The new RS 5 introduces a less extrovert, more chiselled and quietly muscular aesthetic that RS-badged Audis of late have been moving toward. The subtly updated yet thoroughly modern new A5 wears the muscle well, and it’s got the numbers to back it up.
Inside, the tried and tested sprinkling of RS garnish sits nicely in the new cabin. A flat-bottomed alcantara wheel, red stitching, carbon accents, RS badging, more purposeful seating, and an RS-specific configuration of the ‘virtual cockpit’ reminds you you’re in something special before you fire it up.
A new 2.9-litre biturbo TFSI engine sits out front, in place of the old V8, sending 440bhp/442 lb ft to the staple Quattro AWD system via an eight-speed auto ‘box. This gets the 1,655kg RS 5 to 62mph in a brisk 3.9 seconds, before hitting the standard 155mph buffers, which can be upped to 174mph at an additional cost.
Audi says the “charismatic” soundtrack evokes memories of the fan-favorite original B5 RS 4. We’re hopeful for a worthy soundtrack to replace the lovely howl of the outgoing V8.
Audi is promising “spontaneous response” from the turbocharged unit, with the aforementioned grunt available from just 1,900rpm, before trailing off past 5,000rpm. A combined fuel consumption figure of 32.5mpg and an impressively low 197g/km C02 figure should make the RS 5 a viable day-to-day barge, too.
What do you make of the new RS 5? We rather like it: A not-too-subtle but refreshingly handsome middle ground between the angry M4 and the quietly confident C63, with a welcome lump of grunt to keep them both honest.
Geneva
Geneva 2017
Audi
RS5
