High-Performance Five-Door Coupé Revealed

Audi Sport has expanded its high-performance midsize lineup with an entirely new body style: the Audi RS 5 Sportback. Debuting as a five-door model developed on the B9 platform, this latest machine from Neckarsulm blends the mechanical hardware of the two-door RS 5 Coupé with the everyday utility, elongated silhouette, and luggage volume of an executive fastback. Rather than forcing drivers to choose between track-honed dynamics and family touring capability, Audi Sport delivers both in a package wrapped in taut bodywork, widened arches, and permanent all-wheel drive.

The exterior architecture makes the intent clear immediately. Up front, the RS 5 Sportback carries a wide, flat Singleframe grille framed by prominent air intakes featuring the characteristic RS honeycomb lattice. An aerodynamic front spoiler blade sits along the bottom lip, complete with matte aluminum Quattro badging that anchors the front bumper visually to the tarmac. Beside the headlights, subtle gloss black accents widen the visual stance, accentuating the muscular track width and purposeful face of the car.

In profile, the five-door fastback proportions stand out with a stretched wheelbase, abbreviated overhangs, and a long, sweeping engine hood dominated by an expressive power dome. Audi designers drew direct inspiration from the legendary Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO race car, incorporating sculpted Quattro blisters over the wheel housings. These prominent arches widen the bodywork by 15 millimeters (0.6 inches) on each side compared to the standard Audi A5 Sportback. Running between them is the signature wavy shoulder line, a sweeping crease that catches the light and emphasizes the car’s athletic flanks before tapering into the rear quarter panels.

Aerodynamics, Wheels, and Tailored Exterior Styling

Moving toward the rear of the car reveals dedicated functional aerodynamic treatments developed in the wind tunnel. A fixed spoiler lip sits neatly on the trailing edge of the rear hatch, providing downforce at autobahn cruising speeds without disrupting the clean sweep of the roofline. Below the bumper, a prominent RS-specific diffuser insert frames the dual oval tailpipes of the RS sport exhaust system, a long-standing signature of the RS bloodline that delivers an authoritative acoustic bark under hard throttle.

Rolling stock consists of 19-inch forged alloy wheels fitted as standard equipment, wrapped in sticky performance rubber designed to maximize lateral grip. For drivers seeking greater road presence and sharper steering response, Audi Sport provides several 20-inch wheel designs as optional equipment. The exterior appearance can be customized through three distinctive styling packages: Gloss Black, Carbon, and Matte Aluminum. These packages alter the front blade, side sill inserts, window frames, mirror caps, and rear diffuser trim, allowing owners to choose between stealthy dark detailing or motorsport-grade exposed composite weave. To top it off, Audi Sport offers Sonoma Green Metallic as an exclusive exterior paint option, emphasizing the dramatic surface tension and wide stance of the B9 Sportback.

Twin-Turbocharged 2.9 TFSI V6: The Hot-V Powertrain

At the mechanical core of the Audi RS 5 Sportback resides a completely newly developed engine: the 2.9-liter TFSI biturbo V6. Generating an impressive 331 kW (450 metric horsepower; 444 bhp) and a massive 600 Nm (442.5 lb-ft) of torque, this powerplant replaces the high-revving 4.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 of the preceding generation. While the old free-breathing V8 earned devotion for its 8,250-rpm redline scream, the new 2.9-liter twin-turbo unit completely transforms real-world driveability by delivering its full 600 Nm plateau across an extraordinarily broad engine speed band from 1,900 to 5,000 rpm.

This relentless tidal wave of mid-range torque propels the RS 5 Sportback from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds. Audi factory specifications rate standard terminal velocity at an electronically limited 155 mph (250 km/h), though selecting the optional dynamic package lifts that ceiling to 174 mph (280 km/h). The engineering architecture behind these figures centers on a sophisticated “hot-V” turbocharger configuration. Both mono-scroll turbochargers are nestled directly within the 90-degree vee between the cylinder banks. This packaging reverses conventional flow: the exhaust ports exit into the central valley while the air intake plenums sit on the cool outside of the heads.

By routing the exhaust directly into turbochargers mere inches from the exhaust valves, gas travel distance is slashed, drastically reducing thermal energy loss and aerodynamic pumping resistance. The resulting throttle response is immediate; bury your right foot at low revs and the turbochargers spool to their maximum 1.5 bar (21.8 psi) boost pressure almost instantly. Furthermore, Audi engineers implemented the innovative B-cycle combustion process paired with central high-pressure direct fuel injectors. During partial load conditions, shortened compression strokes combined with higher expansion ratios deliver notable thermodynamic efficiency, allowing this 450-hp sports saloon to return respectable fuel economy when cruising casually on the highway.

Eight-Speed Tiptronic and Quattro Permanent All-Wheel Drive

Harnessing 600 Nm of torque demands a stout driveline. Audi Sport paired the 2.9 TFSI with a quick-shifting eight-speed Tiptronic torque-converter automatic transmission. Programmed specifically for high-performance duty with rapid shift times, the gearbox features closely stacked lower ratios for aggressive standing-start acceleration, alongside tall cruising overdrive gears that keep engine revolutions hushed on long cross-country journeys. Shifts can be triggered instantly via steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles or the console selector lever.

Power feeds directly into Audi’s legendary Quattro permanent all-wheel drive system, utilizing a purely mechanical center differential. Under ordinary driving conditions, this differential distributes drive torque asymmetrically, sending 40 percent to the front axle and 60 percent to the rear axle. This rear-biased baseline configuration gives the RS 5 Sportback agile turn-in behavior and neutral balance, completely neutralizing the nose-heavy push that characterized earlier high-performance all-wheel-drive sedans.

When changing road surfaces or sudden weight transfers trigger wheel slip on one axle, the mechanical differential responds instantaneously without waiting for electronic intervention. It can redirect up to 70 percent of total driving force to the front wheels or up to 85 percent directly to the rear wheels. This rapid mechanical torque transfer ensures tenacious corner-exit traction in wet weather, snow, or demanding track scenarios, working in tandem with wheel-selective torque control that delicately brakes inside wheels during hard cornering.

Chassis Engineering: Five-Link Suspension and Dynamic Ride Control

Beneath the sculpted sheetmetal sits an advanced chassis layout designed to deliver poise and agility. Both front and rear axles employ lightweight five-link suspension geometry, constructed largely of forged aluminum components to minimize unsprung mass. The complex multi-link setup provides independent control of longitudinal and lateral forces, allowing engineers to tune compliance for harsh pavement impacts while keeping wheel camber and toe strictly controlled under severe cornering loads.

In standard specification, the RS sports suspension drops the car’s ride height by seven millimeters (0.3 inches) compared to the already lowered Audi S5 Sportback, lowering the center of gravity and providing an aggressive asphalt-scraping stance. For drivers demanding the sharpest handling response, Audi Sport offers the optional RS sport suspension plus featuring Dynamic Ride Control (DRC). This ingenious, purely hydraulic damping system connects diagonally opposed shock absorbers through central hydraulic lines fitted with central valves.

When the car pitches forward under heavy braking or rolls into an off-camber bend, the DRC valves instantaneously generate opposing hydraulic pressure to suppress body motion without requiring stiff, jarring electronic dampers. Drivers can toggle between Comfort, Auto, Dynamic, and Individual chassis modes through the standard Audi drive select system. Dynamic steering with an RS-specific variable ratio is also available, along with massive carbon-ceramic front brake discs that eliminate thermal fade during sustained track driving.

Cabin Craftsmanship, Ergonomics, and Everyday Practicality

Inside, the RS 5 Sportback proves that a thoroughbred sports machine can serve as an effortless daily driver. The cabin accommodates five occupants in a driver-focused, premium environment finished predominantly in dark tones. The driver grips a flat-bottomed RS multifunction sports steering wheel trimmed in perforated leather, facing the fully digital Audi virtual cockpit. The high-resolution display features RS-specific digital screens showing tire pressure readouts, instantaneous torque output, and lateral acceleration G-forces. When the transmission is set to manual mode, an intuitive visual shift light sequence illuminates across the tachometer, signaling the driver to pull the right shift paddle right before reaching the rev limiter.

Heavily bolstered RS sport seats provide outstanding lateral support during high-G cornering while remaining supremely comfortable for multi-hour interstate hauls. They come upholstered in premium materials, with optional fine Nappa leather featuring distinctive honeycomb contrast stitching. RS badging adorns the seat backrests, door sill plates, steering wheel base, and gear selector lever. Choosing the optional RS design package brings motorsport vibrancy to the interior through contrasting red stitching along the steering wheel rim and gear selector gaiter, plush Alcantara knee pads on the center console, and red-bordered seat belts alongside branded RS floor mats.

Practical versatility is where the Sportback body style truly separates itself from traditional sports coupes. Despite tipping the scales at an athletic curb weight of 1,840 kilograms (4,056.5 lbs), the car functions as an immensely practical tourer. The sweeping rear liftback opens wide to reveal a square-shaped luggage compartment with an unobstructed loading width of exactly 1,000 millimeters (3.3 feet). Cargo capacity measures 480 liters (17.0 cubic feet) with all seats in place, easily accommodating multiple full-size travel suitcases or golf bags.

When greater cargo capacity is required, the rear seat backrests fold down in a versatile 40:20:40 split, expanding total rear cargo space to an impressive 1,300 liters (45.9 cubic feet). The flat load floor and hatchback utility transform this 450-horsepower projectile into an all-weather, all-season machine capable of tackling family road trips, grocery runs, and track days with equal competence. Through this synthesis of aggressive engineering and functional architecture, the Audi RS 5 Sportback establishes an enticing new benchmark in the high-performance executive segment.

Vehicle data

Field	Value
Make	Audi
Model	RS 5 Sportback
Generation / chassis code	B9 (Typ F5)
Model year(s) covered	2019
Body style	5-door liftback sedan / fastback coupé
Powertrain / engine	2.9-liter (2,894 cc) twin-turbocharged TFSI 90-degree V6
Power / torque	331 kW (450 PS; 444 bhp) @ 5,700–6,700 rpm / 600 Nm (442.5 lb-ft) @ 1,900–5,000 rpm
Transmission	8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Drivetrain	Quattro permanent all-wheel drive with self-locking center differential (40:60 front/rear split)
Key performance figures	0–60 mph in 3.9 s; Top speed 155 mph (250 km/h) electronically limited (174 mph / 280 km/h optional)
Price (as stated)	Not stated in sources
On-sale / announcement period	April 2018 reveal (2018 New York International Auto Show)
Market	Global (North America initial debut)