The latest version of the mid-size SUV that has been a firm favourite in the Audi range since 2008 features even more sharply defined lines and balanced proportions that lend it an unmistakably premium look. Its more sporting stance is accentuated by features such as the more prominent frontal air curtains and air intake, the rising line above the sills complemented by pronounced ‘quattro blisters’, the distinctive inset ‘island’ diffuser in the rear bumper and the sculpted rear light strip which spans the entire width of the car.
The new ‘Material Driven’ interior design is equally progressive. The look is sophisticated and contemporary, and occupants feel enveloped in luxury materials and fabrics, thanks partly to details like the new ‘Softwrap’ extending from the doors across the entire cockpit to the centre console. They can also take comfort in the fact that exceptional navigation and infotainment technology is at their fingertips, primarily via the new ‘Digital Stage’, a curved, free-standing OLED panoramic MMI display integrating an 11.9-inch Audi virtual cockpit and a 14.5-inch MMI touch screen. All models also integrate headline features including a new app store giving access to a wide range of popular third-party apps, and the Audi Assistant, a self-learning and AI-supported digital voice assistant capable of recognising more than 800 voice commands.
State-of-the-art technology also helps to maintain the feeling of cosseting comfort while on the move through an array of driver assistance features that are common to all versions. The list includes now familiar aids such as adaptive cruise control, the parking system plus with reversing camera and the parking assistant plus, alongside more safety-focused content including Emergency Brake Assist, Intersection Cross Traffic Assist and Swerve Assist.
In the UK, the new Q5 is available in Sport, S line and Edition 1 specification options, while the top-tier SQ5 is equipped exclusively with an S-specific version of the Edition 1 package. Externally, entry-level Sport models benefit from features such as 19-inch alloy wheels, powered tailgate operation and full LED lighting, with the option to add Matrix LED functionality for the headlamps at any point after delivery via the Audi Functions on Demand programme. Inside, the advanced digital package is complemented by sport seats upholstered in Twin Leather, an artificial leather finish for the Softwrap and many of the upper and lower interior elements, contrasting dashboard stitching and illuminated aluminium-effect interior trim.
S line versions capitalise even more fully on the more purposeful lines of the new Q5, enhancing them with a styling treatment that incorporates more striking L-wing air intakes and a more pronounced rear diffuser, S line bumpers with a contrasting Volcano grey paint finish and S line-specific detailing in Phantom black, matte black and matte anthracite chrome. Larger 20-inch alloy wheels and privacy glass also heighten visual impact.
Inside, S line status is conveyed by features such as a new three-spoke multifunction steering wheel flattened at the top and bottom, ‘S’ sport seats, anthracite matte brushed aluminium inlays with linear embossing, illuminated aluminium ‘S’ door sill inserts and a black headlining. The S line cabin also benefits from the addition of the rear bench seat plus, which by offering linear adjustment of the split base and angle adjustment of the split backrest enables space to be maximised for rear seat occupants or for luggage, as required.
Innovation in the new Q5 and SQ5 isn’t limited to the components that can be seen and touched. Their exceptionally polished performance on the road is attributable to the underlying Premium Platform Combustion (PPC), a new platform architecture for conventionally powered vehicles, and to three new generation engines – a 2.0 TFSI and a 2.0 TDI, both delivering 204PS in the Q5, and a V6 TFSI which reserves its 367PS solely for the SQ5. All channel their power via a seven-speed S tronic transmission and quattro all-wheel-drive, and all feature the efficiency-maximising benefits of new MHEV plus technology.
The new 48 volt-based MHEV plus system supports the combustion engine, reduces CO2 emissions and at the same time increases performance and driving comfort. It combines an advanced lithium-ion battery based on lithium iron phosphate chemistry with a powertrain generator (PTG), which can contribute up to 230Nm of additional torque and up to 24PS of supplementary power for short periods. When decelerating, the PTG recuperates up to 25 kW of energy and feeds this back into the battery, helping to minimise the load on the engine and reduce fuel consumption and emissions. It also enables a degree of purely electric driving for manoeuvring and parking. The Premium Platform Combustion makes provision for a more extensively electrified plug-in hybrid drivetrain as well, and this will follow later in the launch programme.
Audi Q5 UK pricing (OTR)
| Q5 TFSI | |
| Q5 SUV Sport TFSI quattro 204 PS S tronic | £49,950 |
| Q5 SUV S line TFSI quattro 204 PS S tronic | £52,550 |
| Q5 SUV Edition 1 TFSI quattro 204 PS S tronic | £56,750 |
| Q5 TDI | |
| Q5 SUV Sport TDI quattro 204 PS S tronic | £51,600 |
| Q5 SUV S line TDI quattro 204 PS S tronic | £54,200 |
| Q5 SUV Edition 1 TDI quattro 204 PS S tronic | £58,400 |
| SQ5 | |
| SQ5 SUV Edition 1 TFSI quattro 367 PS S tronic | £74,400 |
