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<\/a><\/p>\nPlug-in Power<\/p>\n
To refresh your memory, the RS5 has landed locally in two guises; sedan and Avant (wagon). Pricing is predictably hefty, with the sedan starting from $194,990, and the Avant slightly more expensive at $196,990.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Other than the obvious practicality advantage of the Avant, the differences between the two RS5s are non-existent. The extra hatch only adds 15kg, which seems nominal when the RS5 tips the scales at 2.3-tonnes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At this weight figure, you might be wondering where all that extra weight is coming from, and the answer lies in its plug-in hybrid powertrain.<\/p>\n The base of this electrified powertrain is a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 engine, producing 375kW and 600Nm. This is paired with an electric motor on the rear axle, which chips in with 130kW. As always, it also gets a quattro all-wheel drive system, which works in tandem with the eight-speed automatic transmission. All up, this new RS5 gets a RS6-eclipsing 470kW\/825Nm, which will send it to 100km\/h from a standing start in 3.7-seconds.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The electric motor on the rear axle works in conjunction with Audi\u2019s torque-vectoring differential to allow for sideways fun. The RS5 can reportedly send 85 per cent of its torque to the rear wheels, and when paired with Audi\u2019s new \u201ctorque mode\u201d, it will induce oversteer by accelerating the outside wheel on the turn. While the majority of customers won\u2019t be using this very often, it\u2019s sure to improve driving dynamics and minimise the dreaded understeer Audi RS models are known for.\u00a0<\/p>\n As for the electrified side of things, it makes use of a 22kWh battery that allows it to cover 80km on electric power alone. Charging speed, as well as fuel economy and energy efficiency is yet to be confirmed for this model.\u00a0<\/p>\n A Big Boot (to fill)<\/p>\n Audi has always been the king of go fast wagons, and the expectations for this new RS5 have been sky high. Pair that with the fact BMW is making some spectacular performance wagons in the M3 and M5, you\u2019ve got a recipe for some serious competition.\u00a0<\/p>\n With all its power and torque, the blistering acceleration of the RS5 is arguably the least surprising of its party tricks. What\u2019s more impressive is the way that the wagon can put the power down, despite everything seemingly working against it.\u00a0<\/p>\n To test its acceleration, we lined up for a drag racing exercise with a fair bit of rain falling. Where you\u2019d be questioning other performance car\u2019s abilities to get power to the ground, quattro has always been a great leveller no matter the surface, and it was the same story here.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s clear the electric motor does a fair chunk of the heavy lifting off the line, as the torque hits hard. This gives a chance for the petrol engine to get into its powerband, and spool the turbos, making for a potent one-two combo. As the throttle was buried, the traction light started flashing, but the driver was blissfully disconnected from all the chaos beneath, as the wagon hurtled down the tarmac \u2014 it\u2019s like drag racing on easy mode.\u00a0<\/p>\n Once we finished with the drag racing exercise, we started track laps, which is where I was afraid the RS5\u2019s heft would become apparent. There\u2019s no denying the weight of it in corners, but those Audi engineers have done an incredible job of mitigating any untoward effects of it.\u00a0<\/p>\n The suspension system keeps the wagon incredibly stable through turns, which exposes the rubber as the weak point of the cornering equation. Despite this, I can\u2019t confidently say this is the least understeering RS Audi I have driven on a track, and the fancy electronic rear differential does a lot to help the cause. It will still push the front tyres if too much steering lock is wound on (which is a safety feature for road cars), but once the driver is through the apex and back on the power, the wagon rotates at an impressive rate.\u00a0<\/p>\n The fact the Hampton Downs club circuit was covered with rubber from a recent drift day went a long way in showing how dynamic the RS5\u2019s assist systems were. Pair this rubber with light rain, and you\u2019ve got a recipe for some very slippery corners. Here, the wagon\u2019s rear end would step out, but it wasn\u2019t panic stations, as you could power out of these with a bit of opposite lock \u2014 not something I\u2019m used to experiencing in an Audi.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n