It’s been a while since spy photographers first spotted the RS 5 Avant, and since a few grainy pics of the sedan version shot in the USA had popped up on Reddit we’ve been wondering when the non-Avant would become more widely seen. Well, the wait is over.
This RS 5 sedan mule just turned up, in this case doing some hot weather testing. There’s no reason to suspect the sedan won’t share the same drivetrain as the Avant, but it’s still cool to see the wider flares and RS kit on the “sedan” body style.
That drivetrain is expected to be hybrid. Audi’s direct competitors have gone that direction, and this mule also shows what appears to be a charging port on the left rear fender. If Audi didn’t have generations of fuel doors on the right you’d be forgiven for assuming it’s for petrol. Beyond that, we expect the engine to remain an evolution of the V6 biturbo from the current car.
Interestingly on this mule, it appears it’s not fully production ready. While at the front it appears fully baked, this mule appears unfinished at the rear. The fender flares at the rear appear to still be not at production levels, nor is the rear bumper.
For us, one of the biggest mysteries around the B10 is why they call it a “sedan”. Near as we can tell, the B10 sedan has a hatchback that makes it a Sportback. Even still, most of the on-site influencer walkarounds (you know, the videos on YouTube with a car influencer posing by the car or pointing to it with a dumbfounded or contrived zany face because YouTube algorithms) all seem to focus on the rear opening of the Avant. There also aren’t any open trunk shots in the press materials provided by Audi. We did catch reference to the trunk configuration though in the design analysis, where they spoke of shortening the rear trunk overhang yet having a more utilitarian wide-opening. So, we think it’s safe to assume it’s a hatchback like the current A5 Sportback… yet it’s called a sedan. Weird.
Whatever, it definitely looks great in RS form. The question then is whether North America will get it, or get JUST it, or whether we’ll also get the Avant. Time will tell. For now, check out more images of the RS 5 “sedan” below.
