Audi’s 2027 RS5 is going plug-in hybrid, with a new electric rear differential doing some of the clever work.
The next RS5 moves into performance plug-in hybrid territory, meaning it combines a combustion engine with a battery and electric drive hardware. The notable bit is not just the plug, but the hardware at the back of the car. Audi has developed an entirely new electric torque-vectoring rear differential for the model. In plain English, that means the car can vary how much turning force goes to each rear wheel, helping it rotate through corners instead of just shoving power forward and hoping the tires sort it out.
That matters because performance hybrids are no longer only about adding electric shove to make the spec sheet look healthier. They are also about using electric control systems to change how a heavy, complicated car behaves when driven hard. The RS5’s challenge is the usual modern one: be efficient enough to justify the plug, fast enough to wear the RS badge, and polished enough that the technology does not feel like a committee meeting under the floor.
The old fast-car recipe was simpler: more engine, more grip, more noise. Audi’s new recipe adds software and electric hardware to the mix, which may be smarter — and is definitely less romantic.