Audi is set to shake up the mid-size premium SUV segment with the new Q5, which has just touched down in Australia.
As reveled last year, the new, second-gen Audi Q5 has come in for some weight reduction, dropping as much as 90kg over the predecessor, while also introducing improvements to handling, ride comfort, and fuel economy.
Changes are also made to the powertrains, including the quattro all-wheel drive system which can now send up to 100 per cent of engine torque to either the front or rear axle, depending on demands.
Three main variant lines are being offered in Australia, at least initially, spanning from the Q5 design 2.0 TDI, the Q5 sport 2.0 TDI, to the top Q5 sport 2.0 TFSI. All feature quattro all-wheel drive and an S tronic dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The 2.0-litre TDI turbo-diesel four-cylinder produces 140kW and 400Nm, offering a combined cycle fuel consumption of just 5.3L/100km. Moving up to the 2.0 TFSI gets you a turbo-petrol four-cylinder developing 185kW and 370Nm. It consumes 7.3L/100km, but offers a 0-100km/h sprint of 6.3 seconds.
All variants come with a raft of safety technologies as standard, including city autonomous braking, cross-traffic alert, and advanced pre-sense crash mechanisms for windows and belt tensioning, and parking assistance with cameras.
Inside is a 7.0-inch interface with Audi’s MMI control and navigation with 3D maps, live traffic, and voice recognition. There’s also Audi Connect with 4G LTE connectivity via SIM card, and Google Earth and Google Search functionality.
The new Q5 is available to order now from the following prices (excluding on-roads), with deliveries scheduled to commence in June. See below for highlights of each variant.
2017 Audi Q5 design 2.0 TDI quattro S tronic 140kW – $65,900
2017 Audi Q5 sport 2.0 TDI quattro S tronic 140kW – $70,700
2017 Audi Q5 sport 2.0 TFSI quattro S tronic 185kW – $73,500
Q5 design (entry model)
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- Xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights and taillights
- Leather-appointed seats
- 40:20:40 split-fold rear seats
- Convenience key (hands-free entry and engine start)
- Multifunction steering wheel, with shift-paddles
- 3-zone climate control deluxe air conditioning, with digital rear display
- Audi audio system with CD player, 2x SDXC card readers and an 8-speaker audio system
Q5 sport (in addition to/above the design equipment line)
- 20-inch alloy wheels
- Adaptive LED headlights with dynamic rear indicators
- Sport front seats
- Audi virtual cockpit 12.3-inch high-resolution dashboard
- MMI Navigation plus with larger 8.3-inch high-resolution screen, MMI touch, DVD player and 5 included map updates
- Audi premium sound system with 10 speakers including subwoofer and 180W output
