The Q5 has been the most affordable Audi ever since it came out in 2008, selling in vast quantities pretty much everywhere it’s available. The old one was, says the company, the “world’s best-selling premium mid-size” SUV for six years, ahead of the BMW X3, Mercedes GLC/GLE and the Q5’s cousin Porsche Macan .
The current, second-generation Q5 went on sale in 2017 and had a facelift in 2021. Based on the same ‘MLB’ platform as the A4, A5 and so on, in Audi’s range, it sits above the smaller Q3 but under the seven-seat Q7. Key improvements over the old Q5 are in the areas you’d expect – up to 90kg fewer weight thanks to much aluminium, better economy, more tech.
New Introductions
New for the facelift, besides revised, LED light clusters and the mandatory ‘more grille’ styling tweaks, is a 12-volt mild-hybrid boost that makes the start-stop system more effective, aiding fuel economy. Inside, Audi binned its gloriously tactile and easy-to-use click wheel menu system for a new touchscreen.
It also remains a very practical luxury SUV, with a spacious back seat and a large, 550-litre boot. One also gets a 12v socket in the middle. The cabin now uses piano black rather than conventional brown wood trim, and the features list gets the notable addition of a 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system on the top Technology trim. It always was pretty well equipped though, and returning this time are wireless phone charging, a panoramic sunroof, Apple Carplay and Android Auto, park assist, adaptive dampers and 8 airbags.
Engine
The 45 TFSI petrol engine is pretty much impressive. The 2.0-litre unit produces 249hp (3hp down after the move to BS6) and 370Nm, both numbers that are par for the segment, and as before, it’s all channelled via a seven-speed dual-clutch auto gearbox and Quattro AWD.
Price
Both the A4 and A6 are priced very aggressively and we expect a similar kind of pricing for the Q5, it will cost around Rs 58 lakh-62 lakh (ex-showroom) for the two variants, Premium Plus and Technology. If that’s enough to put it back on the driveways of the Indian luxury SUV buyer, we’ll have to wait and see.