Is The New 630 HP Audi RS5 PHEV Too Heavy To Be Fun?

Meet the new Audi RS5, the carmaker’s first proper high-performance plug-in hybrid. And yes, it is a big shift for the RS badge. Starting with the visuals, it certainly looks the part. The body is about 90 mm wider than a standard A5. Up front, there is a darker honeycomb grille and lighting signatures with checkered flag graphics. At the rear, you get a diffuser with vertical fins and large matte oval exhaust tips that leave no doubt about its intent.

Under the hood sits a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 paired with an electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission. The V6 alone produces 503 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque. 

The electric motor adds another 174 hp and 339 lb-ft. Together, the system delivers a massive 630 hp and 608 lb-ft. That is serious muscle. For comparison, a base BMW M3 makes 473 hp, and even the M3 Competition xDrive sits at 523 hp. On paper at least, the RS5 has them covered. Audi claims 0 to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds, which puts it firmly in super sedan territory.

The battery is not small either. It has 22 kWh of usable capacity and sits under the boot floor. Charging tops out at 11 kW AC, and Audi says it can travel up to 50 miles on electric power alone. That is a huge leap over the outgoing Mercedes-AMG C63, which managed only around 9 miles of EV range. In daily driving, that means many owners could commute without touching the V6.

Beyond the powertrain, Audi has worked on the chassis. The Quattro system now uses a revised center differential to improve turn-in and reduce the traditional Audi understeer. At the rear, Dynamic Torque Control can shift torque between the rear wheels in milliseconds. There is even an RS Torque Rear mode for more playful behavior. A boost button unleashes maximum output for 10 seconds, which feels like something straight out of a video game.

Brakes are massive. Standard steel discs measure 420 mm at the front and 400 mm at the rear. Optional carbon ceramics increase that to 440 mm and 410 mm while saving 30 kg.

Now comes the controversial part. Weight. The sedan comes in at 2,355 kg with the driver, and the Avant adds a bit more. That is about 550 kg heavier than the old Audi RS4 Avant. It is also heavier than many versions of the Ford F-150, which sounds almost absurd for a sports sedan. Even compared to the latest BMW M5, the RS5 is not exactly lightweight.

Overall, this new Audi RS5 feels like the future and the compromise of performance cars wrapped into one. The power and electric range are genuinely impressive. But the weight numbers raise eyebrows. It is brutally quick, packed with tech, and probably devastating in a straight line. The real question is whether it still feels light and alive on a twisty road, or if that extra mass changes the character of what an RS5 is supposed to be.