The second-generation of the Audi Q5 Sportback has been revealed for the first time, just two months after the eagerly-anticipated first look at the all-new Q5 SUV design. The new Q5 Sportback is expected to arrive in Australia towards the end of next year following the introduction of its SUV sibling.

The styling represents a significant evolution of the original Sportback treatment for Q5 which met with tremendous approval when it was introduced internationally to the Q5 lineup in 2021 and in Australia early the following year.

The combination of the brand’s all-conquering mid-sized luxury SUV and the svelte Sportback styling has proved irresistible for customers ever since, accounting for more than 40 percent of sales of Q5 models ever since.

Once again, both the Q5 and SQ5 models will be produced as Sportback variants, the Q5 Sportback pictured here in District green metallic and the SQ5 Sportback in Grenadine red metallic.

Immediately identifiable as a Q5 Sportback, the new design is nonetheless distinctive, the new front Singleframe treatment immediately evident sitting higher as it does, flanked by the sharp new headlights featuring eight selectable light signatures front and rear.

The bonnet treatment is also markedly different to the current model Q5 but it is the vehicle’s silhouette that has undergone the most change, with the distinctive roofline even more pronounced look, sloping from further forward than before. The result is the Q5 Sportback and SQ5 Sportback is sleeker and appears to sit lower than the current iteration. The sweeping roofline is of course the focal point, giving the Sportback variant a more sporty dynamic than the SUV version, complete with the subtle roof spoiler.

But despite the roof seeming to slope more dramatically than before, the Sportback still offers luggage capacity of up to 515 litres in the Q5 Sportback or 470 litres in the S version, with those volumes increasing to 1415 litres and 1388 litres respectively with the rear seats folded flat.

Different trim levels will be available at launch in Europe, with the S line and S model differentiated from an entry-level model by larger air intakes at the front as well as different finishes for the Singleframe surround, air intakes and other vehicle details – matte Anthracite (S line exterior) and matte Silver (S model). 

Inside too the Q5 Sportback models have been completely revised and reimagined in keeping with the new interior design language and treatment.

This centres around the new Audi MMI panoramic display and the MMI passenger display, which dominates the entire dash area as if it were made up of one large sweeping screen, although the passenger screen is distinct from the MMI and virtual cockpit servicing the driver, and will not distract the driver once the vehicle is underway.

The ‘softwrap’ which extends the width of the vehicle accentuates the feeling of space which, along with the luxurious appointment and state-of-the-art technology have been attributes of the Q5 models since their first appearance.

As is the case with the new Q5, the Sportback version is based on the brand’s Premium Platform Combustion (PPC), designed specifically for use with vehicles featuring longitudinal combustion engines. But while drive is delivered by conventional combustion power plants, they feature highly efficient MHEV plus technology with new 48-volt MHEV plus electrical systems serving the dual purpose of more efficient operation and greater performance.

The new powertrain generator (PTG) produces more torque and to 18kW of additional power, while the 48-volt electrical system enables the use of an electric air conditioning compressor which can drive the air-conditioning when the engine is switched off or when the vehicle is stopped in traffic.

The lithium-ion battery for vehicles with MHEV plus is based on lithium ferro-phosphate chemistry and boasts a storage capacity of 1.7 kWh. 

The vehicle uses a belt alternator starter (BAS) primarily to start the engine and supply electrical power to the battery. But the BAS also enables small stretches of electric driving and also provides energy recuperation of up to 25kW to the battery. In this way, the Premium Platform Combustion enables partial electrification in the form of mild hybrids, with a view to introducing plug-in hybrids with a large battery and external charger later in the Q5’s model lifecycle.

Although details for the Q5 Sportback’s local introduction will not be announced until closer to the Australian launch in 2025, in Europe the Q5 Sportback will be available with three engines at market launch, with further drive variants to follow.

The entry-model features a 2.0 TFSI power plant producing 150kW and 340Nm and drives the front wheels as standard. Customers will also be able to option quattro all-wheel drive for this variant. 

A 2.0-litre TDI will be available in quattro only, likewise delivering 150kW but great torque of 400Nm. Topping the series will again be the SQ5 model which will feature a 3.0-litre V6 TFSI engine delivering 270kW and 550Nm of torque and of course quattro all-wheel drive.

All models will feature the MHEV plus technology and use a seven-speed S tonic transmission.

The new treatment builds on the hugely successful formula that has seen the Q5 in all its incarnations become the brand’s best selling SUV and one of the most popular models in the company’s history. The addition of a Sportback variant once again combines the perfect size and appointment of the Q5 with the more design driven exterior which has become a popular staple across multiple Audi models.

Specification and pricing for the Q5 Sportback and the SQ5 Sportback will be confirmed in the new year ahead of its Australian introduction late in 2025.