The 2027 Audi RS 5 is Audi’s First High-Performance Plug-in Hybrid and it Makes 630 HP

For many fans of sporty cars, the arrival of high output plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains has been the source of ambivalence. With the new RS 5, Audi has taken full advantage of the electric side of the powertrain to do more than just give it a headline-grabbing amount of power.

And the amount of power, 630 hp when the whole powertrain is working together, is worthy of headlines. To go with that, the twin-turbocharged 2.9L V6 engine and the electric motor churn out 603 lb-ft of torque, all of which should lead to some serious acceleration. Indeed, Audi claims that the RS 5 will be able to reach 100 km/h in just 3.6 seconds.

Drawing from a 22 kWh (net) battery pack located under the trunk, the motors will be capable of conveying the car up to 84 km on electric power alone — or, at least, that’s how far the European estimates say the car will go. North American estimates tend to be a little less generous with distance.

And while that’s all impressive, it’s not that surprising. Plug-in hybrid performance cars from Mercedes, BMW, and others have trained us to expect huge power outputs at the expense of complexity and weight. But Audi has an ace up its sleeve.

Not only has the powertrain allowed for big horsepower figures, it has also allowed Audi to make the RS 5 the first-ever production vehicle to feature electro-mechanical torque vectoring.

The complex system pairs a conventional transaxle (that is, a transmission that is located on one of the vehicle’s axles and performs double duty as a differential, portioning out power to each side of the car) to a low-power electric motor and overdrive gears. That’s all rather complicated, but the effect is more immediate control and better handling.

Audi says that the torque vectoring system allows the RS 5 to move power to the outside wheel while the car is going around corner, effectively pushing it into the corner and closer to the apex. Moreover, the electro-mechanical nature of the system means more control under braking, too, allowing drivers to slow down with more stability. Finally, the ability to send power to the wheel with the most grip means that the car launches much more aggressively, too.

It’s not all whizzbang gadgetry, though. The RS 5 also makes use of some old school chassis improvements. For starters, the car is around 9 cm wider than the A5, making it more planted on the road. It also gets big 21-inch staggered-width wheels, as well as large steel brakes that have a 420 mm in diameter in the front and 400 mm in the back. Buyers who want better braking performance can opt for carbon ceramic brakes that are 440 mm in diameter up front and 410 mm in the back and save 30 kg (66 lbs).

To ensure that drivers get the most out of the car, the RS 5 also tracks acceleration, braking, and pedal use, allowing drivers to record lap and sector times on track. The mode is presented on the RS 5’s wide variety of OLED screens. Not only does the car get a 14.5-inch touchscreen and an 11.9-inch driver display, it also gets a standard 10.9-inch passenger display, and an optional head-up display.

From an aesthetic point of view, the interior gets colour-coated seat belts, a variety of leather-free and leather upholstery options in a multiple colourways, and plenty of carbon fibre trim. Outside, buyers will have a choice of nine paint colours, including Ascari blue, Mythos black, Progressive red, and more.