Audi RS Q5 Will Have To Wait, If It Even Happens At All

We first heard rumors about a hot version of the Audi Q5 almost five years ago. Through the years, we’ve heard many different reports trying to predict when the performance SUV will debut and what form it will take. It turns out all of them were wrong as a manager for the brand has recently confirmed an RS Q5 is not coming anytime soon.

Speaking to Autocar during a recent interview, Michaela Benz, product manager for the Q5 series, confirmed there are no immediate plans for an RS Q5 debut. While that’s not good news, at least her words don’t seem to rule out the performance crossover for the future.

“We’re happy that our RS models are receiving such a good reception,” she started. “But we will start with the normal SQ5 TDI and TFSI in their respective markets and see what comes.”

Benz seems to be on the same page as Michael Crusius, midsize SUV spokesperson for Audi, who said a few months back that ”it remains exciting to see, but this is a topic that we cannot delve into.” If we have to summarize, it seems that there’s no final decision taken yet but the door is not fully closed for a future release.

Let’s assume there’s an RS Q5 coming - but what will power it? Our educated guess is the RS5’s powertrain or a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 with 444 horsepower (331 kilowatts) and 443 pound-feet (600 Newton-meters) of torque. Of course, with Europe’s ever-stricter emissions standards, we won’t be surprised if Audi decides to move to some sort of an electrified system but, again, nothing can be confirmed at this point.

As a reminder, the most powerful Q5 money can buy in the United States is the SQ5 with a 3.0-liter V6 engine delivering 349 horsepower (260 kilowatts) and 369 pound-feet (500 Newton-meters) of twist. This model is next in line for a refresh next year as Audi is overhauling its SUV range.