By Staff Reporter

Having revealed the Audi Q5 Sportback late last year, Audi has revealed a slew of diesel powered variants that are headlined by a 251 kW fuel burner.

Looks

The front design follows the latest Audi design language and aligns with the Q5. Standing out is the large octagonal singleframe grille that is flanked by large air inlets. This complemented by headlights with distinctive daytime running light signature that feature (standard) LED or optional Matrix LED technology.

The side view is dominated by a strong shoulder line, curved sill panels and of course the sloping roofline. The rear is dominated by LED lights with their own unique design. They not only enhance looks but also offer technological and safety advancements. Each LED is divided into six segments, which can be controlled individually. Customers can select from three rear light signatures when ordering their vehicle, each of which includes a dynamic coming and leaving home lighting scenario. An additional sporty graphic is displayed when “dynamic” mode is chosen in the Audi drive select system. If another vehicle approaches a stationary Q5 Sportback from the rear to within less than two meters, all OLED segments illuminate, providing proximity detection. The prerequisite for this function is that the car has one of the tow assistance systems – either Adaptive Cruise Control or Active Lane Assist – on board.

Audi offers the new Audi Q5 Sportback in the “advanced” and “S line” exterior lines. Differences lie in the grille, the side air inlets and in particular the rear bumper. There are 12 paint finishes and a variety of trims for the add-on parts to choose from, including the black styling package and both full and contrasting paint finishes.

Distinctive details help set the Audi SQ5 Sportback TDI apart from the rest of the range. Filigree bars connect large octagonal honeycombs with each other in the octagonal singleframe grille. Vertical brackets appear with large side air inlets on the front bumper. The rear bumper integrates a bracket in matte aluminum, under which the diffuser insert and four chrome-plated oval tailpipe trims can be found. The new digital OLED technology can be chosen for the rear lights.

Interior

The interior look follows the Q5 and the Q5 Sportback runs the third-generation modular infotainment system or MIB 3. When fully equipped, the digital Audi virtual cockpit plus with 12.3-inch display and a head-up display are also part of the package.

The MMI navigation plus infotainment system is paired with a 10.1-inch touch display. Its natural language voice control can be activated by saying “Hey Audi.” Optional equipment such as the Audi phone box or the Bang & Olufsen 3D Premium Sound System supplement the infotainment system.

The interior of the Audi SQ5 Sportback TDI is designed in black or dark grey colours, the illuminated aluminium door sill trims are decorated with S logos. There is a choice of three upholstery options for the electrically adjustable sport seats with the embossed S logos. Contrasting stitching adorns the seats and the steering wheel; a massage function and seat ventilation are available on request. Brushed aluminium is standard for the inlays, the alternatives are two carbon designs and a piano finish.

Practicality

Being seven millimeters longer than the Q5, the new Audi Q5 Sportback is touted as not being a compromise on practicality when selecting it over the Q5. Boot space comes in at 510L and increases to 1480L when loaded to the roof and with the rear seats folded down.

Adding to the practicality argument is the towing capacity of 2.4 metric tons (braked, 12 percent gradient) for the 150 kW 2.0 TDI model. Offered with an adaptive air suspension, ground clearance can be increased by as much as 45 mm when driving on unpaved roads, while the body is lowered by 15 mm when driving fast.

Engines (at launch)

The Audi Q5 Sportback will be launched on the market in Europe with three engine versions – two TDI engines and one TFSI. Their power output ranges from 150 kW to 210 kW.

A 2.0 TDI engine with a 12 V mild hybrid system (MHEV) powers the Q5 Sportback 40 TDI Quattro and makes 150 kW of power and 400 Nm of torque, and moves the car from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds. The top speed is 222 km/h. A seven-speed S tronic transmission is paired with the four-cylinder diesel engine.

The Audi Q5 Sportback 50 TDI quattro offers even more power and torque. This model offers 210 kW and 620 Nm which is enough for a standard sprint in 5.7 seconds and maximum speed of 240 km/h. The MHEV system works here with 48 V. The engine is paired with an eight-speed tiptronic transmission.

A 2.0 TFSI four-cylinder petrol engine powers the Audi Q5 Sportback 45 TFSI quattro allows it to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds and takes it to a top speed of 240 km/h. The petrol engine produces 195 kW of power and 370 Nm of torque. Like the two-litre TDI, it uses a 12 V mild hybrid system and is paired with a seven-speed S tronic transmission.

Topping the range is the powerful Audi SQ5 Sportback TDI that is powered by a 3.0 TDI diesel engine (with a 48 V MHEV)  which makes 251 kW of power and 700 Nm. Paired with an eight-speed tiptronic, this propels the car from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds before reaching a top speed of 250 km/h.

Local availability is yet to be announced.