New Audi RS5 Sportback gearing up for Frankfurt Motor Show
RS5 line-up to grow with the addition of a five-door Sportback model at Frankfurt in September
Audi has confirmed two new RS models will be taking the stage at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show, and latest spy shots indicate that the RS5 Sportback will be one of them.
The prototype spotted has been disguised as an S5 Sportback, with S5 bumpers and badging in an attempt to conceal the car’s true identity. But you don’t have to look hard to spot the wheel arch extensions, RS alloy wheels and RS tailpipes, which mark it out as a top spec model.
• Frankfurt Motor Show 2017 preview
When the covers come off at Frankfurt, we’d expect the RS5 Sportback to have similar specifications to its coupe sibling, meaning it should feature the same 444bhp 2.9-litre V6 biturbo. Being an RS model, it will feature Audi’s quattro four-wheel-drive system as standard, hooked up to an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Performance is likely to take a slight knock due to the extra weight of the five-door body.
The 5-door RS5 Sportback will of course have the upper hand when it comes to practicality compared to the coupe. The car will be 10mm longer than the two-door RS5, meaning a more spacious cabin, an extra rear seat and a 480-litre boot over the 465 litres offered in the coupe.
Elsewhere at Audi Sport, company boss Stephan Winkelmann has previously told Auto Express that the brand will begin to develop more RS versions of its SUV portfolio. First tipped for the performance makeover is the Q5, with a flagship version of the forthcoming Q8 also on the cards.
Coupe or Sportback - which RS5 would you prefer? Tell us in the comments!
