2010 Audi S5 Sportback
Heinz Hollerweger, the chief of Audi’s quattro division where the awesome RS cars are developed, has dropped some comments that suggest a new RS 5 Sportback may be in the works, and, more importantly, headed for the United States as a little brother to the RS 7.
“We have to think of where we want to sell cars, and what is expected there,” Hollerweger told Car and Driver. “The potential in China and the U.S. for RS models is getting us thinking about bodystyles that may work there—maybe a hatchback, like the RS 7.”
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Audi’s current A5 Sportback offered overseas already has a sporty S5 variant (pictured), and based on Hollerweger’s comments it’s likely there will be an RS 5 variant at some point. However, the potential RS 5 Sportback is unlikely to arrive until after the next-generation A5 Sportback is introduced, currently expected to be in the next 12-24 months.
Unfortunately, those same comments suggest we won’t be seeing a new RS 4 on these shores. Like the current RS 4, the new model is expected to remain a wagon and thus may not be offered in the U.S. (the only A4 wagon we get is the A4 Allroad), but Hollerweger did offer some hope: "The U.S. is changing, and there is more demand there [for wagons], so maybe that will change.”
Stay tuned for an update.
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