- The redesigned 2026 Audi A5 will soon spawn a high-performance RS 5 flagship
- The new RS 5 will come with liftback and wagon body styles
- Power will likely come from a plug-in hybrid powertrain built around a twin-turbo V-6
Audi has a new A5 headed to showrooms shortly as a 2026 model, and once again there will be a high-performance RS 5 flagship, prototypes for which are still out testing.
Our latest spy shots show a prototype for an RS 5 liftback, but also out testing is an RS 5 Avant wagon.
The redesigned A5 is based on Volkswagen Group’s new Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture designed for gas and hybrid cars, and this time around there are only the liftback and wagon body styles for most markets, while a traditional sedan option is available exclusively in China.
The previous generation didn’t have a wagon body style, but it did offer coupe and convertible body styles in addition to a liftback. The coupe and convertible won’t be repeated with the new generation due to low demand.
2025 Audi A5 S Line
The redesigned A5 made its debut last July, in regular A5 and sporty S5 guises. The RS 5 is expected to debut late this year or early next, meaning it will likely be offered as a 2027 model in the U.S. The A5 and S5 are due in showrooms this spring or summer.
We know the latest prototype is for an RS 5 and not the A5 or S5 because of the large intakes in the front fascia, the wide fenders housing a widened track, the huge cross-drilled brake rotors, and the signature RS oval exhaust tips.
Audi hasn’t mentioned plans for a new RS 5, but the car is expected to feature a plug-in hybrid powertrain using the same twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V-6 found in the previous RS 5. The addition of one or more electric motors should help boost power from the previous RS 5’s 444 hp. That will let it put up a fight against the 671 hp of the Mercedes-Benz AMG C 63 S E Performance, which is also a plug-in hybrid.
The RS 5 liftback is almost certain for the U.S. market, though the jury is still out on whether Audi will bring over the RS 5 Avant. The automaker currently sells the bigger RS 6 Avant, though 2025 will be the car’s final model year. Both an electric RS 6 Avant E-Tron and a plug-in hybrid RS 7 Avant will fill the gap.
