Audi Sport’s first high-performance RS5 plug-in hybrid has arrived in Singapore in Sedan and Avant forms, combining a twin-turbo V6 with electric assistance and prices starting from S$713,999 with COE.
Electrification has finally reached one of Audi Sport’s most familiar nameplates. The new Audi RS5 is now a plug-in hybrid, pairing a 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6 with an electric motor for a combined 470kW, or around 630hp.
For purists, the words “RS” and “plug-in hybrid” sitting together may take a little getting used to. But Audi has not exactly used electrification to make the RS5 sensible. It will still do 285km/h.
The V6 produces 375kW on its own, while a 130kW electric motor adds the immediate response that electric power is particularly good at delivering.
Audi says the result combines that instant response with the character expected of an RS model. More importantly, buyers can have it in two flavours: the sleek RS5 Sedan, or the wonderfully practical RS5 Avant.
Both models receive the Audi Sport package as standard, bringing 21-inch two-tone diamond-cut Phantom Black wheels and an RS sport exhaust system.
The RS 5 Sedan starts from S$713,999, while the RS 5 Avant is priced from S$723,999, both inclusive of COE.
The RS 5’s Singapore arrival also coincides neatly with Audi’s first Formula 1 season.
The RS 5 Avant will be displayed at Off the Grid by adidas and Audi at Funan Mall from 1 to 11 October, while the Sedan will be showcased at Audi House of Progress at 18 Cross Street from 1 October.
“Audi’s first year in Formula 1 has created new opportunities to bring the energy of motorsport closer to fans. Kicking off our race-season programme, the all-new RS 5 represents the next chapter of Audi Sport’s electrified high-performance journey as our first plug-in hybrid model.”
Martin Bayer, Managing Director of Audi Singapore.
The RS5 has traditionally represented a fairly simple recipe: a powerful engine up front, quattro underneath and enough everyday usability to prevent its performance from becoming tiresome.
The new car complicates that formula with batteries and an electric motor, but the objective remains familiar. It is still supposed to be fast, usable and unmistakably RS. There just happens to be a charging port involved now.
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