The 2027 Audi RS 5 Sedan has received the green light for U.S. launch, but its Avant sibling is not headed our way. At the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed, we had a chance to get up close with the 2027 Audi RS 5 Avant plug-in hybrid station wagon, and here’s what we saw.
Design
Featuring a lower and wider body and variant-specific aggressive styling, the 2027 Audi RS 5 Avant immediately conveys an added sense of speed and sportiness over the latest A5 and S5 models. Compared to the 2027 RS 5 Sedan, the exterior is largely identical until the B-pillar.
The darkened Audi rings on the 2027 RS 5 Avant sit partly above the grille, creating a floating effect. Their low placement immediately conveys the car’s lowered, more aggressive stance. The darkened Matrix LED headlights can produce an exclusive checkered-flag DRL pattern.
The Singleframe features a sporty honeycomb structure and an RS logo. Unlike on the A5/S5, it extends all the way to the bottom. There’s a dark mask surrounding this blacked-out grille, and it is flanked by large air curtains, which feature vertical blades along the outer edges and also carry a gloss black finish.
On the sides, an elongated roofline, roof rails, and an extended greenhouse immediately distinguish the Avant from the Sedan. The car sports 21-inch forged wheels and RS-branded calipers. Its window trim, roof rails, door handle inserts, and side skirts feature a gloss black finish.
The 2027 RS 5 Avant sports a body-colored roof spoiler and has a steeply raked back glass. A specially designed rear diffuser featuring vertical fins on the sides and a red reflector in the center, dual centrally positioned oval tailpipes, and a darkened Audi logo complete the exclusive look.
Interior
Inside, the 2027 Audi RS 5 Avant sports a uniquely designed three-spoke steering wheel with a flattened top and bottom, a red 12 o’clock marker, and red boost function and RS drive mode buttons. The entire cabin, save for the seats, is finished in Dinamica deep black.
The sports seats in the front feature a honeycomb pattern on the backrests and cushions and also have RS branding below the headrest. The rear seats also carry a matching honeycomb pattern, but without RS branding. Audi includes stainless steel pedal caps and RS-branded floor mats as well.
Specifications
The 2027 Audi RS 5 Avant measures 192.8 in. in length, 76.9 in. in width, and 56.9 in. in height. This makes it 2.6 in. longer, 3.6 in. wider, and 0.6 in. lower than the base A5 Avant.
Compared to the 2027 RS 5 Sedan, the 2027 RS 5 Avant is just as long and wide but 0.7 in. taller, as per European specifications. It offers 1.1 cu. ft. more luggage space with the rear seat upright and 4.7 cu. ft. more with the rear seat folded.
Under the hood, there’s a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 engine that produces 503 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque. It works in tandem with an electric motor generating 174 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque integrated into an 8-speed automatic transmission.
With 630 hp of system power and 609 lb-ft of system torque, the Audi RS 5 Avant accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds and achieves a top speed of 155.3 mph. These performance figures match the Sedan.
Stopping power comes from 20-inch steel brakes with 420 mm (front)/400 mm (rear) discs. As an option, customers can upgrade to 21-inch ceramic brakes with 440 mm (front)/410 mm (rear) discs. These brakes are 66 lb lighter and bring the car to a halt from 62 mph in 100 feet.
A mechanical all-wheel-drive system is standard, while the rear axle features the world’s first electromechanical torque vectoring system in a production car. A water-cooled 11 hp/30 lb-ft electric motor serves as its actuator, allowing the system to actively transfer torque from either rear wheel to the other.
A 22 kWh (net) battery pack positioned beneath the trunk floor powers both the traction motor and the motor in the torque vectoring unit. It supports charging only via an AC charger, at up to 11 kW.
Fully charging the battery pack takes 2.5 hours and gives an electric range of up to 51 miles, just 1 mile less than the Sedan. Note that these figures are based on the WLTP test cycle used in Europe. The EPA-estimated electric range for the Sedan version coming to the U.S. may vary.
Price & Release Date
In the UK, the 2027 Audi RS 5 Avant’s prices start at GBP 92,050 (USD 123,422) and go up to GBP 109,385 (USD 146,665).
In the U.S., the 2027 Audi RS 5 Sedan should cost around USD 90,000. According to a report from The Drive, it will arrive at dealers sometime in 2027, and as stated earlier, the station wagon model is not part of the U.S. business plan.
An automobile engineer by training, I’ve analyzed the global car market since 2005, with a keen focus on EVs since 2008. My journey in online automotive publishing spans 17 years, during which I have reviewed cutting-edge automotive technologies and interviewed leading global CEOs and vehicle developers.
