2026 Audi RS 5 Avant with plug-in hybrid spotted

Audi's A5 family currently consists of coupe, convertible, and hatchback body styles, but the next generation is expected to include a new A5 wagon, the Avant. Avant is the name Audi uses for the wagon body style.

Prototypes of the A5 Avant wagon have been spotted in the past, and a new test vehicle, believed to be for the high-performance RS 5 variant, has appeared. A prototype of the sporty S5 Avant has also been spotted in the past.

The RS 5 Avant will replace the current RS 4 Avant sold abroad as part of Audi's naming strategy shift. Under the new strategy announced last year, models with internal combustion engines will have odd numbers in their names, while electric vehicle models will have even numbers. This means that the next A4 will be an electric car.

The latest prototype is the RS 5 Avant, not the regular A5 Avant, with the added intakes in the front mask, wide fenders to accommodate the widened track, huge cross-drilled brake rotors, and RS This can be seen from the cutout in the rear mask for the oval exhaust tip. The prototype exhaust tips appear to be temporary.

The prototype also has both a fuel filler cap and charging port on the driver's side, indicating a plug-in hybrid powertrain. A yellow warning sticker on the windshield also indicates some form of electrification.

It is not clear what is planned for the powertrain, but rumors point to the current RS 5's twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6 mated to an electric drive system. The current RS 5 delivers 444 hp, but the upcoming model should be significantly more powerful to challenge the 671 hp of the Mercedes-Benz AMG C 63 S E Performance, which is also a plug-in hybrid.

The new A5 Avant and S5 Avant will debut later this year, while the RS 5 Avant will likely arrive as early as next year.

Audi has also been spotted testing the next-generation A5 in a hatchback body style; it is not clear if Audi will launch new versions of the A5 coupe and convertible two-door models due to poor sales.