Thanks to plug-in hybrid technology, the new RS5 managed to survive the death sentence imposed on sports cars by strict emissions standards, but this made it unbelievably heavy.
Before we start criticizing the Ingolstadt masters for the weight of the new RS5, it is important to understand that manufacturers are pushed against the wall here; if they want to keep gasoline engines in sports models such as those with the AMG, M or RS badges, they have to resort to electrification. While Mercedes-AMG switched to a four-cylinder in the C 63 SE Performance, Audi retains the familiar 2,9-liter V6 with twin turbochargers under the “muscular” hood, which develops 375 kW (510 hp) on its own.
The real power comes in cooperation with the electric motor with 130 kW (177 hp), which adds up to a system output of 470 kW (639 hp) and 825 Nm of torque. This means that the new RS5 is almost 140 kW (190 hp) more powerful than its predecessors. Despite the brutal power, acceleration to 100 km/h (3,6 seconds) is not significantly better, as the car weighs a hefty 2.355 kilograms (the Avant is 15 kg more). This is 650 kilograms more than the last RS4 Avant and even 240 kilograms more than its direct competitor from Affalterbach – the Mercedes-AMG C63. The top speed is limited to 250 km/h as standard, but for an additional fee you can increase it to an electronically limited 285 km/h.
The reason for the high weight lies in the much larger “electric lung capacity” than that of its competitors. The battery with a net capacity of 22 kWh (gross 25,9 kWh) enables up to 84 kilometers of purely electric driving. Visually, the newcomers are even more aggressive than their predecessors; the widened fenders have widened the car by 9 centimeters to accommodate 20 or even 21-inch wheels. Huge steel discs (42 cm in diameter at the front) ensure safe stopping, and even larger ceramic discs are available on request. Audi promises that special RS shock absorbers will provide a wide range between top comfort and uncompromising hardness.
In Germany, prices for the sedan start at 106.200 euros, and for the Avant at 107.850 euros. Although the Slovenian price list has not yet been officially published, due to the more favorable CO2 emissions (on paper), we can expect that the taxes will not be as drastic as they would be for a pure gasoline engine, but the final price with some additional equipment will easily exceed 120.000 euros. The new RS5 has thus become a technological monster that, despite its kilograms, promises a new level of driving dynamics with the help of the advanced quattro system with torque vectoring differential.
