All-new Audi RS5 makes dynamic debut in Morocco

Following their world premiere less than two weeks ago, both variants of the all-new plug-in hybrid Audi RS5 have already taken to Morocco to show off their performance - both on track and on public roads too.

Audi shares that the twins first flexed their might on the Circuit de Marrakech, which was converted into a challenging course comprising tight curves, slalom sections, and designated drift zones to put their might to the test.

The RS5 Avant and Sedan first flexed their might on the Circuit de Marrakech through a challenging course including slalom sections and drift zones

Under these demanding driving conditions, the RS5 was said to demonstrate clear agility, precision, and cornering performance, with credit for the vehicle's enduring poise, control and balance even with rapid load changes due to its brand-new quattro drivetrain with Dynamic Torque Control. As mentioned during the car's world premiere, the new system enables electromechanical torque vectoring at the rear axle, allowing for lightning-quick transfers of torque between the wheels.

To put the car's RS sport suspension to the test, however, Audi then took the RS5 to the switchback roads of Morocco's Atlas Mountains.

Here, the new twin-valve shock absorbers on the car's suspension were able to show off their full range of capabilities in those conditions, cushioning smaller bumps on lower-lying roads with uneven surfaces, while responding instantly to body movements through rougher climbs and rocky channels higher up. Audi further claims that the the improved suspension notably reduced pitch and roll on the car. 

The twins then later took to the winding passes around Morocco's Atlas Mountains

Of course, the RS5's plug-in hybrid setup gives it genuine electric-only capabilities (to the tune of a rated maximum range of 84km) thus allowing it to glide almost silently for fairly extended periods - which came in handy though the villages around the Atlas Mountains. But whenever more power is needed, the car's twin-turbo V6 can roar again to life; combined output for the system, as you already know, stands at a heady 630bhp. 

Audi has also emphasised the RS5's aggressive styling too, noting that the interplay of light and shade against the Moroccan landscape helped lend the car's broad shoulders, flared fenders, and three-dimensional Singleframe "a particularly vivid look". 

Orders for the Audi RS5 in Europe set to open in the current quarter, with the first customers set to receive their cars from mid-year. The RS5 is also expected to arrive in Singapore before the year ends, in both Sedan and Avant guises.