AUDI’S REVIVAL continues with a sharp facelift for the exciting RS5 Coupé and Sportback, due to arrive on Australian shores mid-2020.
New details make the exterior design more progressive. For operation, both models rely on the new MMI touch technology with a large central screen. The twin-turbo V6 with an output of 331kW and 600Nm of torque continues to deliver impressive driving performance.
“The revision of the RS 5 Coupé and RS 5 Sportback marks the successful conclusion of our 25th anniversary and the renewal of our model range,” says Oliver Hoffmann, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH. “Thanks to the standard permanent quattro drive, they occupy a special position in their segment.
Streamlined exterior design
The refined exterior design of the two RS 5 models is recognisable at first glance. The Singleframe grille has become wider and flatter. It follows the design of its big brothers, the RS 6 and RS 7. Implied air vents above the grille are reminiscent of the classic Audi Sport quattro from 1984. The wheel arches, which are 40mm wider, give the RS 5 an impressive appearance. The optional matrix LED headlights with Audi laser light feature darkened bezels clearly set the two RS models apart from the basic A5 model. The large, strongly contoured air inlets have been given a new, pentagonal cut.
The side sills and the diffuser insert at the rear end, enclosing the two large tailpipes of the exhaust system, have also been redesigned. The gloss black, matt aluminium, and carbon styling packages give the attachments at the front and rear ends and the side sills an even more individual look. The four rings and RS logos can be designed in black upon request. The colours Turbo blue and Tango red have been added to the colour palette. The Coupé is fitted with a carbon roof with a CFRP fibre structure which lowers the vehicle’s weight by just under four kilograms.
Cool looking interior
Horizontal lines and dark colours dominate the interior of the revised RS 5 models. The RS sport seats are covered with Alcantara and leather as standard, or fine Nappa leather as an option. The RS design package with red or grey accents is available upon request. Control elements such as the steering wheel and selector lever as well as the knee pads are fitted with Alcantara covers with red or grey contrasting stitching.
Touch instead of turn: the new operating concept
The new operating concept of the two RS 5 models is concentrated on a 10.1-inch MMI touch display. The large, free-standing display with acoustic feedback is slightly inclined toward the driver. If the top infotainment system MMI navigation plus is on board, a specific RS monitor provides the driver with information on the drive temperature, longitudinal and lateral acceleration, the quattro sport differential, the tire pressure and the tire temperature.
In the optional Audi virtual cockpit plus (12.3-inch display), the driver can select between multiple screens – one of them is the RS-specific performance design, which displays the rotational speed scale as a kind of angle that includes a shift light display. When the driver uses the RS mode steering wheel button to select one of the two new individual RS modes, the RS-specific performance design opens up and displays the maximum g-acceleration values, for example. The optional head-up display also offers exclusive RS graphics.
Traction, dynamism, and stability
The 2.9 TFSI twin-turbo V6, the heart of the RS 5 models, delivers an unchanged 331kW and already delivers a whopping 600Nm of torque from as low as 1900 rpm. Fuel consumption is as low as 9.1L/100km, with CO2 emissions of 208 g/km. Both RS 5 models accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and reach a top speed of up to 280km/h (upon request – otherwise top speed is electronically limited to 250km/h).
A quick-shifting eight-speed tiptronic directs the power of the engine to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive. The driver can control the gear change via the new larger aluminium shift paddles. The quattro drivetrain provides the two RS models with the crucial amount of additional traction, dynamism, and stability, regardless of the weather. The handling is made even sportier with the optional sport differential at the rear axle, which distributes the torque actively between the wheels.
High precision suspension
Both RS 5 models are fitted as standard with a taut RS sport suspension. The RS sport suspension plus with the Dynamic Ride Control (DRC) hydraulic roll and pitch stabilization is available as an option. It uses steel springs and three-stage adjustable dampers that are connected to one another via diagonal oil lines and a central valve. When cornering at speed, the valves regulate the oil flow in the damper of the spring-deflected front wheel at the outside of the curve. They reinforce the support and reduce pitching and rolling, thereby improving the vehicle’s handling characteristics.
In addition to the familiar comfort, auto, and dynamic modes, the Audi drive select dynamic handling system also offers the two new modes, RS1 and RS2. Once the driver has set the two modes to suit their personal preferences and stored them, they can be enabled directly via the “RS MODE” button on the steering wheel without having to operate the MMI touch response again. The system accesses important technical elements like the engine, transmission, damping, steering, dynamic steering, sport differential, and engine sound.
The revised RS 5 models are equipped with 19-inch wheels. New 20-inch wheels are available upon request in three variants, one of which is painted completely in gloss black and another in matt bronze. In the standard brake system, steel disks are gripped by callipers painted in black or red. As an alternative, Audi offers carbon fibre ceramic brake disks for the front axle; their callipers are painted in grey, red, or blue.
Sporty luxury equipment
The top infotainment system MMI navigation plus uses a new main unit, the third-generation modular infotainment platform (MIB 3), for its numerous functions. The portfolio of Audi connect adds numerous online services to the navigation. Some of the more than 30 available driver assist systems are on board as standard. The others are either available as individual options or combined in the Drive and Park packages.
Australian information
The new Audi RS 5 Coupé and RS 5 Sportback is expected to arrive in Australia in mid-2020. Pricing and specification will be announced closer to launch.