2027 Audi RS 5 First Drive Review: Return to Form

• The new RS 5 is Audi's first plug-in hybrid RS model. 
• The hybrid system offers big power (630 hp) but adds big weight.
• The RS 5 brings the edgy look and feel its predecessor lacked. 

Power points

At the core of the new RS 5 is a familiar engine: Audi's 2.9 twin-turbocharged V6. This year, though, it has company: an electric motor that produces 174 horsepower and 339 lb-ft of torque. Wedged in between the engine and the RS 5's automatic transmission, that motor has full access to all eight gears and can drive all four wheels at speeds up to 87 mph. Over that, you'll need to spin up the engine and tap into the RS 5's maximum system output of 630 hp and 609 lb-ft of torque.

To sample all that, go ahead and toggle the shiny red "Boost" button that sits tantalizingly close to your left thumb. Tap that, and you get 10 seconds of maximum warp speed for quick passing while terrifying your passengers. 

Audi says there's enough power to get the RS 5 from 0 to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds, a number that honestly seems a bit conservative to me. More importantly, the car feels far more urgent when dipping into the throttle, the electric motor's shove helping make up for the effort of spooling up those turbos. 

Counter weight

The RS 5's electrified 630-hp figure is way up from the old RS 5's 444 hp, a figure that would be extra impressive if it didn't come with a significant handicap of over 1,000 pounds. That's how much more the new RS 5 weighs than its predecessor, and it's mostly thanks to the 25.9-kWh (22-kWh usable) battery situated down beneath the trunk.

That pack not only boosts weight but also dramatically reduces cargo space. Where the former RS 5 Sportback offered 16.3 cubic feet behind the second row, the new one drops by about a third to 11.7 cubes. The liftback design does make cargo loading easy, but you'll struggle to fit anything sizeable back there without dropping the rear seats. The solution might be the long-roofed RS 5 Avant, but Audi has sadly confirmed that it is not destined for American shores. 

That weight is the primary penalty for the RS 5's 54 miles of electric range, but there's actually a second motor at play here. The RS 5 has a new system at the rear that Audi calls Dynamic Torque Control. Instead of a mechanical locking rear differential, the new RS 5 pairs an open differential with a small electric motor and a planetary gearset. This allows the motor to engage or disengage with either rear wheel, adding extra twist as needed or, indeed, reducing the speed difference between them. The motor itself can only generate 30 lb-ft of torque, but Audi says that torque applied to the planetary gearset, combined with the torque coming from the center differential, results in a surge of up to 1,475 lb-ft to the outside tire when turning. The intent is to make this big sedan feel much more nimble than its 5,192-pound curb weight might otherwise suggest.

Believe it or not, it works. 

Drift time

The RS 5 features a new mode called Torque Rear, which not only immediately disables the stability control but also configures that new rear differential to be as aggressive as possible. Combine that with the 85% rear torque that the revised center differential can send to the back, and the result is a drifting machine. Immediately after doing a smokey launch, I'm effortlessly skidding my way through a closed course and even doing a perfect slide around a central cone.

The RS 5 might just be the easiest-drifting 600-plus-horsepower car on the market. Dial the drive mode down to RS Sport, though, and its personality totally changes. Here, that rear differential is still doing its magic, but the goal instead is maximum grip and performance. Around the tight, narrow Marrakesh Racetrack infield, the RS 5 exhibits huge grip and the kind of confidence you want when you're just a few inches away from a series of unpleasant concrete walls. 

The steering is light but offers good feedback. Its 13:1 ratio (compared to 15:1 in the standard A5) helps the RS 5 feel eager on turn-in, but sadly, it's the front wheels that repeatedly and consistently give up on the way into a corner. On the way out, though, when I can get back on the power, that new differential ensures a lively exit every time. 

The RS 5 is similarly fun out on the open roads, yet feels extremely confident covering Morocco's decidedly unpredictable byways. When it comes time to idle through the ridiculous Marrakesh traffic, being able to go completely silent in Comfort mode is a real blessing. Here, the adaptive dampers, with their adjustable compression and rebound, creates a compliant ride. Dial up a little seat massage for maximum effect.

Styling tweaks

As refreshing as the new RS 5's driving dynamics can be, its new style is an even bigger improvement over the outgoing model. That one simply looked too similar to the base car. The new RS 5 is about 3.5 inches wider than the base S5, and while it's a shame that we in the U.S. won't get the wagon, the new RS 5 is at least a Sportback, with the glass and trunk lifting as one piece.

That's just like the base A5 — as is much of the interior. There are upgraded materials compared to the A5, with microfiber suede used on sections of the seats and other surfaces, plus optional forged carbon inserts if you like the look of that stuff. Otherwise, it's the same basic configuration found on most new Audis. 

The overall multimedia interface is heavily reliant on the central 14.5-inch touchscreen, plus a selection of other touch-sensitive controls. The steering wheel at least adds scroll-wheels for the thumbs, but that, too, is largely capacitive. The aforementioned shiny red Boost button, as well as its sister RS button, are great, but the RS 5 desperately needs more physical controls, especially one for toggling between driving modes.

So much better than before

Audi's new RS 5 has gained a lot of weight, but more importantly, it's also gained the aggression and presence that the previous model lacked. It's perhaps not the most nimble, but it is far more fun to drive and to look at than before. Add in the extra practicality of a plug-in hybrid powertrain, and you have a true performance all-rounder.