It’s finally happening. The Q5 gets the RS badge. After nearly two decades of making that midsize SUV, Audi somehow skipped the performance variant until now. A recent spy video from Europe confirms it. A fleet of camouflaged prototypes was spotted testing. The RS Q5 is real.
Volkswagen wants to cut costs. Halving their vehicle portfolio is the goal. But not yet. They still need sales. So here is the plan: plug the existing high-output V6 plug-in hybrid powertrain from the RS5 into the Q5 chassis. Simple. Effective.
The camouflage helps. Not really. You can still see the double oval exhausts. The flared wheel arches give it away. And the tires are thick. Likely wider front and rear tracks too. That yellow sticker on the fender is the tell. It means high voltage. Plug-in hybrid.
The RS5’s system delivers 630 horsepower. Expect the Q5 to match that output.
The RS5 is heavy. It tips the scales at over 5,000 pounds. Why? The 25.9 kWh battery. It’s chunky. The SQ5 already weighs more than the S5. An SUV version of this tech will be even heavier. Physics.
Does it matter? Maybe. Porsche is killing the Macan later this year. They need a replacement. It arrives in 2028. It will share bones with the Q5. So this RS model might dictate how Porsche builds their next entry-level sports SUV. Cooperation is the name of the game now. Sharing development costs for everything. From EV sports cars to this SUV.
Look around. The convoy held other secrets too. The new RS6 Avant was there. Also a sedan version. Yes, a sedan. It replaces the RS7. An awkward return for a nameplate gone silent for fifteen years. Then there’s the SQ9. The three-row luxury brute.
Lots are leaving too. The A1 and Q2 are already gone. The A8 flagship sedan? Retired. The Q8 e-tron and its coupe variant are buried. Even the R8 and TT have vanished into history. Only limited run stuff like the Nuvolari remains, if you count that.
What is the point? Audi is reshuffling the deck. Big changes are coming in interior quality. Physical buttons are returning. Screens will be cut. Better materials. A new design language is brewing for 2028. The A4 e-tron leads that charge.
But these new cars? The RS Q5? The Q9? They are old designs. Built before the shift. They are the bridge. Not the destination. We are stuck in the middle of the transition. For now.
Are we okay with a 600-horsepower hybrid SUV as our gateway to the electric future? Or just another compromise in a shrinking lineup? The A2 electric hatchback might offer a better path. We’ll see if the weight of the batteries crushes the fun before they do.
