Second generation Q5 hybrid revealed

Building on the tremendous success of the Audi Q5 TFSI e plug-in hybrid model, a new, upgraded hybrid Q5 has been confirmed internationally as part of the next generation Q5 range. Available in both SUV and Sportback body styles, the Q5 e-hybrid quattro models will boast greater all-electric range of up to 100km, thanks to the new generation of high-voltage battery being employed which has around 45 percent greater capacity than its predecessors.

Two distinct power outputs will be available, with a 220kW and a 270kW version in both body shapes. Combining the power of an efficient 2.0 TFSI engine with an output of 185 kW and an electric motor – a permanently excited synchronous motor with a peak output of 105 kW – the Q5 e-hybrid models will offer even greater performance and versatility thanks to the larger 25.9 kWh (net 20.7 kWh) battery located in the rear of the vehicle. Performance is impressive with the 270kW version accelerating from 0 to 100km/h in just 5.1 seconds – a full second faster than the 220kW variant – on the way to a top speed of 250kmh for both variants.

Offering two operating modes – EV and hybrid –  the Q5 e-Hybrid quattro is once again easy and intuitive to use. In EV mode, the Q5 hybrid runs exclusively on electric power, while when driving in hybrid mode, the hybrid management system maintains a specific charge level as needed in order to save enough electrical energy for later use. In addition to the automatic hybrid mode, the driver is also now able to set the desired charge level individually using a new digital slider. This means that the charge level can be set before a trip to ensure electric capacity at the destination if, for example, there are limited plug-in charging options at the destination.

In addition to increasing the battery capacity in the new model, the maximum AC charging capacity has also been upped to 11 kW, meaning that if the battery is allowed to run completely down to empty, recharging it to 100 percent will take 2.5 hours. The new model also features improved regenerative braking performance, with the degree of thrust recuperation in EV mode able to be adjusted to three different levels using paddles on the steering wheel. 

The vehicle recovers energy automatically when this function is activated, using route data stored in the navigation system, but it can also recover energy automatically without active route guidance. 

Under braking, the Q5 e-hybrid can recover up to 88 kW of power and feed it into the HV battery. When operated as a generator, the electric motor accounts for more than 90 percent of all barking duties. The integrated brake control system with blending capability (iBRS) ensures pressure-free braking and the best possible energy recovery. The ‘real’ or hydraulic wheel brakes are only used when harder braking is required and as always, the system is such that the brake feel is unchanged for the driver regardless of the application.

In addition to their improved performance and upgraded technology, these new plug-in hybrid models also feature revised levels of equipment and appointment. Internationally this means that the 220kW power variant will include the likes of S sports suspension and three-zone automatic comfort air conditioning, while the 270kW variant receives LED headlights plus and LED rear lights pro as standard.

The MMI experience plus infotainment system features the Audi Application Store, a smartphone interface, and Audi sound system. The S interior package with sports seats in a leather/artificial leather combination in black is also included as standard, as are 19-inch 10-arm light-alloy aero wheels and red-painted brake calipers. 

Inside, the practicality and functionality for which the Q5 has always been known is once again on show, with the likes of the fully adjustable rear seat bench plus allowing the comfortable accommodation of three adults.

Storage capacity in the rear of the SUV can be increased from 438 litres to 1358 litres with the rear seat flat for greater storage or 433 litres and 1300 litres in the Sportback. The new interior architecture also means multiple storage areas throughout the vehicle as well as a cooled inductive charging tray with 15 watts of charging power in the front centre console and two USB-C ports in the front and two in the rear. 

Available as an option, the USB ports in the front support charging capacities of up to 60 watts, while the rear ports can support charging capacities of up to 100 watts to charge items such as laptops while driving.

All of this adds up to a vehicle which once again offers all of the attributes that have made successive generations of Audi Q5 models so popular, with both a powerful and efficient TFSI engine and the benefits of all-electric motoring, seamlessly combined in the one package. The design and execution is such that ideally, this dual drive system should be almost invisible to the owner in so far as its operation be intuitive and easy to use.

While the newly-announced Q5 e-hybrid is currently under evaluation for an Australian release, the new Q5 SUV models are set to arrive in Australia from the fourth quarter of this year, heralding in the next chapter  for the internationally acclaimed Audi Q5.