Audi RS5 unveiled with aggressive looks and 470kW plug-in V6 

Audi has finally taken the covers off the first ever RS5, and the successor to the iconic RS4 doesn’t disappoint. 

On the outside, the styling of the RS5 is in-line with the current A5 and S5 pairing, but Audi has dialled the aggression up to eleven.

The world actually got a glimpse of what this new RS model would look like a couple of days ago, when both the liftback and Avant models were leaked online. 

So while we already know what it looks like, the real surprise comes from beneath the bonnet, and just how much grunt this 3-Series rival is packing. 

According to Audi, though this RS5 is powered by a twin-turbo 2.9-litre V6 petrol engine (which is what the last RS4 had), it has been completely revised for the RS5.

The “extensive” modifications have pushed this engine alone to 375kW, but still retains the same torque figure of 600Nm from before. 

An electric motor tips in 130kW/460Nm, which should leave the RS5 with 505kW/1060Nm, but longevity reasons have it pegged back to 470kW and 825Nm. 

These figures eclipse that of the current-generation RS6, which makes 441kW and 800Nm from its twin-turbo V8. 

As always, all this grunt is sent to all four wheels via a quattro system paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. 

As for performance, these massive power and torque figures don’t translate to a quicker 0-100km/h time for the RS5, due to the extra weight it’s carrying around. 

With a 22kWh battery onboard, this RS5 tips the scales at around 2.4-tonnes, meaning it will hit 100km/h from a standing start in 3.6-seconds, 0.2-seconds slower than its big brother. 

But with that battery, the RS5 is capable of travelling more than 80km on electric power alone, meaning it is likely a lot more efficient than the V8. 

It rides on 20-inch wheels, which have no issue swallowing up the 420mm brake rotors up front, and 400mm rotors at the rear. 

There’s also an option for 21-inch wheels with carbon ceramic brakes, if you’re that way inclined. 

It’s also 70mm wider than the RS4, which can be put down to those beefy flared arches and the wide wheels that fill them. 

On the inside, the RS5 is unmistakably RS. It gets contrast-stitched bucket seats, and a Dinamica-covered steering wheel.

There’s a large curved display behind the steering wheel with a digital cluster and the infotainment system in it. 

There’s also a smaller display on the passenger side. 

As for New Zealand pricing and specification of this new RS5, we can expect to see that information closer to the local launch date.