Having started its new product roll-out for 2026 with the Q3 last month, Audi South Africa will make add an additional three models to its line-up throughout the year.

Bigger plan

Part of its range renewal introduced last year, the additions for 2026 will then be followed by eight more products in 2027, two of which being the still to be revealed new Q9 and RS6.

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New arrivals

Q5

Of the arrivals coming this year, the first will be the all-new Q5 that debuted globally in September of 2024.

Again, set to be positioned above the Q3, the Q5 will, for the first time, only be offered as a traditional SUV as Audi has opted not to renew the Sportback for another generation.

The first model to ride on the updated MQB platform, now known as PPC or Premium Platform Combustion, the Q5 will, most likely, have the same trim levels as the Q3, namely base, Advanced, S line and S line Black.

New Q5 will be Audi’s next model to launch in South Africa. Picture: Audi

Although not mentioned, the performance SQ5 could also be part of the range its new flagship.

Set to feature the same exterior design as the Q3, the Q5 will have the same the interior that debuted locally on the A5 last year.

As such, it will have the same steering wheel, the 11.9-inch Virtual Cockpit Display, the 14.5-inch MMI infotainment system and the optional 10.9-inch MMI display on the passenger’s side.

Interior derives from the A5 instead of the Q3. Picture: Audi

Also likely is the new Matrix LED headlights, a 16-speaker, 685-watt Bang and Olufsen sound system and an extensively revised array of safety and driver assistance systems.

Up front, Audi South Africa has made no mentioning of the choices of engines, more than likely due to the country’s less than sorted fuel quality compared to Europe.

It could, therefore, mean that the Q5 will have the same options as the outgoing model instead of the latest technology used on the Old Continent.

New SQ5 is still to be approved for South Africa. Picture: Audi

If so, expect a choice of either a 2.0 TFSI with 183kW/370Nm and a 2.0 TDI rated at 140kW/400Nm. Both will be paired to a seven-speed S tronic.

Unlike the Q3, quattro all-wheel drive is anticipated to be the standard regardless of the engine.

If approved, the SQ5 will head the local line-up with outputs of 270kW/550Nm from its 3.0-litre turbocharged TFSI V6.

Currently on run-out, pricing for the Q3 ranges from R1 018 200 to R1 331 400, so expect a considerable to be added once the new generation arrives.

RS5

Next in-line, the all-new RS5 follows the same route as the A5 on which it is based by becoming a sedan and a no longer a coupe or a four-door Sportback coupe.

At the same time, the Avant will also be made available as a replacement for the RS4 Avant.

Revealed in February this year, the RS5 retains use of the 2.9 TFSI V6, but adopts electrification in the form of a plug-in hybrid setup.

For the combustion engine, torque is still capped at 600 Nm. However, power increase from 331 kW to 375 kW.

RS5 Avant has been approved for South Africa. Picture: Audi

The electric hardware, meanwhile, consists of a 25.5-kWh battery pack that powers a single 130kW/400Nm electric motor mounted on the rear axle.

A setup first mentioned in 2019, the RS5 develops a combined 470kW/825Nm, which results in a top speed of 250 km/h or 285 km/h, and 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds.

Paired to an eight-speed Tiptronic gearbox, the RS5 has an EV-only range of 87 km, and additionally has a new limited slip differential and new torque vectoring system.

RS e-tron GT Performance

Completing the range expansion will be the facelift RS e-tron GT that went on-sale in Europe two years ago.

For South Africa, only the Performance variant will be made available, and on an order-only basis.

The sister model to the Porsche Taycan, the e-tron’s main highlight is not only a new battery pack and exterior, but components taken from the new PPE or Premium Platform Electric architecture.

Only the Performance version of the facelift RS e-tron GT will be offered in South Africa. Picture: Audi

As before, two electric motors are provided, now powered by a 97-kWh battery. In the Performance, this means 680 kW, a top speed of 250 km/h and 0-100 km/h in 2.5 seconds.

The bigger battery means the RS e-tron GT now supports DC charging up to 320 kW, which will require a waiting time of 18 minutes from 0-80%.

As with its siblings, pricing for the RS e-tron GT Performance will only be announced once an official date of reveal takes place.

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HOUSTON, TEXAS - JULY 04: Yordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros hits a two run walk off home run in the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Daikin Park on July 04, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Fourth of July was an ugly one at Yankee Stadium. Given a spot start due to Carlos Rodón’s injury, Brendan Beck got absolutely walloped by Minnesota, giving up three homers to put the Yankees in a quick 5-0 hole by the middle of the second. The offense didn’t do much in response, the bullpen was dreadful, and the Yankees quickly went back to their losing ways after Friday’s win snapped a seven-game skid. Now they must beat the capable Joe Ryan today, or they’ll suffer the ignominy of a home series loss to the Twins.

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Here’s what else was going on in some of the notable American League action yesterday.

Tampa Bay Rays (52-34) 8, Houston Astros (44-47) 10

If a true Most Valuable Player is someone who can thoroughly take over ballgames and nearly win them on their owns, then Saturday night might have been Yordan Alvarez’s showcase. It’s hard for a primary DH to take home the award, but Alvarez’s first half has clearly made the case that he should end up in the conversation. Voted the starting DH for the American League in the All-Star Game, the man is now hitting .324/.433/.645 with 29 homers, a 192 wRC+, and over 4.0 fWAR in 89 games. Yowza.

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Alvarez made his impact on this one felt early. Junior Caminero continued his hellacious run with his 11th homer in 11 games in the top of the first, but Houston was quick to counter. Jose Altuve led off the game against Drew Rasmussen by tripling to left-center, and Alvarez then launched a 403-foot homer to make it 2-1, Houston.

Ace Hunter Brown couldn’t come up with the goods for his team, and the Rays punched back. Richie Palacios belted a two-run homer to regain the lead at 3-2, and Tampa Bay piled on in a long third inning that doubled their run output to six, including a double steal that saw Cedric Mullins swipe home. It was 7-2 by the fourth, though Yainer Diaz launched a two-run dinger for the home team, and through four and a half, Houston trailed by three (Alvarez of course was involved, notching an RBI single as part of the multi-inning rally).

The Rays’ three-run lead vanished after the seventh-inning stretch. Reliever Cole Sulser allowed the first three runners on base, and all came around to score. Taylor Trammell singled, Nick Allen delivered a rare double, and Altuve drew a free pass to load ’em up. Alvarez brought home another runner with a sacrifice fly before Isaac Paredes singled against Garrett Cleavinger to cut the lead to one. Zach Dezenzo did the honors of knotting it up at 8-8, plating Craig Kimbrel’s inherited runner on an RBI knock.

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Once Bryan King and Josh Hader kept the Rays at bay eighth and ninth, the stage was set. In the bottom of the ninth, Casey Legumina issued a leadoff walk to Altuve, bringing up Alvarez. Legumina actually got ahead 1-2 with a pair of swinging strikes. Yordan fouled the next two off and then obliterated a fastball down the middle 424 feet over the wall in dead center for a walk-off homer. His final tally on the night: two homers, six ribbies. Pretty good!

The Rays’ AL East lead over the Yankees remained at four.

Other Games

Toronto Blue Jays (42-47) 0, Seattle Mariners (46-44) 11: Do I even need to say that this was all Mariners? Shane Bieber was awful, Logan Gilbert was spectacular, and Seattle won going away, taking a half-game lead in the AL West (Texas lost to Detroit, 3-0). Randy Arozarena cracked a game-breaking grand slam and Cal Raleigh hit just his second homer since the end of April. Gilbert fanned seven and walked none in 7.1 shutout innings, allowing one hit (a Yohendrick Piñango single in the fifth).

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Cleveland Guardians (47-43) 1, Chicago White Sox (46-42) 3: Sean Burke struck out 11 in six innings of one-run ball, but a solo shot by Austin Hedges of all people meant that this was a 1-1 game heading into the late innings. However, Colson Montgomery greeted Tim Herrin to the ballgame with a homer to begin the eighth. Tristan Peters came around to score following ninth-inning double, adding insurance as Grant Taylor avenged his Thursday night blown loss by getting the save this time around.

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