The 2026 Audi RS5 arrives as Audi Sport’s first plug-in hybrid RS model, and it’s a clear sign of where fast executive cars are heading.
With 639hp and GT-rivalling torque, this new RS5 PHEV replaces the RS4 in all but name—and UK deliveries begin in June 2026.
Power comes from a fundamentally new 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 producing 509hp and 443lb ft, paired with an electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic gearbox.
The motor adds 176hp, taking total output to 639hp and 590lb ft. Audi quotes 0–62mph in 3.6 seconds and up to 177mph with the Performance Pack.
A 22kWh battery enables a useful electric-only range, while CO₂ sits between 87–106g/km – key for UK taxation.
It’s also huge. At 4.9 metres long and tipping the scales at 2,355kg (2,370kg for the Avant), this ‘B10’ generation is bigger and heavier than the RS4 it effectively replaces.
To counter that mass, Audi has introduced electric torque vectoring at the rear axle.
A dedicated motor can apportion torque across the back wheels in just 15 milliseconds, generating a claimed 1,475lb ft torque difference across the axle.
The result is a surprisingly rear-biased, adjustable balance on road and track.
Priced from around £90,000 to £110,000 in the UK, and offered as a sleek hatchback-style saloon or Avant estate, the RS5 blends daily usability with serious performance intent.
If hybridisation is the price of keeping super-saloons alive, this is Audi Sport making its strongest case yet.
