The electric age is upon an Ingolstadt icon. It loads up on kiloWatts …. and kilograms.

ALL but equal oomph to that from the mega RS 6, electric pure driving for 80 kilometres … and the same kilo count as a Ford Ranger Raptor.

The world has changed for a famous fast Audi; along with the name.

What used to be the RS 4 is now the RS 5, and though the trad Avant body style will still offer when it lands later this year - and a well-regarded engine still involves - it’s a whole new concept.

One following the same path now already taken by obvious competitors the Mercedes-AMG C63 and the BMW M3.

Which means? It’s a plug-in hybrid. Ingolstadt’s first to portray as a high-performance car.

Well, it had to happen, right? Despite what Donald Trump thinks, the world is in a bit of a bind when it comes to CO2 outputs, fossil fuel consumption and all matters related.

So, it’s a new concept. Albeit one that doesn’t entirely put the past behind. That electric side abets a familiar six-cylinder petrol engine.

Audi has retained the twin-turbocharged 2.9-litre V6 which saw service in the old 'B9' RS 4 Avant and treated it to a complete overhaul, with a revised fuel system, a new intake and different turbo pipework.

Power is up to 375kW from this engine alone, although torque remains unchanged at 600Nm. And to this they marry an electric motor that, in isolation, is good for 130kW and 460Nm.

Which means a total combined output of? Well, as you know, it’s never as simple as adding those together for a total. The four-ringed lot’s calculator pegs the peak powertrain outputs at 476kW and 825Nm.

Almost enough to outpunch the twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 in the larger RS6 Avant Performance, which makes 463kW and 850Nm.

For broader context, the BMW M3 CS sedan and Touring deliver 405kW and 650Nm, though the Audi is down on the AMG C63’s 500kW and 1000Nm total outputs from its controversial four-cylinder plug-in hybrid powertrain.

The electric side is fed by a 22kWh (usable) lithium-ion battery pack which, when full optimised (so, in lab test conditions), can pull fuel consumption to as low as 3.8-4.5L/100km.

As per convention, everything feeds through all four wheels via Audi's proprietary quattro system and an eight-speed Tiptronic torque-converter auto.

The primary role of the electric is to add fire. Audi quotes 0-100kmh in just 3.6 seconds, down three-tenths on its predecessor, and a top speed of 285kmh.

Those performance credentials are pretty heavy. Unavoidably, so is the car. In sedan form, this is a 2355kg item. The Avant clocks 2370kg. That means it weighs even more than its physically larger RS6 Avant and RS7 Sportback siblings.The wagon is but 55kg lighter than a Ford Ranger Raptor, while being 520kg heavier than the M3 CS Touring.

Which makes it almost 600kg heavier than the old RS 4 Avant. The current S5 Avant, the next model down the performance tree, is also in two tonne territory, but only just.

While including a battery doesn’t hold back the spiciness, it does impact on interior space, more for luggage than people. Positioning under the cargo bay's floor area, means the Avant has but 361 litres’ of load-all capacity with all seats in use, climbing to 1302 litres with the second row folded down. The hatch/sedan starts with 331 litres, expanding to 1170.

The RS 5 obviously relates as the most muscled member of the A5 family, but shared between the shopping run edition and the track-aching flagship are just the roof, the front doors and the tailgate.

All else is bespoke and those 45mm-wider blistered arches and tracks make it 90mm wider than its base material. It’s 77mm broader than the preceding Audi RS 4.

As photos show, this is the first of this lineage since the second-generation RS 4 (from 2006-2009) coming in another body style besides as a station wagon. Audi insists the alternate is called a sedan …. even though it is clearly a five-door fast backed hatch.

The model debuts a new type of torque-vectoring technology on its rear differential, which the carmaker claims is pioneering, in that it has a preload to stay partially locked at all times.

A large set of standard steel brake rotors (420mm front, 400mm rear) sit behind the 20-inch wheels, which can be increased to 21 inches with carbon ceramic brakes all round.

The cabin also of course gets the usual performance enhancements, including heavily-bolstered sports seats, a special trim and a 12-o’clock market on the steering wheel.

An 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster sits in front of the driver, while a 14.5-inch infotainment touchscreen is mounted in the dashboard, sitting next to a 10.9-inch passenger display – allowing the extra front occupant to control functions without distracting the driver.

Audi NZ has yet to hint at a price but previous RS 4, whose stock is now exhausted, packed at $180,000 in its final evolution, having initially entered the market at $165k.