Overview
- Audi Sport head Rolf Michl said Tuesday that internal evaluations and negotiations are still under way about whether the 2.5‑litre EA855 five‑cylinder can continue into a next generation.
- Audi told Automotive News Europe in March that the engine will be phased out at its Hungary plant by mid‑2027 unless the firm justifies the cost of Euro 7 compliance.
- Meeting Euro 7 would require major hardware changes such as new filters, emissions sensors, revised fuel injection and upgraded catalysts, which are expensive because the engine is fitted to only two low‑volume cars.
- CEO Gernot Döllner has questioned whether the investment can be refinanced and has suggested simulated engine sound and virtual gearbox cues as an alternative for future electrified RS cars.
- The decision matters for the RS3 and Cupra Formentor VZ5, for Audi’s entry‑level performance image, and could prompt limited‑run send‑offs or a push to hybridise or electrify to preserve the five‑cylinder’s character.