Article Abstract
- The brand new Audi RS5 goes the plug-in hybrid route with much more energy but in addition a substantial quantity of additional weight.
- The RS5 Avant is not any faster to 62 mph (100 km/h) than the M3 Touring.
- The recent wagon is joined by an RS5 Sedan, which is technically a five-door liftback.
BMW and Audi have been at one another’s throats on this phase for the reason that days of the M3 E36 and the Audi RS2 Avant. Greater than 30 years after Ingolstadt’s unique tremendous wagon debuted, the first-ever RS5 Avant takes a really totally different strategy to its drivetrain. Joined by a brand new RS5 Sedan, these fashions at the moment are efficiency plug-in hybrids.
Whereas the M3 G80 Sedan and M3 G81 Touring maintain issues easy with a pure inline-six setup, Audi is preventing again with a V6 PHEV. The dual-turbo 2.9-liter engine, paired with an electrical motor, delivers a mixed 630 hp and 825 Nm (608 lb-ft). These figures simply eclipse the M3’s, however there’s extra to the story.
Sure, the RS5 enjoys a hefty benefit of 107 hp and 175 Nm (129 lb-ft), nevertheless it’s additionally considerably heavier. In Avant type, the spicy wagon suggestions the scales at 2,370 kg (5,225 lbs). That all of the sudden makes the M3 Touring appear light-weight at 1,865 kg (4,111 lbs). A whopping 505 kg (1,113 lbs) separates the 2 German efficiency wagons.
The RS5 Strikes Up To The Heavyweight Class
In truth, the RS5 Avant is nearer in weight to the M5 Touring than to the M3 Touring. Audi’s new all-rounder is barely 105 kg (231 lbs) lighter than BMW’s G99. That’s regardless of the latter packing a bigger 4.4-liter V8. The comparability with the M5 Touring isn’t exaggerated, because the 4 Rings wagon can also be nearer in measurement to the long-roof M5 than to its smaller sibling.
It could be heavy, however the first RS plug-in hybrid is significantly fast. Audi quotes a 0–62 mph (0–100 km/h) time of three.6 seconds to match the M3 Touring. It is going to maintain accelerating till an digital limiter steps in at 177 mph (285 km/h), only a hair sooner than its BMW rival.
The RS5 additionally does one thing the M3 can’t: drive as much as 87 kilometers (54 miles) in purely electrical mode. A 25.9-kWh battery pack delivers a decent EV vary, exceeding that of an M5 with its barely smaller 22.1-kWh pack.
The M3 Stays The Purist’s Alternative
However, the M3 has an ace up its sleeve. Persist with the sedan, and the bottom mannequin nonetheless enables you to row your personal gears. A six-speed guide isn’t accessible within the RS5, as each variants come solely with an eight-speed automated. That entry-level M3 additionally presents a pure rear-wheel-drive setup, whereas Audi sells the RS5 solely with Quattro all-wheel drive.
The variations prolong to design. The M3 stays the extra extroverted automotive with its eye-catching kidney grille, however the RS5 isn’t precisely refined both. It options large oval exhaust suggestions and distinguished fender vents. As with BMW’s Touring, we desire the Avant physique model, and even diehard BMW followers should admit it seems sensational with its bulging fenders and roof spoiler.
With large air intakes and ceramic brakes hiding behind cast 21-inch wheels, the brand new RS5 is undeniably hanging. We’re much less enamored with the inside, however that’s the truth of recent cabins dominated by screens. The VW Group nonetheless clings to shiny black plastics, though the brand new RS seats immediately distinguish it from a normal A5.
The New Audi RS5 Prices Virtually The Identical As The BMW M3
Audi is asking €106,200 for the sedan/liftback and €107,850 for the wagon in Germany. That pricing aligns intently with the M3 Competitors xDrive (€107,600) and the M3 Competitors Touring xDrive (€108,900).
Audi RS5 Sedan
Audi RS5 Avant
