- A new report claims the next RS7’s plug-in hybrid V6 will pump out 725 horsepower
- The current model uses a 600 hp+ 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 for performance.
- The next-generation RS7 is expected to match the BMW M5’s 43-mile electric range.
The next-generation Audi RS7 will do battle with the latest and greatest BMW M5 but it may not have a V8. Instead, Audi Sport has reportedly decided to install a plug-in hybrid V6, bidding farewell to the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 of the outgoing RS6 and RS7 duo.
As part of Audi’s new naming strategy, the Audi RS6 Avant we’ve come to know and love will be rebadged as the RS7, and sold in sedan and estate guises. An all-electric model will use the RS6 nameplate, also offered as a sedan and an estate, and is expected to produce around 630 hp from a pair of electric motors. For the RS7, Audi is said to be opting for a plug-in hybrid V6, the same basic system that’ll be used by the new Audi RS5.
Read: Audi RS7 Getting Ready For A Super Wagon Fight With BMW M5 Touring
Car Magazine reports that whereas the ‘baby’ RS6 will produce approximately 600 hp, Audi could fit the RS7 with a more powerful electric motor, allowing it and the V6 to deliver a combined 725 hp. That would almost perfectly match the new BMW M5 that delivers 717 hp through its plug-in hybrid V8 and give us one epic rivalry.
The same report suggests Audi will also equip the new RS7 with a Boost function, adding an extra 50 hp for momentary bursts of acceleration. For customers seeking even more grunt, flagship Performance versions of the RS7 with nearer to 800 hp could also be just around the corner.
In the new M5, the plug-in hybrid system offers up to 69 km (43 miles) of all-electric range. Audi will likely want to provide a similar range to its buyers. Before this report, Audi had been widely expected to use one of the plug-in hybrid V8s already used by several VW Group brands, including Porsche, Lamborghini, and Bentley.
A new powertrain won’t be the only piece of trick technology in the updated RS7. It could use the same trick active suspension as the updated e-tron GT and Porsche Taycan, ensuring that it handles well despite its inevitably porky weight.
