- The RS Q5 was noticed inside a convoy of camouflaged Audi RS prototypes.
- Audi is anticipated to make use of the identical plug-in hybrid V6 powertrain discovered within the new RS5 fashions.
- Spy photographers additionally caught the brand new RS6 Avant and SQ9 present process last testing.
The Volkswagen Group needs to halve its massive portfolio to chop prices drastically, however clearly that received’t occur in a single day. Earlier than it begins swinging the axe at autos that don’t make sufficient cash, the Audi arm of the automotive large is planning to roll out two fashions it has by no means provided earlier than. Whereas the three-row Q9 is now not a secret, some can be stunned to be taught an RS Q5 can also be on the best way.
Audi has been promoting the Q5 for practically 20 years, but it has by no means given the SUV the RS therapy. A brand new spy video shot in sunny Europe exhibits a fleet of camouflaged prototypes, together with the RS Q5. It’s not simply the double oval exhaust finishers that give away the automobile’s identification. We are able to additionally clearly spot the flared wheel arches concealing meaty tires and presumably wider entrance and rear tracks.
As if that wasn’t sufficient, the high-voltage yellow sticker signifies we’re a plug-in hybrid. On condition that the Q5 is intently associated to the A5, the high-performance variations ought to comply with the identical system. The RS Q5 is more likely to borrow the plug-in hybrid V6 from the RS5, which produces 630 horsepower and 608 pound-feet (825 Newton-meters) of torque.
Audi Sport’s first plug-in hybrid comes with a chunky 25.9-kWh battery, a serious motive why the RS5 Avant suggestions the scales at a hefty 5,225 pounds (2,370 kilograms). We wouldn’t be stunned if the RS Q5 finally ends up even heavier, on condition that SUVs sometimes weigh greater than equal sedans or wagons. For reference, the SQ5 is 165 kilos (75 kilograms) heavier than the S5 Avant.
The RS Q5 is essential not only for Audi however for Porsche as nicely. Zuffenhausen is retiring the first-generation Macan on the end of this month and can launch a direct successor in 2028. As soon as once more, it’ll be intently associated to the Q5, so it’s cheap to anticipate similarities between Porsche’s range-topping model and the upcoming RS-badged Q5.
The 2 Volkswagen Group manufacturers are working extra intently collectively to unfold growth prices and speed up new tasks, together with Porsche’s 718 Boxster/Cayman EVs and Audi’s Concept C. Moreover, the upcoming Q9 we talked about earlier may share a few of its underpinnings with Porsche’s three-row SUV.
The spy video isn’t simply concerning the RS Q5. The convoy of camouflaged Audi prototypes additionally consists of the quad-pipe SQ9 and the next-generation RS6 Avant. The latter may even be provided as a sedan, changing the RS7 Sportback and reviving the RS6 Sedan after greater than 15 years. It’s unclear whether or not we’ll see all these efficiency fashions later this yr, however the SQ9 is coming quickly.
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Supply: Audi
Motor1’s Take: Audi’s lineup is present process vital adjustments as new merchandise arrive whereas others bow out. Fashions just like the RS Q5, Q9, and SQ9 are becoming a member of the vary alongside the return of the A2 as an entry-level electrical hatchback. The electrical sports activities automotive due in 2027 will by far be probably the most intriguing addition. We haven’t forgotten concerning the Nuvolari, however it doesn’t actually matter, since manufacturing is restricted to 499 items, with a convertible presumably on the best way.
The A1 and Q2 have been retired earlier this yr. Moreover, the A8 flagship sedan is becoming a member of them within the automotive graveyard, the place the Q8 E-Tron and Q8 E-Tron Sportback have been resting since final yr. Different fashions, such because the A5 Coupe, A5 Convertible, TT, and the R8, are all gone as nicely.
Whether or not the reshuffling pays off stays to be seen. Both manner, Audi has even larger plans forward, together with a dramatic overhaul of its design language. It additionally guarantees to enhance inside high quality through the use of higher supplies, including extra bodily controls, and lowering screens.
Nonetheless, fashions just like the RS Q5, Q9/SQ9, and the A2 have been designed and engineered years in the past, in order that they’ll largely signify enterprise as ordinary earlier than the subsequent wave of merchandise reshapes Audi’s lineup. That transformation is about to start in 2028 with the A4 E-Tron electric sedan.
