New 2017 Audi RS5: UK prices announced for 444bhp coupe
RS5 Coupe available to order this month for deliveries in summer, with prices starting from £62,900
After a glitzy Geneva Motor Show debut, Audi's second-generation RS5 coupe is landing in the UK this month. Priced from £62,900, first deliveries of the 444bhp BMW M4 rival will begin in the summer.
Audi has also confirmed that the RS5 will come as standard with the Virtual Cockpit digital instrument display, as well as the quattro sport rear differential. Options include a carbon-fibre roof, Dynamic Ride Control suspension and a louder RS exhaust.
• Best sports cars on the market
The RS5's styling upgrades reflect its racy status in the range. At the front is a black honeycomb grille flanked by two large, angular air vents. The RS5’s stance is accentuated with wider wheelarches, and it rides on new five spoke 19-inch alloy wheels – larger 20-inch wheels make the options list. Around the rear the car keeps its signature oval tailpipes, alongside a new rear diffuser and a small bootlid lip spoiler.
Under the bonnet the RS5 drops two cylinders, getting a 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6 producing 444bhp. That’s the same power figure found in the old V8 powered RS5, but torque nudges up by 170Nm to 600Nm at peak.
That new engine takes the car from 0-62mph in just 3.9 seconds, and with an option pack that removes the limiter it can hit 174mph flat-out. That makes it faster than the previous model, which did the sprint in 4.6 seconds, but it’s more efficient as well.
The new engine manages 32.5mpg and CO2 emissions of 197g/km, which is 17 per cent better than the old V8 model. That’s partly thanks to a lower kerb weight: the new model sheds 60kg, now weighing 1,655kg.
An eight-speed tiptronic automatic gearbox drives all four wheels, with a power distribution of 40:60, so most of the power heads to the rear wheels. An optional sport differential will be offered on the car, and a multi-link suspension set-up on the rear replaces the trapezoidal-link from the previous model.Options on the RS5 include dynamic ride control with sports suspension, ceramic brakes and revised steering that’s unique to the RS model. Of course drivers can select from several driving modes to suit the road ahead, too.
Inside the RS5 are sports seats with optional diamond stitching, a flat-bottomed steering wheel and RS logos around the cabin. Audi’s virtual cockpit is present, and features info on torque and g-forces, plus a shift light at the rev limiter.
What do you think of the new Audi RS5? Let us know in the comments...
