New Audi RS 5 2026 review: heavy exec feels like a lightweight sports car

Verdict

The new plug-in hybrid Audi RS 5 might tip the scales at nearly two and a half tonnes, but don’t let the spec sheet fool you. Audi Sport has deployed its engineering witchcraft to make this heavyweight estate drive like a lightweight sports car. It offers mind-boggling straight-line speed, a hilarious drift mode, and the brilliant everyday usability of a silent electric commuter. In a world where rivals are starting to backtrack on hybrid performance, the new RS 5 boldly proves that electrification can genuinely enhance the thrill of driving.

Let’s first address the massive, 2.5-tonne elephant in the room. When Audi pulled the covers off the new RS 5 a few weeks ago, the internet’s hardcore petrolheads didn't cheer. Instead, they launched a massive backlash.

And you can understand their initial frustration. For the first time ever, the legendary RS badge has been bolted to a car with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, adding a massive chunk of weight in the process – it weighs about a third more than the outgoing RS 4. It’s grown by nearly 120mm, too, leapfrogging the current BMW M3 Touring and creeping ever closer to the bloated M5. 

Yet, Audi Sport’s head of development, Steffen Bamberger, has taken this fierce criticism in his stride. Why is he so calm? Because almost all of those complaints vanish into thin air the very second you slide behind the wheel. 

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Bamberger and his engineering team haven't just added weight; they’ve also given the car a monumental amount of punch to compensate. Under the bonnet sits a 2.9-litre six-cylinder engine producing a very healthy 503bhp. But in the modern era, that’s only half the story. Integrated neatly into the gearbox is an electric motor churning out an additional 175bhp.

Combine the two, and the new RS 5 boasts a staggering total output of 630bhp. That is a massive 50 per cent increase over the old model, and it even eclipses the mighty, recently retired RS 6.

Hit a straight piece of road, and the RS 5 feels absolutely explosive. Hitting the dedicated 'Boost' button unlocks the full, devastating 825Nm of torque, firing the RS 5 from 0-62mph in just 3.6 seconds – a figure that actually feels slightly conservative when the sheer force pins you to the back of your seat. Even without using a complicated launch control system, it will pull ahead of the old RS 5 in the first few seconds. If you find a stretch of unrestricted road and pay for the optional speed upgrade, it will keep going all the way to 177mph.

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But straight-line speed in a modern, fast Audi is to be expected. What absolutely nobody anticipated from a car weighing nearly 2,500kg is the sheer level of cornering grip and agility on offer. 

The secret weapon here is the incredibly clever dynamic torque-distribution system. Using the electric motor and a special gear set-up on the rear axle, the car can instantly shuffle power from the left rear wheel to the right rear wheel, and back again, in a matter of milliseconds.

This transforms a heavy elephant into a graceful ballerina. The steering is noticeably sharper and more direct than in standard Audi models, feeling as precise as a surgeon's scalpel. With a beautifully balanced suspension set-up as well, no matter how hard the cornering forces try to push the car wide, the massive, broad tyres dig into the tarmac, keeping this powerhouse glued to the racing line.

Keep the car in its standard RS-Mode, and it covers ground with cool, calculated safety and unbelievable pace. But if you want to invite a bit of madness into your life, simply switch the system into the 'Torque-Rear' setting.

Suddenly, this sensible, heavy cruiser turns into an absolute hooligan. The rear end becomes playful and light. With smoke pouring out of those dramatically flared wheelarches, the RS 5 allows you to hold massive, graceful slides – should you desire. It pushes you right to the absolute edge of grip but remains incredibly easy to control and rein back in. You will rarely find a car that makes burning through a set of brand-new rear tyres quite as satisfying.

Audi knows its audience, too. Catering not just to traditional car lovers but also to the younger PlayStation generation, the infotainment system includes a dedicated app. It records your exact slide angles and cornering forces for you to obsessively analyse later. All it's missing is a direct share button for Instagram – there’s already a built-in dash cam ready to record your ultimate driving movie.

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While the plug-in hybrid system might feel like a politician-pleasing statement – especially at a time when rivals are backtracking – the car’s styling is anything but sensible. The designers have made up for any perceived lack of provocation from the engine with a truly aggressive stance. 

The RS 5 boasts shoulders as broad as a body-builder. The front splitters and side skirts look sharp enough to have been forged by a Japanese swordsmith, and the profile bulges as if Popeye just force-fed the standard car a crate of spinach.

Around the back, the Audi sports two massive exhaust pipes. While environmentalists might view them as the gates of hell, car fans will see pure heaven. The noise that erupts from them borders on noise pollution. This Audi hasn't gone soft; it violently roars for everyone to hear.

But the true brilliance of the RS 5 is that this aggression represents only one side of the coin. When you settle down for the daily commute or a motorway cruise, it reveals a remarkably mild-mannered alter-ego.

Despite its immense speed, the RS 5 retains a plush, comfortable ride. It acts as the ultimate family estate car – ‘Pampersbomber’ as the Germans lovingly call it – or the ideal company cruiser for a high-flying executive in a hurry.

This is where the plug-in hybrid system truly shines. Thanks to a large 22kWh battery, the RS 5 can travel a highly respectable 50 miles on electric power alone, and the 175bhp electric motor is strong enough to handle pure-electric driving at speeds of up to 87mph. It makes complete sense to use this feature for daily errands, especially given the company car-tax discounts and rock-bottom running costs it unlocks.

Priced from £92,120 for the Avant estate (the saloon version costs £2,720 less) and hitting showrooms this summer, it’s not a cheap car. But as you drain the battery and the glorious, loud engine wakes back up to reveal the car's true character, you realise the new RS 5 offers the absolute best of both worlds.