty significant 5.192 pounds. So there is a good chance it may encounter the same raft of criticism as its German rival.
Then again, it’s the M5 and that vehicle hasn’t historically had an easy time convincing its customer base a powertrain transition is a positive step. I’ve also driven that M5, and the performance is definitely there, you just have to spend an irritating amount of time configuring the vehicle before you can get the best out of it.
The US will probably miss out on the coolest version of the Audi RS5
Based on Audi’s recent announcement, the United States will be getting the sedan version of the RS5. The coolest version is obviously the RS5’s wagon (technically the RS5 Avant), but America is probably going to miss out on that.
Despite the fact automotive journalists, and certain enthusiasts, absolutely love a wagon — sales figures in the US suggest the American public believes otherwise. As a result, “touring” and “estate” models tend to be sold in Europe.
The wagon did work in the US at one point, and you may have passed a wood paneled 1980s beauty yourself at one point or another. But they fell out of favor for one reason or another. It was likely a bit of reverse-nostalgia, essentially people seeing it as their parent’s style of car and wanting something different.
The rise of the SUV, which essentially does the same job, was also a factor. Arguably the biggest culprit was a string of EPA regulations that essentially made selling wagons in the US exceedingly difficult while leaving a large loophole for the SUV. But that’s all actually gone now. So the door is open for the wagon’s long overdue revival.
We’re in the year 2026. People in their 20s are walking around with moustaches and mullets again. Stranger Things or something made Zoomers struggle with a Sony Walkman. In short, there is hope. With recent law changes along with other market factors are likely to bring about the return of the American sedan. Let’s take things a step further. Give us back our wagons.
