After sedan pictures were allegedly leaked few days prior official release, Audi has finally published full set of pictures and specifications for both sedan and wagon version of the new RS5 - 510 PS 2.9 liter V6 twin turbo, 177 PS electric motor and peak system power of 639 PS.
B10 generation RS5 will be the first RS Audi with plug-in hybrid drivetrain - one of the privileged drivetrain types in Europe that enjoys tax breaks and purchase grants similar or equal to full electric cars.
While design is generally well received (I am not 100% sold on the GIANT exhaust tips) and full-electric mode with wall charging is welcome for suburban demographic who can charge at home and do lots of city driving, there is unavoidable penalty all plug-in hybrids have to pay - the weight penalty. Curb weight for sedan and Avant is 2355 and 2370 kg. I am old enough to remember when anything over 2 tonnes was strictly SUV territory!
The extra weight of electric drive pays for itself in terms of fuel efficiency, but for high performance cars priority is performance, especially track performance which unavoidably suffers from added weight, and there is no simple "let's add more power" solution that works in straight line and allows heavy electric cars to out-accelerate lightweight sportscars.
Real world engineering and design is always about making compromises and I can see the forces shaping cars like RS5 or BMW M5 that are approaching 2.5 tonnes. On one hand there is regulation and emissions quotas which make it costly for manufacturers to have ICE-only powertrains. On other hand - there is undeniable interest in electrification and practical benefits in having electric drive mode. Those who already own fuel efficient or electric vehicle will probably reject RS5 and look for something more track-focused as a second car. Majority of buyers, however, will not own second car and will value practicality over track performance.
Pricing starts at 106200 eur for sedan and 107850 eur for Avant. Huge money for modest size Audi, but, compared to limited production sportscars, this is actually good value for money - you do get several cars in one with the RS5 or the M5, and if you only care about autobahn or traffic light grand prix, performance may actually surpass many of those exclusive sports cars.
