Four-door coupes are starting to flood the market, and that’s why Audi came up with the RS5 Sportback, an all-new model in the lineup and the seventh Audi Sport model, sharing a similar design with the RS7 Sportback. It got all of the typical RS cues inside and out but is powered by a 2.9-liter, Biturbo mill that is borrowed from the Porsche Panamera. It can hit 60 mph faster than a BMW 650i or Mercedes CLS500 and does so looking good in the process. Based on the RS 5 Coupe, the Sportback should command somewhere around $80,000 when it goes on sale in the second half of 2018.

Update 08/22/2018: Audi has announced pricing for the 2019 Audi RS 5 Sportback as well as a long list of standard options but leaves us in the dark when it comes to pricing for the RS 5 Coupe. Read the full scoop in our “Pricing” section below.

<

2019 Audi RS5 Exterior

The Audi RS5 Sportback is a looker, even if you’re not one that’s so keen on the whole “four-door coupe” design. And, truth be told, this thing is actually a hatchback, so it’s technically a five-door vehicle, but it still competes in the looks department with models like the Mercedes CLS and BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe. The front end is dominated by the large, single-frame grille and massive corner intakes, both of which get the RS-style honeycomb mesh, while the hood adds its own bit of aggressiveness. Furthermore, the body is actually one-inch wider than the RS5 Coupe, and it really shows when you look at it head-on.

The side profile is generously eccentric. Of course, it has the sharp body lines that you would expect from a sports car and the steeply raked roof in the rear, but it has four doors that are somehow proportioned just right despite the rear door being a bit smaller. The beltline has a slight curve to it while the mirrors sit a little further back than one might expect. Finally, the lower body line that protrudes a bit from the body is angled in a way that gives the care a raked look from the side, despite the aggressive roofline. This is also where you can notice it’s slightly lower stance, which comes in at 7 mm or 0.28-inches lower than the RS5 Coupe.

Around back, that fifth door is painfully obvious if you follow the jagged edges of what would be the rear decklid further up the pillar toward the glass – you just can’t miss that huge seam on the roof. The angle of the roof is designed in a way that allows you to see the large glass panel on the roof as well. A small, carbon fiber lip rests at the rearward edge of the fifth door. And, this is where Audi’s design skills really shine through because the rear end has a true sculpted look with the was the taillights sit inward inside the concave section above the rear fascia. An aggressive diffuser takes hold down below, where dual exhaust outlets and a hint of carbon fiber offset the thin red reflectors.

Needless to say, the RS5 Sportback is a very sporty car, especially for something with four doors on the side, but it’s not all about the body style – there’s a lot going on inside as well.

2019 Audi RS5 Sportback Interior Design

What is arguably the most important feature of the interior is the fact that, despite the infinitely sloping roof, there’s still seating for five passengers. Front passengers get S Sport seats with embossed headrests while rear passengers get a bench of sorts with the seat on each end providing ample support on the sides. They also have the hexagonal stitching pattern with body-colored stitching while the center of the seat sits a little higher with the backrest doubling as a pulldown armrest should the seat remain unoccupied.

The front of the vehicle end is dominated by carbon fiber trim on the face of the dash, center console, steering wheel, and gear shifter, while the typical Audi floating display offers up RS-specific graphics. Like the seats, the steering wheel is wrapped in leather, perforated, and held together with body-colored stitching. It’s a flat bottom unit with an aggressively sloped rear pillar. Sitting ahead of the wheel is a standard Audi instrument cluster, but you can opt for the virtual cockpit with RS-specific graphics. Alcantara and carbon fiber adorn the doors, while stainless steel pedals match the various trim pieces throughout the cabin.

The last detail has to do with cargo space, which one would assume comes at a premium (much like rear headroom) because of that steep roof, but Audi thought that out too. The automaker hasn’t disclosed specific volume figures, but the rear seats do fold down which would, under assumption, provide at least double the cargo space than there is with them upright. It might look the role of a family car in terms of basic shape, but don’t be confused, this is an all-out sports car through and through.

2019 Audi RS5 Sportback Performance

Just like the RS5 Coupe, the Sportback gets its motivation from a 2.9-liter, Biturbo, V-6. It’s the same engine that powers the Porsche Panamera and was rumored to be offered in a new entry-level Audi R8, but it is tuned to deliver 444 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque – four horsepower and 38 pound-feet more than you’ll get with the Panamera. Shifting duties come courtesy of Audi’s eight-speed auto with no word of a manual transmission thus far, but it does channel power to all four wheels via a Quattro AWD system. Torque is split between the front and rear with a 40:60 bias, which should lead to some pretty engaging and exciting driving characteristics when you really get into it.

Audi claims that the Sportback can hit 60 mph in “less than four seconds,” which would put it at somewhere around 3 seconds faster than BMW’s 650i Gran Coupe and as much as a second faster than the Mercedes CLS500. Top speed is pegged at 155 mph, but if you opt for the Dynamic package, Audi will raise that electronic limiter to as high as 174 mph. For what it’s worth, Audi says these performance figures are conservative so it could actually be faster in the right conditions with the right driver.

As mentioned before, the suspension has been lowered by 0.28 inches in comparison to the coupe, and the body is one-inch wider, so it will handle sharply when needed. If you want more, however, you can splurge on the sport suspension with dynamic ride control which will allow you to customize the suspension based on your specific needs at the time. As for driver assistance features, there are some if you really want to give away some control of a car like this, but you do need to option things like traffic sign recognition, active cruise control, and lane keep assist, but who really wants those in something as sporty as this – it’s meant to be driven, so we suggest you drive it like you stole it instead.

2019 Audi RS5 Sportback Pricing

Manufacturer suggested retail pricing for the 2019 RS5 Sportback is set at $74,200 plus a $995 destination charge. Pricing doesn’t include taxes, title, or dealer charges, however, so your minimal price will be closer to the $80,000 mark even with zero dealer markup. With that said, dealer markup could be significant during the first few months on sale, so pricing could easily exceed the $80,000.

As far as standard equipment goes, that sticker price gets you Audi’s MMI Navigation Plus, Audi’s Virtual Cockpit, Audi Connect Prime & Plus, a tire pressure monitoring system, an Audi phone box, and rear USB charger ports. It should be noted, however, that those rear USB ports are only standard on the Sportback and not the RS5 coupe. If available for the coupe, you’ll have to pay a bit extra.

2019 Audi RS5 Sportback Competition

Audi claims that the RS5 Sportback has no direct competition because of its five-door presence, but that’s really not the case as the BMW 650i and Mercedes CLS500 both make for fair propositions if you’re in the market for this specific body style.

2018 BMW 650i Gran Coupe

You really couldn’t pin the 6 Series Gran Coupe as a sports car, at least not in the same light you would the RS5 Sportback. And, it’s actually a bit more costly if you really want the same kind of horsepower. If you go with the 640i, you’ll get a sticker somewhere around $81,500, but you’ll only get 315 horsepower from an inline-six, with performance times falling subpar at 5.4 seconds just for a sprint to 60 mph. So, you have to go with the $93,100 650i that gets its power from a heavier, 4.4-liter V-8. It’s good for 443 horsepower (just one just of the RS5) and 479 pound-feet of torque. It’ll get you to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. If you want to get closer to the RS5’s sprint, you’ll need to pony up an extra $3,000 for the xDrive model, and that will still leave you falling behind in a shootout by at least 0.3 seconds. The interior is quite attractive, but without any M-styling cues, it really doesn’t compare to what the RS5 Sportback is offering. With that said, the only reason to argue for the 650i is if you’re a loyal fanboy that cares about what badge you’re affiliated with.

Read our full review on the 2018 BMW 650i Gran Coupe.

2018 Mercedes CLS500

Mercedes doesn’t exactly have something that competes in the power department, so you’re stuck going with the $77,650 CLS500 or the $108,900 AMG CLS63 S. The CLS63 S is way out of the budget and delivers considerably more horsepower as well, so it’s really the CLS500 that you need to focus on here. That model comes in a bit cheaper than the RS5 Sportback, so keep that in mind when you find out it’s actually 42 horsepower shy at just 402 horsepower. It does deliver the same amount of torque, 443 pound-feet, at a relatively low 1,600 rpm, though, so it has that going for it. The power comes from a well-designed 4.7-liter, Biturbo, V-8 but it’s quite heavier in comparison to the RS5’s V-6, so your sprint to 60 mph will have you falling behind, coming in at 4.9 seconds under ideal conditions. To beat the RS5 with a CLS, you’ll need an aftermarket tuner to do their magic, or pay up and extra $30,000 plus for the CLS63, which makes the same sprint in 3.5 seconds. You do get a sporty coupe-like exterior with the CLS500, though, and the interior is very luxurious. It doesn’t quite have that AMG touch, though, so you’ll probably find that the RS5 has more of the performance-oriented trim and features you’re probably looking for.

Read our full review on the 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS.

Final Thoughts

Well, Audi did say that the RS5 Sportback doesn’t have a direct competitor and I did argue against that, but after looking at the models it should compete with, there just isn’t really enough in sync to call them true competition. You’ll either pay more money for the 650i and get performance that falls just shy or pay as much as $35,000 more to get the AMG CLS63 S. Of course, you could go with the BMW 640i and have way less performance but if that’s what you’re thinking then why are you here? Truth be told, the RS5 Sportback offers that true sports car feel, look, and performance with a better bang for your buck compared to similar offerings on the market. And, while we haven’t had the chance to drive one year, we’re willing to bet that it probably drives a little better too. German competition is like nothing else in this world and Audi new better than to come to the party ill-equipped.

References

Read our full review on the 2018 Audi RS5.

Read more Audi news.

Read more New York Auto Show news.