Audi unveiled the all-new Q5 in China at the Beijing Auto Show, a SUV that combines the dynamism of a sports sedan with highly variable interior and versatile options for leisure-time and family use.
The dimensions alone indicate that this is a SUV of all-new proportions. Measuring 4.63 meters (15.19 feet) long and 1.88 meters (6.17 feet) wide, the Audi Q5 is just 1.65 meters (5.41 feet) high – making it sportier than any of its competitors. What’s more, this SUV sets another benchmark in its class with a low drag coefficient of 0.33.
The Audi Q5 is rolling off the production line in three engine variants – one gasoline engine and two TDI units. All of the engines are direct-injection models with a turbocharger – characterized by outstanding performance, hefty propulsive power and cultivated running while at the same time offering impressive fuel efficiency.
The 2.0 TFSI has been entirely redesigned. The high torque of 350 Nm (258.15 lb-ft) is available at 1,500 rpm and remains constant up to 4,200 rpm, with performance peaking at 155 kW (211 hp). The Audi Q5 2.0 TFSI sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 7.2 seconds, reaching a top speed of 222 km/h (137.94 mph). On average, the vehicle consumes just 8.5 liters of fuel per 100 km (27.67 mpg).
Drawing on four cylinders and two liters of displacement as well, the 2.0 TDI is superbly refined thanks to a new common-rail fuel injection system; like the gasoline engine, it has two balancing shafts. With 350 Nm (258.15 lb-ft) (between 1,750 and 2,500 rpm), this diesel engine delivers strong propulsive power at an outstanding 125 kW (170 hp). Average consumption of just 6.7 liters per 100 km (35.11 mpg) is proof of Audi’s successful efficiency strategy. The two-liter TDI catapults the Audi Q5 from 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 9.5 seconds, peaking at a top speed of 204 km/h (126.76 mph).
The most powerful engine in the line-up is the 3.0 TDI. This V6 diesel engine delivers a gratifying 176 kW (240 hp), with 500 Nm (368.78 lb-ft) of torque available between 1,500 and 3,000 rpm. With outstanding power flow and cultivated sound, it takes the Audi Q5 from 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 6.5 seconds, accelerating to a top speed of 225 km/h (139.81 mph). On average, the three-liter engine consumes 7.7 liters of fuel per 100 km (30.55 mpg).
The new Audi Q5 combines the dynamism of a sports sedan with highly variable interior and versatile options for leisure-time and family use. Strong and efficient engines, quattro permanent all-wheel drive and agile running gear have been brought together to create a superior technology package for both on- and off-road driving. Highlights such as the innovative seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission and the Audi drive select control system are proof of Audi’s Vorsprung durch Technik. The sportiest SUV in its class is dynamic, multifunctional and comfortable.
The Audi Q5 is a multi-talent for sport, leisure-time and family activities. As an option, Audi offers the “rear bench seat plus”, which slides 100 millimeters (3.94 inches) lengthwise to provide a load-through facility. The front passenger’s seat can be outfitted with a folding backrest for transportation of long objects such as surfboards. Numerous practical storage compartments, drink holders, bottle holders and onboard power outlets are supplied ex works. On request, Audi even offers a climate-controlled drink holder to keep drinks hot or cold. The optional storage package features another clever detail as well – an attachment point in the passenger-side footwell to which various storage fixtures can be attached
The Audi Q5 is rolling off the production line in three engine variants – one gasoline engine and two TDI units. All of the engines are direct-injection models with a turbocharger – characterized by outstanding performance, hefty propulsive power and cultivated running while at the same time offering impressive fuel efficiency.
The 2.0 TFSI has been entirely redesigned. The four-cylinder engine unites three high-tech features – turbocharging, gasoline direct-injection technology and the innovative Audi valvelift system for variable control of valve lift.
The high torque of 350 Nm (258.15 lb-ft) is available at 1,500 rpm and remains constant up to 4,200 rpm, with performance peaking at 155 kW (211 hp). The Audi Q5 2.0 TFSI sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 7.2 seconds, reaching a top speed of 222 km/h (137.94 mph). On average, the vehicle consumes just 8.5 liters of fuel per 100 km (27.67 mpg).
The 2.0 TDI transfers its power to a six-speed manual transmission. Audi has built innovative technology into both the 3.0 TDI and 2.0 TFSI – the S tronic, a new twin-clutch transmission with seven speeds. This high-tech component can execute gearshifts in just a fraction of a second while offering exceptional comfort and high efficiency. Drivers can let the seven-speed S tronic shift automatically or select gears manually, when desired with rocker switches on the steering wheel.
Just like in the new Audi A4, pronounced the best midsized sedan by the trade press, the position of the component units in the drivetrain has been altered in the Audi Q5 – the differential is located in front of the clutch, directly behind the engine. This solution, which made it possible to move the front axle much further forward, creates a long wheelbase and optimum distribution of axle load. It is precisely these features from which the Audi Q5 derives its unique strengths – good directional stability, high comfort and impressive dynamics.
A large package of high-end technologies makes the Audi Q5 driving experience even more fascinating. The optional control system Audi drive select guides the operation of various technology components and is available in several upgrade variants. At the touch of a button, the driver determines whether the system should work in a comfortable, an especially well balanced or a sporty mode. The MMI operating system offers a fourth mode, which can be individually programmed.
Every new Audi makes its dynamic nature visually apparent at first glance. The Audi Q5, too, has the sportiest proportions in its vehicle segment: it is 4.63 meters (15.19 ft) long and 1.88 meters (6.17 ft) wide, but only 1.65 meters (5.41 ft) high. Its body design comes across as powerful, athletic and emotionally charged. The new Q5 restates the Audi brand’s claim to lead the way in automotive design. The paneled body of the Audi Q5 exhibits stylistic consistency throughout, as if carved out of a single block. The volumes of the forward structure and passenger compartment flow harmoniously into one another; sharp contours delimit sculptural, softly modeled surfaces on which the light creates ever-shifting, intriguing patterns – this optical precision is the embodiment of Audi’s uncompromising standards of quality.
The Audi Q5 comes with H7 headlamps as standard. The daytime running lights – with long-life bulbs as their light source – are already standard here; the highbeam and low-beam headlamps are housed in separate chambers. On the xenon plus version, a mercury-free gas discharge bulb is the light source for the lowbeam and high-beam headlamps. Above and around them is a "wing" – a chrome vapor-coated contour reminiscent of an eyebrow. Twelve daylight-white lightemitting diodes arranged above each "wing" constitute the daytime running lights, with an energy consumption of just a few watts. The xenon plus headlamps can also be combined with the adaptive light cornering light system.
The roof rails – taking the form of an aluminum extruded section – are standard, with a compact, elegant design that blends harmoniously into the overall styling. A zero-gap joint connects the roof and the side – this is a highly intricate feature calling into focus the high level of precision involved in Audi design and body manufacturing. The narrow, strictly parallel pattern of all body joins accentuates this impression.
Substantial bow-type door handles, large exterior mirrors with LED turn indicators and prominent wheel arches point to the strength and sturdiness of the Audi Q5. Horizontal edges above the wheel arches recall the Audi quattro of 1980, one of the brand’s classic creations. The Audi Q5 stands resolutely ready for action on its 17-inch to 20-inch wheels. Its long wheelbase of 2.81 meters (9.22 ft) means that the body overhangs are short – just 89 centimeters (35.04 in) at the front and 93 centimeters (36.61 in) at the rear.
Good design is always functional design – the Audi Q5 has a drag coefficient of just 0.33, the best in its segment. This achievement is all thanks to intensive finetuning of the body and underbody. The frontal area of the performance SUV is 2.65 m2 (28.52 ft2).
Elaborate aeroacoustics developed for the most part in a special acoustic wind tunnel keep the noise level low even when the car is traveling at high speeds. The Audi Q5 matches the exemplary standard of the Audi A4 in this respect. Influencing aeroacoustics involves juggling many different elements such as the triple door seals, the drip moldings on the A-posts and the exterior mirrors. Thanks to its rigid mount, the optional panoramic glass roof barely adds to the noise level.
In frontal collisions, people of slight build are at greater danger than sturdier people. Audi has therefore designed the restraint systems in the Q5 as an innovative, very closely meshed network. There are sensors on the front seat rails to detect how far forward or back the seat is positioned. This data is incorporated into the calculations of the control unit, which manages how the restraint systems operate. Because the computer knows how far the passenger is from the airbag, it can ensure that the amount of forward movement, during which the seat belt and the airbag can restrain the body, is optimally utilized.
The front airbags in the Audi Q5, with a capacity of 64 liters (2.26 cubic ft) on the left and 120 liters (4.24 cubic ft) on the right, have an adaptive concept and operate according to a new strategy. They always inflate fully. If the impact is not particularly severe and the passenger is positioned close to the airbag, the control unit rates the situation as relatively mild. In this instance some of the inflating gas is released again through valves; the head and chest are cushioned relatively gently.
If the crash is severe, on the other hand, the airbags remain fully inflated for longer. The same happens if the impact is not very strong but the passenger is sitting so far back that their torso would whip forward with great force. The conventional technology that triggers the airbag merely on the basis of a collision’s severity would inflate the airbag only partially, affording correspondingly poorer protection.
The belt force limiters, too, respond flexibly. They incorporate two torsion bars that are connected by toothed wheels. In less critical situations, the torsion bars are separated at an earlier stage in the accident. This gives the belt a greater range of movement – the seat occupant’s upper body plunges relatively deeply into the airbag and the load that has to be withstood in the chest area is reduced. In a more severe crash situation, however, the torsion bars are either disconnected later or not at all – the seat belt restrains the passenger more firmly.
In the occupant compartment, the seats provide the passengers with excellent protection. The shape of the seat back frame, a soft sprung mat and an energyabsorbing foam enable the back to sink some way into the seat back. This allows the back of the head to be cushioned early on by the rigid head restraint, which is at a distance of only about four centimeters (1.57 in). In the case of a severe rearend collision, the seat-belt tensioners are triggered so as to firmly hold the occupants in the best position in their seats.
This integral head restraint system, which is also used in other model series, has already proved effective for protecting passengers of any build in accidents of all levels of severity. It was awarded the rating "Good" in independent tests such as that conducted by the highly regarded International Insurance Whiplash Prevention Group (IIWPG), a work group that aims to prevent whiplash injuries. The U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), too, awarded it the rating "Good". In Germany, the ADAC and leading trade periodicals arrived at similar results.
Feeling at ease straightaway is a typical response whenever you climb into a new Audi. The Q5 is no exception; its developers have created a light, luxurious and spacious interior. It is elegant in appearance, the build quality is of the customary superb standard, and the intuitive ease with which it is controlled can be further enhanced with numerous hi-tech features from the full-size category.
In the Audi Q5, the driver’s seat is one of the keys to that sense of well-being. It is amply dimensioned, so that drivers of all heights and builds will feel instantly at ease on it. The driver’s and front passenger’s seats give their occupants an ergonomically excellent position and provide perfect body support – even though the Audi Q5 driver is half as high up again as a driver of a conventional car, the seated position is still sporty. The seats are height-adjustable as standard, and their head restraints may be moved well up.
Audi offers the option of sport seats with manual angle adjustment, extendable thigh rest and electric four-way lumbar support – this latter feature can also be ordered separately. Alternatively all-electric seat adjustment is available, for adjusting the fore/aft position, seat back angle and height. A memory function that remembers the preferred seat and exterior mirror positions is also available. With typical Audi thoroughness, the optional heated seats have six settings. The system heats the seat bases and backs, and also the sides on leather and sport seats. The outer rear seats can also be supplied with heating.
The climate-controlled comfort seats at the front are the ultimate luxury – they are the top-end version in the seats range for the Audi Q5. Each seat back and base cushion has two small fans with six power settings. To prevent chilling of the occupant, there is a supplementary function that cuts in automatically if need be. The climate-controlled comfort seats are upholstered in perforated leather. All seat versions have neatly and carefully stitched seams – their very design inspires confidence in their quality. The sport seats are very elaborately topstitched. Orange-colored seams on the standard seats, upholstered in black fabric, give the interior a note of youthful freshness.
An extensive range of design packages is available. These include Havanna cloth upholstery or the leather grades Milano and Fine Nappa for the standard seats; these come in a range of five colors. The sport seats are upholstered in Micro cloth or the leather types leather/Alcantara, Milano and Fine Nappa; here again, the customer has a choice of five colors.
The Audi Q5’s colors and equipment, too, have a sporty, elegant character. The vehicle’s interior is visually harmonious in black, gray or beige. This philosophy creates a light interior impression in which the inlays provide visual highlights. The standard version is in Micrometallic platinum, a metallic-effect paint finish, or optionally in aluminum or the woods Walnut brown or Fine grain ash almond beige. On the version Fine grain ash brown, the wood’s pores remain open and thus allow the natural material’s structure to be explored by the fingertips.
The headlining is in beige, black or silver and can be supplied optionally in Alcantara; the sill strips are in a contrasting aluminum look. With the optional leather package, the instrument hood and armrests are trimmed with Fine Nappa leather in a choice of five colors. In the chrome package, components such as the air vents and light switches acquire a sophisticated gleam.
If the Audi Q5 is equipped with MMI navigation plus, the controls for the audio system are moved to the MMI (Multi Media Interface) operating system on the center tunnel. Praised in countless tests by industry media, the MMI has long since proven itself to be a superior solution. Audi has now improved it yet further: the central rotary control/pushbutton incorporates a cap that can be operated like a joystick – for even quicker and easier navigation on the monitor.
The Audi Q5 is fitted as standard with automatic air conditioning with a pollen and recirculated-air filter, plus a function that builds the sun’s position into how it operates. A powerful blower circulates large quantities of air. Typically for Audi, the innovative system is quiet, powerful and efficient. And it is remarkably light in weight.
The Audi Q5 starts out with three powerful, refined and efficient engines. All three are direct-injection concepts with turbocharging – the two-liter gasoline version uses FSI technology, and the two TDI units with displacements of 2.0 and 3.0 liters employ the common rail principle. A fourth engine – a 3.2-liter sixcylinder FSI – will be added to the range at the start of 2009. With their confident power, these engines are the key to undiluted driving enjoyment combined with good fuel efficiency – clear evidence of how successful Audi’s efficiency strategy has been.
Gasoline direct injection, badged as FSI, is a competition-beating technology, especially when paired with turbocharging. On the 2.0 TFSI, a newly developed common rail system injects the fuel directly into the combustion chambers at a pressure of 150 bar through six-hole injectors; flaps in the intake tract induce a specific swirl pattern. The temperatures are reduced by its evaporation, overcoming the age-old problem of turbo technology – the high amount of heat it generates and therefore the tendency to knock. Despite the presence of turbocharging, Audi’s engineers achieved a high compression ratio of 9.6:1 that plays a big part in its combustion efficiency.
Audi’s gasoline direct injection concept first supplied evidence of its potential in June 2001. It was then that a TFSI engine powered the Audi R8 sports prototype to overall victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours; 64 more victories out of 80 starts followed in subsequent years.
This technology notched up a string of successes in road cars, too – the 2.0 TFSI has been voted "Engine of the Year" four times in succession by an international jury of journalists since 2005.
