Audi has updated its Q5 family SUV with increased tech and facelifted looks leading the charge.
SUVs are big business for Audi and the Q5 is one of its most popular models in Australasia. And this update will keep it competitive against main rivals the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC.
On the style front the Q5 maintains the current version’s handsome profile, with its boxy conservative looks.
Audi is singing the praises of its new OLED tail lights, which can be programmed for personalised designs for different purposes such as leaving home or arriving home. The German brand says this is a world first.
Audi is promising big gains in its infotainment technology with increased computing power boosting performance and speed. The brand’s excellent 12.3-inch digital cockpit is combined with a 10.1-inch central display – which is now a touchscreen.
Read more: First drive — Audi's forgotten Q3 leaps into SUV contention
Voice commands powered by Amazon Alexa increase the vehicle’s functionality. Navigation displays are heightened with high-resolution satellite images from Google Earth, lane-by-lane information on traffic flow and traffic forecasts.
Users can also save up to six personalised profiles stored in the cloud which remember settings such as airconditioning preferences, common navigation destinations and seating positions.
Mechanically not much has changed. The Q5 is roughly the same size and the engines are expected to carry-over from the current version – these include both turbopetrol and turbodiesel options.
But there is also a new mild hybrid version. The small lithium ion battery doesn’t drive the wheels but instead is used for the starter motor and to power the SUV’s electricals.
The battery also allows the vehicle to coast with the engine off at lower speeds. All this contributes to a slight saving in fuel. However, this model is yet to be confirmed for the region.
The updated Q5 goes on sale in Europe later this year, with Australasian deliveries expected early 2021.
To view Audi Q5s listed for sale on DRIVEN, click here
- news.com.au
