Audi slashes prices with RS4, RS5 update

AUDI Australia has treated its high-performance medium-sized RS4 Avant and RS5 Coupe and Sportback to a welcome facelift, adding extra flair and features and slashing retail prices by up to $6800.

Arriving in showrooms from July 24, the RS4 is priced from $147,900 plus on-road costs (-$4629) – available only in the station wagon body style – while the two-door RS5 Coupe and five-door RS5 Sportback shed a healthy $6800 from their previous starting prices to now kick off from $150,900 plus on-roads apiece.

Despite the price reductions, Audi says none of the RS mid-sizers have dropped any standard equipment; on the contrary, they have actually gained new features along with styling tweaks.

On the design front, all variants have a wider, more aggressive version of Audi’s unique single-frame grille – also now with a gloss-black finish for the mesh – to align them more closely with the rest of the RS range.

Paying homage to the legendary 1984 Quattro, Audi’s design team has also installed a string of small air vents along the bonnet line to “fringe” the updated grille.

The rest of the exterior package is largely carried over, with 20-inch Audi Sport wheels, gloss-red RS brake callipers and oval-tipped RS sports exhaust system all making a return.

Matrix LED headlights are standard, too, and the RS5 twins add Audi laser light to help extend the beams further at speeds above 70km/h.

Inside, front passengers are treated to a new 10.1-inch MMI touchscreen infotainment system, which sees the removal of the previous centre console-mounted controller. The system itself features the Audi Smartphone Interface, while audio is played through a 19-speaker 755W Bang and Olufsen sound system. 

DAB+ digital radio is also included as standard.

Standard equipment on all variants largely carries over and includes the Audi Virtual Cockpit, Nappa leather trim, an extended upholstery package, heated electric seats with massage function, a flat-bottomed RS multifunction sport steering wheel, wireless charging, convenience key, stainless-steel pedals, illuminated RS door trim, auto-dimming mirrors, privacy glass and a panoramic sunroof.

The RS4 Avant and RS5 Sportback also have an electric tailgate with gesture control.

Safety equipment includes a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go function and traffic-jam assist, active lane assist, park assist and Audi pre-sense front and rear.

No changes have been made under the bonnet, with the Porsche-developed 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine still producing 331kW of power and 600Nm of torque, driving all four wheels through the quattro permanent four-wheel-drive system and an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The result is an unchanged 4.1-second dash from 0-100km/h for the RS4 while the RS5s still stop the clock in 3.9 seconds thanks to their lighter weight. Top speed for all three remains electronically limited to 250km/h.

While the performance goes unchanged, the amount of configurability and personalisation of this performance has been stepped up with the addition of two new customisable drive modes – RS1 and RS2 – accessed via a new RS Mode button on the steering wheel.

According to Audi Australia managing director Paul Samson, the RS4 and RS5s “occupy a sweet spot in the Audi RS range” thanks to their “outstanding combination of striking street presence, functional useability, impressive equipment … (and) extraordinary driving experience”.

Audi shifted 373 A4s, 86 A5s and 319 A5 Sportbacks through the first six months of 2020, down 48.4, 57.6 and 21.6 per cent respectively on the same period last year.

2020 Audi RS4 pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs

2020 Audi RS5 pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs