RS 5

Audi introduced the RS 5 nameplate in 2010 as the high-performance version of the A5 line, launching first as the RS 5 Coupé. It established the RS 5 as a more focused, motorsport-inspired grand touring model within Audi’s RS family, pairing everyday usability with the brand’s quattro performance identity. The original RS 5 ran through the early 2010s, and Audi later brought the name back in a redesigned second-generation Coupé that debuted in 2017. In 2019, Audi expanded the range with the RS 5 Sportback, giving the badge a second body style and broadening its appeal beyond the traditional two-door format. Audi’s own model pages later described the RS 5 Coupé and RS 5 Sportback as models until 2024, marking the end of that generation. The nameplate returned in 2026 as a new RS 5 era centered on performance hybrid technology, with Audi launching it in multiple body styles and positioning it as the flagship performance model in the A5 family. Because the RS 5 has had more than one distinct production period, its history should be understood as an original 2010 launch, a later 2017-era continuation with new body styles, and a separate 2026 revival rather than one uninterrupted run.