Audi Is Making An RS Model It’s Never Offered Before

The Volkswagen Group wants to halve its massive portfolio to cut costs drastically, but obviously that won’t happen overnight. Before it starts swinging the axe at vehicles that don’t make enough money, the Audi arm of the automotive giant is planning to roll out two models it has never offered before. While the three-row Q9 is no longer a secret, some will be surprised to learn an RS Q5 is also on the way.

Audi has been selling the Q5 for nearly 20 years, yet it has never given the SUV the RS treatment. A new spy video shot in sunny Europe shows a fleet of camouflaged prototypes, including the RS Q5. It’s not just the double oval exhaust finishers that give away the vehicle’s identity. We can also clearly spot the flared wheel arches concealing meaty tires and possibly wider front and rear tracks.

As if that wasn’t enough, the high-voltage yellow sticker indicates we’re looking at a plug-in hybrid. Given that the Q5 is closely related to the A5, the high-performance versions should follow the same formula. The RS Q5 is likely to borrow the plug-in hybrid V6 from the RS5, which produces 630 horsepower and 608 pound-feet (825 Newton-meters) of torque.

Audi Sport’s first plug-in hybrid comes with a chunky 25.9-kWh battery, a major reason why the RS5 Avant tips the scales at a hefty 5,225 pounds (2,370 kilograms). We wouldn’t be surprised if the RS Q5 ends up even heavier, given that SUVs typically weigh more than equivalent sedans or wagons. For reference, the SQ5 is 165 pounds (75 kilograms) heavier than the S5 Avant.

The RS Q5 is important not just for Audi but for Porsche as well. Zuffenhausen is retiring the first-generation Macan at the end of this month and will launch a direct successor in 2028. Once again, it’ll be closely related to the Q5, so it’s reasonable to expect similarities between Porsche’s range-topping version and the upcoming RS-badged Q5.

The two Volkswagen Group brands are working more closely together to spread development costs and accelerate new projects, including Porsche’s 718 Boxster/Cayman EVs and Audi’s Concept C. Additionally, the upcoming Q9 we mentioned earlier could share some of its underpinnings with Porsche’s three-row SUV.

The spy video isn’t just about the RS Q5. The convoy of camouflaged Audi prototypes also includes the quad-pipe SQ9 and the next-generation RS6 Avant. The latter will also be offered as a sedan, replacing the RS7 Sportback and reviving the RS6 Sedan after more than 15 years. It’s unclear whether we’ll see all these performance models later this year, but the SQ9 is coming soon.

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Source: Audi

Motor1’s Take: Audi’s lineup is undergoing significant changes as new products arrive while others bow out. Models like the RS Q5, Q9, and SQ9 are joining the range alongside the return of the A2 as an entry-level electric hatchback. The electric sports car due in 2027 will by far be the most intriguing addition. We haven’t forgotten about the Nuvolari, but it doesn’t really count, since production is limited to 499 units, with a convertible possibly on the way.

The A1 and Q2 were retired earlier this year. Additionally, the A8 flagship sedan is joining them in the automotive graveyard, where the Q8 E-Tron and Q8 E-Tron Sportback have been resting since last year. Other models, such as the A5 Coupe, A5 Convertible, TT, and the R8, are all gone as well.

Whether the reshuffling pays off remains to be seen. Either way, Audi has even bigger plans ahead, including a dramatic overhaul of its design language. It also promises to improve interior quality by using better materials, adding more physical controls, and reducing screens.

However, models like the RS Q5, Q9/SQ9, and the A2 were designed and engineered years ago, so they’ll largely represent business as usual before the next wave of products reshapes Audi’s lineup. That transformation is set to begin in 2028 with the A4 E-Tron electric sedan.