2027 Audi RS5 First Drive: 630-HP Plug-In Hybrid Transforms the RS Formula

Audi has become nearly synonymous with its Quattro system, but as any differential enthusiast will tell you, not all flavors of Quattro are created equal. For its RS5 reboot, Audi is bringing yet another four-wheel-drive flavor to the table by mixing in an electromechanical rear differential for the first time.

That’s thanks to the high voltage provided by the new plug-in hybrid system in the 2027 Audi RS5, which, paired with the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6, results in a system output of 630 horsepower. You also get 54 miles of all-electric range out of the deal, but there’s a catch: Its 5,192-pound curb weight is more than 1,000 pounds heavier than the old RS5. As hard as it is to believe, that massive penalty might just be worth it.

Sportbacked Again

Let’s get the bad news right out of the way: Audi is saying the long-roof Avant flavor of the RS5 is not destined for American shores. That’s despite the company blessing us with the RS6 Avant earlier and BMW recently following suit with its own high-power plug-in, the M5 Touring.

Instead, we’ll get the RS5 in the same sedan-shaped hatch template of the A5 and S5. Yes, it’s a Sportback.

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The lack of a wagon option is tragic, but wipe away those tears, because the new RS5 looks stellar in either guise. Where the previous RS5 was sleek and smooth and maybe a little too sophisticated for its own good, the new RS5 is infinitely punchier.

Those boxed-out fenders are a real highlight, about 3.5 inches wider than a base S5 and making room for either 20- or 21-inch wheels front and rear. Go with the 21s, and you’ll get 285/30 tires on all four corners stretched over wheels that are 10 inches wide at the front and 10.5 at the rear. This is meant to give the car a sharper feel.

That’s not the only thing sharp at the back. There’s a subtle wing on the rear decklid, available in forged carbon if you’re into the chopped composite look, plus a rear diffuser punctuated by a pair of exhausts positioned high and close. This is to make way for a tow hitch, believe it or not, but Audi’s engineers didn’t mind that the resulting configuration looks a lot like the dual exhaust on the 225-horse version of the original TT.

On the Inside

The new RS5, then, looks miles more aggressive than the model it replaces on the outside, but sadly, the interior hasn’t had quite the same upgrade. Audi’s Dinamica microfiber lines the seat bolsters, steering wheel, and a good portion of the dashboard, and you can get more slivers of forged carbon in here, too. But the rest is more or less lifted wholesale out of the regular A5.

That includes the same trio of displays, with an 11.9-inch gauge cluster on the left, a 14.5-inch central touchscreen, and an optional 10.9-inch passenger display. The software experience is a slight step above what we saw in the most recent A5. That gauge cluster is now far more customizable and can finally display a full map view, the feature that made the original Virtual Cockpit such a gamechanger a decade ago.

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The steering wheel sadly uses capacitive touch controls for most functions, but Audi has at least brought back the scroll wheels to add a bit of tactility.

The central display gains a few RS-specific features, most notable being the new Audi Driving Experience. Here you can record your fastest times around any track, replay your laps to view G-forces and speeds in any corner, and even track your wildest of drifts.

Don’t Call It Drift Mode

The latest BMW M5 features a 2WD mode that disengages the front axle and turns it into a 717-hp tire-slaying monster. Audi takes a very different approach for its Torque Rear mode.

Unlike the M5, which has a clutch-type center differential, the new RS5 uses a variation of a Torsen in the middle. It’s purely mechanical, and its power distribution ranges from a maximum of 70 percent at the front to 85 percent at the rear. It’s a similar setup to performance-minded diffs on RSes past, now with a bit of preload to enable even faster locking.

That means the RS5 can’t shuttle all its power to the rear, but it does have a new trick that makes it feel far more tail happy. Audi calls it Dynamic Torque Control, an electronically actuated rear differential made possible by the high-voltage hybrid system here. A small electric motor is embedded in the rear differential, which is connected to both output shafts via planetary gearsets.

The motor itself is only rated for 30 lb-ft of torque, but thanks to the gearsets and the power coming down the driveshaft, Audi says this system can deliver an effective 1,475 lb-ft at the outside tire. This makes for a much livelier rear end and a wonderfully willing drift partner, not only capable of kicking itself sideways with little provocation but also able to reel back in over-exuberance quickly and easily.

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Grip Driving

Drifting is fun and all, but given the cost of those massive Pirelli P Zero R tires, few RS5 owners will be engaging in such theatrics. Track days and performance on-road driving, however, are much more likely, and the rear differential helps there, too.

It makes for a car that feels substantially lighter when powering out of tight corners, all without the extra suspension complexity added by a rear-steering system. In fact, the suspension here is relatively straightforward: steel springs wrapped around adaptive dampers with variable compression and rebound.

When powering out of corners, the RS5 feels light and fun. On turn-in, a sharp 13:1 ratio (vs. 15:1 in the regular A5 and S5) helps things feel eager there, as well. However, it’s mid-corner where you can really feel that extra 1,000 pounds at play. Charge into a corner too hot, or stomp on those optional carbon-ceramic brakes too hard, and the RS5’s first inclination is to plow straight ahead, overpowering the front wheels.

Drive with a bit more nuance, though, and the RS5 is a willing partner. It has oodles of grip and, as you’d expect from an Audi, good poise. On the legendarily unpredictable roads in and around Marrakesh, Morocco, this big sedan never felt uncertain or nervous. It just wanted to go faster than common decency and respect for the locals and their laws would reasonably allow.

And the engine? The combination of a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6 and electric motor, mated to an eight-speed automatic, is fantastic. That electric motor helps sharpen up throttle response so that you won’t be bothered by the spooling of those turbos, and while you can only get that maximum 630-horsepower figure for 10 seconds when you push the Boost button on the steering wheel, that’s plenty enough to leave just about anything that’s troubling you in the rearview mirror.

Audi officially rates this for a 3.6-second 0–62-mph time, but it feels even quicker than that on the road.

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Daily Driving

So, the RS5 makes for a great weapon on a fun road, but this isn’t a machine only for the extreme end of the driving spectrum. Dial it down to Comfort mode, and the game changes completely. With the fixed rate afforded by those steel springs, it’ll never be as plush as, say, the latest RS E-Tron is with its new air suspension. Still, the RS5 still felt just fine over speed bumps, broken asphalt, and one particularly gnarly pothole that came out of nowhere.

Driven in full EV mode, the RS5 is completely silent. It’s no rocket ship in this mode, but it has plenty of power to keep up with the insane traffic in Marrakesh, and a top speed of 87 mph when running emissions-free. Audi says you can cover up to 54 miles like this in the city.

When the engine kicks in to bring more power, it does so smoothly. A new brake-by-wire system means there’s no annoying transition between recuperative braking and squeezing those big carbon-ceramic discs. That said, the pedal travel is unfortunately long and soft for a car in this category.

Worth It

While Audi’s new RS5 does a remarkably good job of feeling nimble on the road, there’s simply no hiding its extra 1,000 pounds. Despite that, it’s not the death knell you might think. The RS5 was never a particularly light car to begin with, and the extra-sharp steering and that trick new rear differential conspires to make something far more eager than the outgoing car.

Add in the extra throttle response from the electric motor up front and the capability of silent, comfortable cruising, and you have a new RS that’s not only more aggressive but also more comfortable. Yes, it’s sad we’ll have to admire the Avant from afar, but looking at those fender flares every day would make that bitter pill a little easier to swallow. You’ll have to be patient, though. The RS5 isn’t destined for American shores until sometime in 2027.