A fairly light facelift here for the Q5 upgrades the design outside and in, plus relocates its production to Mexico for the first time.  Neither the new look nor the new factory is exactly promising, if we’re honest.

2018 Audi Q5 – Paris Debut

PRESENTING THE ALL-NEW Q5 – THE FIFTH ELEMENT FOR AUDI AT PARIS

New Q5 sets standards in connectivity, ride comfort, handling dynamics, efficiency and driver assistance

• All-new version of the best-selling Audi SUV worldwide
• Up to 90kg lighter than its predecessor
• Luggage capacity increase of 10 litres
• Increased interior space, headroom and rear kneeroom
• One TFSI and twoTDI engines, with up to 27PS more power
• Newly developed five-link suspension and optional adaptive air suspension
• Audi drive select fitted as standard, featuring lift/offroad and allroad modes
• quattro with ultra technology fitted as standard to four-cylinder engine
• UK ordering expected to open towards the end of this year with first deliveries anticipated in spring 2017

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

Ingolstadt/Paris, September 29, 2016 –  Having already set the tone as a paragon of Vorsprung durch Technik and a long-standing best seller, the Audi Q5 is to be replaced by an all-new successor that is set to make its world debut at the Paris Motor Show. Its ground-up rework brings with it an intense focus on connectivity, driver assistance, aeroacoustics and driving dynamics. True to form, it sets new standards in its segment and steps up the game yet again. 

“The first Audi Q5 was for many years the world’s best-selling SUV in its class. It was no easy task to design its successor, but that is precisely why it is so very exciting,” says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management at AUDI AG. “With the new Q5 we are setting the bar a notch higher. Among the great innovations are the quattro drive system with ultra technology, highly efficient engines, the air suspension with damper control and a comprehensive line-up of infotainment and assistance systems.”

The new SUV from Audi takes a defined and taut stance. A sculpturally flared Singleframe grille with a solid frame dominates its aerodynamically flat front end. It is available with Xenon headlights as standard and either LED or high-resolution Matrix LED with dynamic indicators as options.

Typically Audi: quattro design language

A distinctively curved and strongly undercut shoulder line gives structure to the side view. The strongly emphasised wheel arches are a reference to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system, and the low greenhouse tapers back down early. Just as at the front, horizontal lines at the rear convey an image of width and presence. The tail lights are also available with optional dynamic indicators. The tailgate wraps around the C-pillars – a typical feature of the Q models from Audi. A diffuser insert integrates the exhaust tailpipes.

Weight saved: up to 90 kg lighter than the previous model

4.66 metres long, 1.89 metres wide and 1.66 metres tall with a 2.82-metre wheelbase – compared to the previous model, the new Q5 has grown in nearly all of its dimensions. Consequently, the unladen weight was reduced – depending on the engine – by up to 90 kg. Steels with maximum tensile strength and aluminium form an intelligent material mix in the body.

The new Q5 also stands at the top of its class in its aerodynamics. The four-cylinder versions attain a c_d figure of 0.30 with the aerodynamically optimised roof. Wind noises are exceptionally low, and vibration comfort is high – the new SUV from Audi indulges the driver and passengers with the best interior acoustics in its class.

Spacious and wide: the interior

The interior offers a lot of space for five persons, and it surpasses the previous model and its competitors in key dimensions. Its horizontally oriented lines underscore the impression of width and comfort, and a three-dimensional trim strip runs across the entire width of the instrument panel. The new equipment lines concept offers customers a broad selection of colours and materials.

A three-spoke multifunction steering wheel is standard. When it is dark, the optional ambient lighting creates an attractive atmosphere in 30 different colours. The workmanship quality in the new Q5 is uncompromising.

The rear seat back of the new Audi Q5 is split into three segments. Longitudinal and seat back angle adjustment are optional. Depending on the rear seat position, the basic volume of the luggage compartment ranges from 550 to 610 litres, 10 litres more than in the previous model. When the rear bench is folded down, this volume grows to 1,550 litres. Cargo loading is simplified by apower-operated tailgate fitted as standard, an optional variably folding mat, optional hands-free control of the power tailgate and manual lowering of the body via the optional air suspension.

Simply coherent: controls and displays

Operation of the new Audi SUV is intuitive and is marked by three great new features. The optional Audi virtual cockpit presents brilliant graphics on its high-resolution 12.3-inch screen. The driver can choose from two views – a classic view with large round instruments and a mode in which the navigation map or lists dominate.

The MMI terminal in the centre console acts as the main control element. In the top infotainment system, the optional MMI navigation plus with MMI touch and an 8.3-inch display, a touchpad is integrated into the rotary pushbutton. It recognises handwritten entries as well as gestures familiar from consumer electronics such as zooming gestures. If the new Q5 has an automatic transmission, it also has the larger MMI all-in-touch including haptic feedback.

The MMI operating logic is based on the flat hierarchies used in today’s smartphones, and it offers such features as intelligent free-text search. The new natural-language voice control function also recognizes inputs from everyday speech.

Serving as an additional third operating level in the new Audi Q5 is the multifunction steering wheel plus. Audi can deliver a newly developed head-up display as an option. It projects relevant information onto the windshield – including from driver assistance systems – as symbols and numbers that can be perceived quickly.