The RS5 Avant has a smaller cargo area than its predecessor.
The rear-mounted battery pack eats into the luggage capacity.
The 22-kWh battery is located underneath the cargo floor.
The new Audi RS5 Avant is shaping up to be a gorgeous all-rounder, offering plenty of punch and tech in a practical package. Unlike any other RS model before it, the fast wagon is now a plug-in hybrid, promising an instant boost from the electric motor and up to 54 miles (87 kilometers) of electric range. But some downsides go beyond the added weight, which now stands at a colossal 5,225 pounds (2,370 kg).
Mounting a battery pack at the back has had a significant negative impact on practicality compared to the old RS4 Avant. With the rear seats in place, the new performance wagon from Ingolstadt can accommodate only 12.7 cubic feet (361 liters). For reference, its predecessor could swallow 17.5 cubic feet (495 liters), as it didn’t lug around a battery pack.
It’s worth noting that the electrified estate is much larger than the one it replaces. At 16.1 feet (4,896 millimeters) long and 6.4 feet (1,952 millimeters) wide, the RS5 Avant is 4.5 inches (115 millimeters) longer and 3.4 inches (86 millimeters) wider than the final-generation RS4 Avant with its V6-only setup.
Photos by: Audi
Photos by: Audi
Going the PHEV route rears its ugly head again, as the inaugural plug-in hybrid from Audi Sport has a smaller cargo capacity than even the A3 hatchback, not to mention the non-electrified A5 Avant. The supermini can accommodate 13.4 cubic feet (380 liters) behind the rear seats, while the regular wagon offers 16.8 cubic feet (476 liters).
Stuffing the 25.9-kWh battery under the cargo floor was inevitably going to hinder practicality, as that’s how the cookie crumbles with PHEVs. Interestingly, the RS5 Avant’s battery has the same gross capacity as the normal A5 plug-in hybrid but a slightly higher usable energy content of 22 kWh versus 20.7 kWh.
Should you need to haul more cargo, folding the rear seats boosts volume to 46 cubic feet (1,302 liters). Again, that’s substantially less than what the smaller RS4 Avant offered: 52.8 cubic feet (1,495 liters). You’ll likely run into the same issue with the next-generation RS6 Avant, as reports indicate it, too, will go down the electrified route, ideally while keeping the V8.
Photo by: Audi
Motor1’s Take: Electrification is a necessity in the age of increasingly strict emissions regulations, even if that means added bulk and less luggage space. But we prefer to see the glass half full and applaud Audi for keeping the V6 under the hood rather than going the AMG route of downsizing to a four-cylinder. You know how that ended.
Practicality and powertrain aside, the new RS5 Avant is a stunner on the outside, with its RS6 GT-like fender vents and comically large oval exhaust tips. As for the interior, we’d much rather have the old RS4 Avant’s cabin, but it’s 2026, and screen-heavy dashboards with minimal switchgear are in full effect.
Whether it will receive a US visa remains to be seen. We asked Audi, and the company didn’t say yes or no. We should have a definitive answer closer to the RS5’s North American launch next year.
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