Audi’s new BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63 rival is heading to Australia, with a price tag that undercuts its fellow Germans.
The new Audi RS5 sedan and wagon range, which replaces the old RS4 sedan, RS4 Avant and RS5 Sportback, is due in Australian showrooms in the second half of 2026.
The RS5 Sedan is priced at $179,900 before on-road costs, while the RS5 Avant costs $182,900 plus on-roads.
That makes the RS5 cheaper than the Mercedes-AMG C63 ($195,300 plus on-roads) which is also a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sedan but with two fewer cylinders, and sees it narrowly undercut the most affordable automatic BMW M3 sedan ($186,900 plus on-roads), which also has a six-cylinder engine but no PHEV system.
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Like its predecessor, it uses a twin-turbocharged 2.9-litre petrol V6. However, this engine has been overhauled and is now mated with a PHEV system, and total outputs are up by 139kW and 225Nm to 470kW/825Nm.
Weight is up, too. The RS5 Sedan, which is actually a five-door liftback, weighs 2355kg and the Avant weighs an extra 15kg. In contrast, the old RS5 Sportback weighed 1835kg and the RS4 Avant 1895kg.
The RS5 is easily distinguished from lesser A5 and S5 models, only sharing its roof, front doors, and tailgate with its more affordable siblings.
With its blistered wheel-arches and wider tracks, it’s not only 90mm wider than the A5, but also 77mm broader than the old RS4.
It features five-link suspension front and rear, with adaptive damping, a Sport differential and a sports exhaust system.
The RS5 also has Dynamic Torque Control electro-mechanical vectoring, with a small 8kW/40Nm permanent-magnet electric motor on the rear diff able to shunt up to 2000Nm of torque to wherever it is needed within just 15 milliseconds.
The company says this not only limits understeer but can allow for a greater degree of torque to be thrown at the outside rear wheel in certain modes and settings.
Pricing
| Model | Price before on-road costs |
|---|---|
2026 Audi RS5 Sedan | $179,900 |
2026 Audi RS5 Avant | $182,900 |
Drivetrains and Efficiency
The Audi RS5 is the first Audi Sport model with a PHEV powertrain.
– 2.9-liter twinturbo V6
– electric motor outputting 130 kW
– hybridized eight-speed gearbox
– rear transaxle with Dynamic Torque Control
| Specifications | Audi RS5 |
|---|---|
| Engine | 2.9L bi-turbo petrol V6 |
| Engine outputs | 375kW + 600Nm |
| Electric motor outputs | 130kW + 460Nm |
| System outputs | 470kW + 825Nm |
| Battery | 25.9kWh |
| Transmission | 8-speed auto |
| Drive type | All-wheel drive |
| Weight | 2355kg – RS5 Sedan 2370kg – RS5 Avant |
| 0-100km/h (claimed) | 3.6 seconds |
| Fuel economy (claimed) | TBC |
| Electric driving range (WLTP) | 78km – RS5 Sedan 76km – RS5 Avant |
| Max AC charge rate | 11kW |
Dimensions
The RS5 Sedan (actually a liftback) and RS5 Avant (wagon) are the same length and width, though the latter is slightly taller.
| Dimensions | RS5 Sedan | RS5 Avant |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 4896mm | 4896mm |
| Width | 1853mm | 1853mm |
| Height | 1428mm | 1446mm |
| Wheelbase | 2903mm | 2903mm |
| Cargo capacity | 331L-1170L | 361L-1302L |
Servicing and Warranty
The Audi RS5 is backed by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre vehicle warranty and an eight-year, 160,000km battery warranty. Audi will also offer pre-paid five-year service plans, with the Audi Advantage program allowing owners to purchase additional two-year packages to extend their warranty.
Safety
The Audi RS5 hasn’t been tested by safety authorities Euro NCAP or ANCAP, though the A5 it’s based on has a five-star rating based on testing conducted in 2024.
Standard safety for the RS5 equipment includes:
- Autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection
- Adaptive cruise control with emergency assist
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Lane-keep assist
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Surround-view camera
- Rear occupant detection
- Speed sign recognition
- Tyre pressure monitoring
Standard Equipment
Standard equipment for the RS5 includes:
- Sport differential
- Adaptive sport suspension
- 21-inch forged alloy wheels
- Red brake calipers
- High-gloss black exterior trim
- Matrix LED headlights with customisable light signatures
- Digital OLED tail-lights
- Panoramic glass roof with switchable transparency
- Semi-autonomous parking assist
- Integrated dashcam
- 11.9-inch ‘virtual cockpit plus’ digital instrument cluster
- 14.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Satellite navigation
- DAB+ digital radio
- Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system
- Wireless phone charger with cooling
- RS sport front seats
- Integrated head restraints
- Power adjustment
- Four-way lumbar
- Driver’s memory
- Heating
- Ventilation
- Massage
- Heated outboard rear seats
- Leather upholstery
- 3-zone climate control
- RS steering wheel with flat top, bottom
- Power-adjustable steering column
- Illuminated sill plates
- Ambient lighting
- Dinamica microfibre interior trim
- Carbon micro twill inlays