The pressure on Audi’s best-selling car couldn’t be higher. Just as the Q5 prepares to roll into European showrooms in its third-generation later in March, Audi’s profits have driven off a cliff face.
Company executives are pinning their hopes on the flagship Q5 bumping up sales after the company reported a massive 33% drop in profits due to weak demand and price wars in China.
Expectations are also high after critics accused the German luxury brand of being less progressive than arch-rivals Mercedes and BMW.
Priced from €52,300 at home in Europe, the refreshed family SUV from Ingolstadt squares up against the BMW X3, Mercedes GLC and Volvo XC60.
The Volkswagen Group subsidiary has decided to play it safe and has exercised restraint in its design. The car’s length remains at 4.72 metres, with a wheelbase of 2.82 metres and its appearance has only been slightly modified.
The egg-crate, single-frame grille dominates and when it comes to the shape, Audi could be accused of resting on its laurels, except that customers expect this assertive format.
The handsome Q5 still stands apart from some of its jelly bean rivals with a slightly crisper look and a new array of letters and numbers on the tailgate. There are also fancy light signatures to play with, but overall it shares much in common with the car it replaces.
Those who want more get-up-and-go will need to wait a few weeks before the Q5 comes on stream again as a Sportback with a sloping rear. This variant offers a tad less space and costs an extra €2,500.
For many years Audi has been synonymous with new technology and under the metal the Q5 is completely new. It is the first SUV to be based on the VW Group’s so-called Premium Platform Combustion (PPC).
Along with the latest suites of driver assistance systems, it gets the newest combustion engines, including a lusty 2.0 TDI diesel which is unfashionable but should appeal to traditionalists.
The unit churns out plenty of torque and is well-matched to the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. Both diesel and petrol engines are mild hybrids thanks to a pair of electric motor.
One is fitted on the engine and the other on automatic gearbox and there is a 1.7kWh battery on board. Audi said it adds 24 hp and allows for limited electric-only running.
Increased energy recovery during braking reduces consumption in the standard cycle to a respectable 5.9 litres per 100 kilometres.
This equates to a range of 1,100 kilometres, which may provoke envy from owners of the larger and more expensive Q6 e-tron electric. Its most efficient version has a range of only 625 km.
Even if regular breaks to recharge an electric car have become acceptable, few will long to get out of the Q5. The seats are comfortable and the distant hum of the diesel is more soothing than annoying. The chassis is relaxed and the steering provides just the right amount of feedback.
This means that those with staying power will find it easy to empty the tank in one go.
Audi also offers a two-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which turns out 150 kW/204 hp, and the SQ5 as the provisional top model.
It is powered by a V6 turbocharged petrol engine with 270 kW/367 hp and a top speed of 250 km/h. Audi said a plug-in hybrid version is in the pipeline as a Q6 alternative and it will also offer a degree of electric-only traction.
Inside the new Q5, everything is new and yet familiar. As with all new models, Audi has opted for a curved, free-standing display with two screens for the driver and an optional third screen for the front passenger.
Many of the switches are grouped together in control islands, for example in the door. If you can’t find your way around straight away, just ask the integrated chatbot with artificial intelligence for help.
In a car like this, the practical virtues are more important anyway, such as the sliding rear bench seat for customising legroom and, of course, the boot. At 520 to 1,473 litres, it is a little smaller than before, but can be used better.
We obviously need new cars for new times, but with the Q5, Audi has come up with a car for its loyal following in this segment.
It’s an Audi that may also stop many hesitant customers from going wholly electric. After all, it is €10,000 cheaper than its battery-powered cousin.
The concept with diesel and petrol drive is not sustainable and rather old-fashioned but it’s a tried-and-tested recipe for the four rings – and that alone should keep it at the top of the sales chart.
