Hot or not: what does Frank Stephenson think of the Audi RS5 Avant?

Frank Stephenson is a car designer with more hits than the Beatles, including the Escort RS Cossie, first BMW Mini, Maser MC12, numerous Ferraris and the McLaren P1. These days he runs his own consultancy – Frank Stephenson Design. Here he shares his views on the Audi RS5.

The fast German estate has long been a staple of the autobahn. At 120mph and beyond, something low, wide and purposeful fills your mirrors, and instinct alone tells you to move over. The latest RS5 still plays that role, though perhaps now it doesn’t fly so subtly under the radar as an RS car once did. In the name of progress, what was once a ‘4’ is now a ‘5’, but the recipe is still largely the same.

The car still aims to be a one car solution for all of life’s demands – practical, fast, and now electrified to a degree. You can even have it with a tow bar. Walter de Silva said the first generation A5 was the most beautiful car he had ever designed, and proportion remains the RS5’s greatest strength.

The side view is spot on. The long bonnet, relatively low greenhouse, and pronounced haunches give the car a sense of balance and composure. Despite accommodating a sizeable battery pack, it retains a sleek silhouette, resisting the high-sided bulk that plagues so many modern hybrids and EVs.

At the front, the single frame grille projects outwards and integrates with a series of layered intake structures. The lighting is correspondingly intricate, highly sophisticated matrix LED systems that offer remarkable capability, yet their visual signature feels overwrought.

The chequered flag motif, carried over and repeated front to rear (and even in the third brake light), leans toward the decorative rather than the timeless. Where older Audis found elegance in simplicity, this feels busier.

Round the back it is pure theatre. Those exhaust pipes – enormous, elliptical, and centrally positioned – are unlike anything else on the road, short of hypercar territory. Their placement narrows the visual width of the rear while simultaneously exaggerating their own scale.

And that, in essence, defines the new RS5. It’s still a handsome car. It’s still, in many ways, exactly what an RS5 should be. It just tries a bit harder to make sure you’ve noticed...

Fantastic chamfer around the headlights to emphasise the wide body vs the A5. The single frame grille has grown to incorporate the side intakes. Headlight graphic is technical, but is it distinctive enough? Angry front end is much more imposing than previous RS products. Subtlety no longer!
 

Chequered flag pattern is unique, but is it overused? Humongous tailpipes wouldn't look out of place on Artemis. Wide arches give the car a huge presence with a unique rear door for the RS5. Take note BMW. The wheel design is simple, clean and very Audi, six spokes reminiscent of the original TT.

The battery pack is located at the rear of the cabin, meaning the roofline can remain low. Great proportions. Audi knows how to design an estate car.

80mm wider track allows for some dramatic wings and aggressive air outlets. The front bumper is now 95 per cent grille... ready to gobble up slower moving objects.

Verdict: HOT