Yet the RS Q5’s changes will go deeper than just offering huge performance. Audi hasn’t changed the body-in-white as it does with its RS 5, but it has fitted some small arch extensions that make room for wider axles and larger wheels – 21 inches in the case of this prototype. The RS 5’s clever rear differential and rear-wheel steering will also help control the weight, which is likely to be around 2,500kg.
The styling is also set to undergo a fundamental overhaul, as this new model will feature the new design language Audi’s Concept C and Nuvolari supercar. This is obvious with the prototype’s grille, which has a squarer shape, flanked by two tall and narrow outer intakes. This new model hasn’t gone as far as to replace the headlights or bonnet, but it already previews a more restrained aesthetic than we’ve been used to seeing on RS models over the past decade or so.
A similarly understated approach is also applied at the rear, where the two large oval exhaust pipes now sit in their more traditional positions compared to other new-age RS models. Our initial look at the model involved a Sportback body, but subsequent photos taken at the Nürburgring Nordschleife show the SUV version. We’re expecting both to adhere to the range structure we’re used to seeing from RS models in the UK, made up of standard, Carbon Black and Vorsprung variants.
The RS Q5 might well arrive at the perfect time for Audi. Neither BMW or Mercedes-AMG offer direct rivals with this level of performance in the class, with the X3 topping out with the ‘warm’ M50 model and AMG’s new GLC 53 matching that car for power and price. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio and Maserati Grecale Trofeo are still available, but both are ageing and don’t offer the versatility of a plug-in hybrid option.
Finally, Porsche’s new petrol-powered Macan is being hastily developed, but is still at least 24 months away. It will also share many of the Audi’s components, potentially including the plug-in hybrid powertrain. This all suggests that, for now at least, Audi’s new RS Q5 might be the only choice for anyone after a petrol-powered mid-sized high-performance SUV. However, if you’re willing to go full EV, the Porsche Macan Turbo and forthcoming iX3 M and GLC Electric AMG will be compelling alternatives.
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