Audi Firmly Rejected the Idea of a Four-Cylinder Engine for the RS5
- Audi never contemplated reducing the RS5’s engine to four cylinders.
- An early consideration involved a non-plug-in hybrid variant, which was ultimately discarded.
- The hybrid alternative did not offer significant weight reduction benefits.
The recently unveiled Audi RS5 has stuck to its guns by retaining the V6 powerplant, despite trends among some competitors to shrink engine sizes in performance vehicles. Unlike brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi chose not to explore a four-cylinder engine for this model.
Rolf Michl, managing director of Audi Sport, confirmed in an interview with Edmunds that downsizing the RS5’s engine was never on the table "for even a moment." Although the company briefly evaluated a non-plug-in hybrid RS5 early in the development phase, testing of plug-in hybrid prototypes led them to abandon the idea.
2026 Audi RS5
Steffen Bamberger, Audi’s head of research and development, explained that the weight savings from the hybrid system didn't justify the compromises. He noted that the hybrid setup, adding up to 330 pounds, only provided about a six-mile electric range, which he deemed insufficient for customer expectations.
Moreover, Audi has no intention of offering a non-hybrid RS5 in the U.S. market due to the complexities involved in developing a unique powertrain for a single region, as Michl pointed out.
The RS5 is powered by a twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6 paired with an electric motor, delivering a combined output of 630 horsepower and 608 pound-feet of torque. Despite its heft—5,225 pounds, which is 1,378 pounds more than the prior generation—the vehicle accelerates from zero to 62 miles per hour in just 3.6 seconds.
