Official pricing will only be announced once a launch date has been given.
New plug-in hybrid RS5 will be one of Audi’s highlight launches this year. Picture: Audi
Having started its new product roll-out for 2026 with the Q3 last month, Audi South Africa will make add an additional three models to its line-up throughout the year.
Bigger plan
Part of its range renewal introduced last year, the additions for 2026 will then be followed by eight more products in 2027, two of which being the still to be revealed new Q9 and RS6.
New arrivals
Q5
Of the arrivals coming this year, the first will be the all-new Q5 that debuted globally in September of 2024.
Again, set to be positioned above the Q3, the Q5 will, for the first time, only be offered as a traditional SUV as Audi has opted not to renew the Sportback for another generation.
The first model to ride on the updated MQB platform, now known as PPC or Premium Platform Combustion, the Q5 will, most likely, have the same trim levels as the Q3, namely base, Advanced, S line and S line Black.
Although not mentioned, the performance SQ5 could also be part of the range its new flagship.
Set to feature the same exterior design as the Q3, the Q5 will have the same the interior that debuted locally on the A5 last year.
As such, it will have the same steering wheel, the 11.9-inch Virtual Cockpit Display, the 14.5-inch MMI infotainment system and the optional 10.9-inch MMI display on the passenger’s side.
Also likely is the new Matrix LED headlights, a 16-speaker, 685-watt Bang and Olufsen sound system and an extensively revised array of safety and driver assistance systems.
Up front, Audi South Africa has made no mentioning of the choices of engines, more than likely due to the country’s less than sorted fuel quality compared to Europe.
It could, therefore, mean that the Q5 will have the same options as the outgoing model instead of the latest technology used on the Old Continent.
If so, expect a choice of either a 2.0 TFSI with 183kW/370Nm and a 2.0 TDI rated at 140kW/400Nm. Both will be paired to a seven-speed S tronic.
Unlike the Q3, quattro all-wheel drive is anticipated to be the standard regardless of the engine.
If approved, the SQ5 will head the local line-up with outputs of 270kW/550Nm from its 3.0-litre turbocharged TFSI V6.
Currently on run-out, pricing for the Q3 ranges from R1 018 200 to R1 331 400, so expect a considerable to be added once the new generation arrives.
RS5
Next in-line, the all-new RS5 follows the same route as the A5 on which it is based by becoming a sedan and a no longer a coupe or a four-door Sportback coupe.
At the same time, the Avant will also be made available as a replacement for the RS4 Avant.
Revealed in February this year, the RS5 retains use of the 2.9 TFSI V6, but adopts electrification in the form of a plug-in hybrid setup.
For the combustion engine, torque is still capped at 600 Nm. However, power increase from 331 kW to 375 kW.
The electric hardware, meanwhile, consists of a 25.5-kWh battery pack that powers a single 130kW/400Nm electric motor mounted on the rear axle.
A setup first mentioned in 2019, the RS5 develops a combined 470kW/825Nm, which results in a top speed of 250 km/h or 285 km/h, and 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds.
Paired to an eight-speed Tiptronic gearbox, the RS5 has an EV-only range of 87 km, and additionally has a new limited slip differential and new torque vectoring system.
RS e-tron GT Performance
Completing the range expansion will be the facelift RS e-tron GT that went on-sale in Europe two years ago.
For South Africa, only the Performance variant will be made available, and on an order-only basis.
The sister model to the Porsche Taycan, the e-tron’s main highlight is not only a new battery pack and exterior, but components taken from the new PPE or Premium Platform Electric architecture.
As before, two electric motors are provided, now powered by a 97-kWh battery. In the Performance, this means 680 kW, a top speed of 250 km/h and 0-100 km/h in 2.5 seconds.
The bigger battery means the RS e-tron GT now supports DC charging up to 320 kW, which will require a waiting time of 18 minutes from 0-80%.
As with its siblings, pricing for the RS e-tron GT Performance will only be announced once an official date of reveal takes place.
