Audi’s five-cylinder engine not dead yet - executive

Audi appears to be no closer to confirming the future of its five-cylinder RS engine, but it is remaining committed to exploring ways to keep it in production.

Earlier this year, Audi confirmed the five-cylinder turbocharged RS3 performance hatch and sedan would end its current lifecycle in Europe by late 2027, due to its engine not meeting more stringent emissions standards.

In March, an Audi spokesperson told Automotive News Europe the five-cylinder engine will be phased out of production at its plant in Hungary by mid-2027, as all new cars sold on the continent will need to comply with new Euro 7 emissions regulations by November 2027.

While the cost of making the engine compliant is understood to be high – due in part to its relatively limited availability, compared to the Volkswagen Group’s four-cylinder turbocharged engines – Audi Sport is still weighing up whether the five-cylinder has a business case.

"We're well aware about the historical meaning of the five-cylinder,” Audi Sport boss Rolf Michl told Autocar. 

“Evaluations are still running, and people who know me know that I also have a personal relationship to the five-cylinder engine.

“It's so characteristic and also deeply rooted in history – so let's see.”

Michl, who has headed Audi Sport for every generation of the five-cylinder RS3, previously said the brand was looking into “different technological possibilities” for the future of the engine.

Having previously been exclusive to Audi in the RS3 and now-defunct TTRS and RSQ3, the engine is also shared with the Cupra Formentor VZ5, and has been rumoured to feature in a send-off version of the petrol-powered Volkswagen Golf R.

While Audi foreshadowed the end of the road for the five-cylinder RS3 earlier this year with the Competition Limited model, Michl added that the carmaker needs a “brand statement” even in its smallest RS models.

“The entrance into the RS world is important because having a brand statement like that is amazing,” Michl told Autocar. “Emotion starts in the compact segment.”

“Negotiations are ongoing, so we're not at the decision point yet. Everybody really knows about the meaning, and therefore we're still evaluating with our colleagues from Audi AG.”

As previously reported, if the five-cylinder engine does disappear, last year Audi CEO Gernot Döllner told Top Gear, “maybe it will come back virtually”.

The fake engine sounds could be teamed with simulated gear shifts, with Döllner admitting he’s a fan of the technology.

“We found that a virtual gearbox and sound really add something to driving an electric car. Even on the racetrack, I’m faster with a car with a virtual gearbox,” the executive said.

“We’re developing it, I think we’ll have one. The company is quite open to finding innovative solutions in this area.”