Audi Confirms Performance Models Are Staying in Australia

If you've been worried that tightening emissions standards would strip the fun out of Audi's local lineup, the brand has a clear message: not a chance.

Audi Australia's Head of Product, Matthew Dale, has confirmed the company remains firmly committed to bringing performance RS models to Australian buyers — even as the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) forces manufacturers to rethink their model mixes.

"We're very much enthusiasts. We have our finger on the pulse in terms of the market. From what we can see and the feedback we're getting, Australians really value performance," Dale said.

For WA buyers who think nothing of a 400km run to Geraldton or a weekend blast down the Great Northern Highway, that commitment means something tangible.

Australia Punches Well Above Its Weight on RS Sales

Here's a stat that might surprise you: Australia sits at number five globally for Audi RS product consumption — not just as a percentage of sales, but in raw volume. That puts us alongside the United States and Germany. For a country of 26 million people, that's a serious result.

Western Australians in particular tend to have an appetite for performance and capability. When you're covering serious distances on open roads rather than crawling through Sydney's orbital motorways, having real power under the bonnet isn't just indulgent — it's genuinely useful.

The current RS lineup available in Australia includes the RS 3, RS 6, RS 7, RS Q8, and RS e-tron GT. And now, there's a new addition confirmed for our market.

The New RS 5 Is Coming — And It's a Big Deal

Audi recently confirmed the new RS 5 will be heading to Australia, and it made a statement by debuting the car publicly at the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne — the first time the model had been shown outside Europe.

"That was to talk to that point of we're in the top five for RS. The amount of public interest we've had in that car and enquiry has been exponential, and it was just by bringing it to that one event," Dale said.

The new RS 5 arrives with a plug-in hybrid system paired to a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, producing a combined 470kW and 825Nm. That's a meaningful step up in performance from its predecessor.

The catch? Prices have climbed. The new RS 5 body styles cost up to $17,885 more than the models they replace. With WA's registration costs and stamp duty already adding a solid chunk to any prestige purchase, buyers will want to factor that in carefully before signing anything.

That said, the PHEV setup does offer some efficiency gains that could soften the blow at the bowser — relevant in a state where fuel prices regularly outpace the east coast and a full tank on a performance car bites hard.

More RS Models Could Follow

Dale also flagged that Audi Australia has its hand raised for future performance variants, including a potential RS Q3 based on the next-generation Q3 platform.

"We don't have confirmation of an RS Q3 in the new generation car yet, but watch this space," he said.

For buyers in the market for a compact performance SUV — practical enough for school runs around the northern suburbs, quick enough to remind you why you bought an RS badge — that's an encouraging signal.

The broader picture here is that Audi is actively working to keep performance cars viable under the new NVES framework, using electrification as a tool to maintain output while managing emissions penalties. Whether that's the right trade-off for you depends on how you feel about plugging in alongside your fuel stops. But the headline is simple: if you want a fast Audi in Perth, the options aren't shrinking anytime soon.