Audi SUV Q5 that started pre-contracting in Korea..It's full of charm
May 30, 2025
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Among them, the Full Change Q5 has the highest sales volume in Audi SUVs. It announced a new car in 8 years by global standards and 5 years by domestic standards. It is currently under pre-contract. The starting price in Korea was set at 69.68 million won. I first met Q5 at Auto Express, an overseas automobile media outlet.
If you are looking for a premium mid-sized SUV with a comfortable, sophisticated, spacious space and high-tech concentration, the latest Audi Q5 is close to the answer. It is an ideal vehicle for comfortable driving and long-distance highway driving.
Thanks to hybrid technology, it has shown remarkable efficiency in urban driving.The interior design is excellent, but there is room for quality improvement everywhere. Compared to the Q5's completeness, diesel engines fit better than noisy and flat gasoline engines. A plug-in hybrid version will also be released in the future, and I'm looking forward to it the most.
Audi Q5 recorded the highest sales volume in global Audi sales in 2024. The previous model was launched in 2016 with the last partial change in 2020, but nearly 300,000 units were sold last year.
The 3rd generation premium midsize SUV, which is now completely new, is further developed based on its previous tremendous success. Naturally, while sticking to Audi's popular formula, it has a more sophisticated style, a more advanced interior, and mild hybrid technology that comes standard on all models.
Of course, other major vehicles in this class have been refreshed in the last few years. The competitors of Audi Q5 include BMW X3, Mercedes GLC, and Lexus NX. The Volvo XC60, which is older than it launched, started 2025 with a wide range of facelifts.
The new Q5 has the option of mild hybrid TFSI gasoline and TDI diesel engines. The top model, SQ5 Edition 1, is equipped with a twin turbo V6 engine with mild hybrid technology. Only the highest specifications are available.
The same goes for the more sophisticated Q5 spotback lineup. It is about 3.4 million won more expensive per model than a regular SUV in its class. The plug-in hybrid power train will be added to the Q5 lineup in the second half of 2025, according to Audi. It will provide more than 50 miles (about 80 kilometers) of pure electric range.
In addition, all Q5s come with a Quattro four-wheel drive system as standard. The Audi Q5 starts at £51,000 (about W70 million). This is exactly halfway between BMW X3, which starts at less than 50,000 pounds (about 70 million won), and Mercedes-Benz GLC, which starts at 53,000 pounds (about 60 million won).The three-time auto-express award winner Lexus NX starts at £44,000 (about KRW 60 million) and is cheaper than all of its competitors.
2.0 TDI provides all the performance needed for luxury SUVs. The mild hybrid system is only able to run electric in some sections. As well as the new base system, all Q5s are equipped with mild hybrid systems.
The 2.0-litre TFSI gasoline and TDI diesel engines, as well as the more intense SQ5's 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 gasoline engine, all equipped with a mild hybrid system called the latest 48V 'MHEV Plus'. It uses an electric motor capable of producing 24 horsepower and 230 Nm of torque and is powered by a 1.7kWh battery.
This system slightly improves performance and efficiency. In addition, it provides a short moment of explosive driving for pure electric driving and inertial driving when the engine is stopped. It can also recover up to 25 kW of energy during braking.
The entry level TFSI 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine produces 201 horsepower and 340 Nm of torque. Audi said the engine can accelerate the Q5 to 100 km/h in 7.2 seconds.However, in actual driving, the acceleration was much slower and the engine power seemed to be insufficient.
When you pass or step on the accelerator pedal when entering the highway, the engine sounds rough and stuffy.Fortunately, the noise decreased when the cruising speed was reached. In our opinion, we have come to the conclusion that the 2.0-liter four-cylinder TDI diesel engine is much more suitable for Q5.
It sounds like a normal diesel engine, but at the same time, it's less burdensome and thanks to the mild hybrid system, you can drive smoothly even with the engine turned off when driving in the city, so it didn't feel like it was a diesel engine at all.
Q5 TDI also provides 201 horsepower, but the torque is 400 Nm, which is more powerful than the 2.0 TFSI gasoline engine 340 Nm. In reality, diesel engines feel much faster. In theory, however, the diesel engine is 0.2 seconds slower to accelerate to 0-62mph.
Both engines were combined with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that shifted smoothly. The 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine on the SQ5 powers 362 horsepower and 550 Nm of torque. It reaches 100 km/h from standstill in 4.5 seconds.Power transmission is smooth, so you can feel strong torque when accelerating.
But what was more impressive was the sound of the engine crying when the accelerator pedal was pressed and the intermittent popping of popcorn when the throttle was removed. 'MHEV Plus' technology shines in urban driving.Q5 quietly drives inertia even when the engine is turned off.
It created the illusion of driving a plug-in hybrid or electric car.The regenerative braking system also slowly slows down the vehicle, but it does not offer one-pedal driving like some electric vehicles. The progressive steering system of the Q5 performs well when driving at low speeds in the city.
It helps control the 4.7 meter SUV much easier than expected.The wide window provides an open view and the 360-degree camera system, which comes as a basic specification, can be useful even in narrow road conditions.
Audi Q5 was much more about comfort than driving dynamics or thrills. If driving dynamics or thrills are important, the BMW X3 is more suitable. Q5 Diesel is quite fuel efficient. It is expected to maintain a relatively good residual value.
Audi said the 2.0-liter TFSI mild hybrid gasoline engine on the Q5 has a fuel economy of up to 19.6 km/l.The test drive, which has driven quite a lot on winding country roads, also had a maximum fuel efficiency of 19.6 km/l. Naturally, the 2.0-liter TDI mild hybrid diesel engine is expected to be more fuel efficient. Audi said the average fuel efficiency was 16.7 km/l.
Currently, the last engine option is the twin turbocharger 3.0-litre Ild hybrid V6 engine, which is only available on the SQ5. The official fuel efficiency is about 12 km/l, but in the test drive test, the trip computer recorded 7.9 km/l.
A plug-in hybrid (TFSIe) version of the Q5 will be released later this year. Equipped with a 25.9kWh battery, it offers a pure electric range of more than 50 miles (about 80 kilometers). The fuel efficiency of the PHEV version has not yet been disclosed. The interior with the three screens of
Q5 looks neat, but there are some disadvantages. All digital displays are clear, touch-operated, and responsive. The main controls provide the solid feeling you expect from an Audi vehicle. It's still hard to be sure if passenger screens are worth it.
Touch-sensitive steering wheel control while driving is also inconvenient. Instead of physical buttons, tactile feedback panels are used to give a sophisticated and modern feel, but the radio is often turned on suddenly with just one button touched during the test run, which was inconvenient.
The interior of the Q5 creates an impressive and luxurious atmosphere. The dashboard is made of soft material and features an ambient light strip that runs across the dashboard to the door.
If you look closely, you can quickly see how much plastic was used in the Q5 interior.Some plastics feel cheap.The wide front seats and the S-line have a rear seat that can be slid and reclining for multiple purposes. The trunk of the Q5 is smaller than the competing vehicles.
The new Q5 trunk space has been slightly reduced from 550 liters to 520 liters. This is similar to the Lexus NX. The BMW X3 has 570 liters of trunk space and the Mercedes GLC has 620 liters of trunk space.
All versions of the Audi Q5 have a maximum braking traction capacity of 2,400kg. A mechanical rotary towing rod costs more than 1,000 pounds (about 1.1 million won) to install the towing rod on the Q5 at Audi.This option also includes trailer support that supports reversing while the trailer or caravan is connected.
All Q5s are equipped with the appropriate level of safety support technology as standard. Euro NCAP's crash safety assessment received a top rating of 5 stars.
However, the chest protection and side pole test performance of the passenger in the rear seats were both evaluated as 'appropriate' rather than 'good'.If you're looking for a safer SUV, it's worth considering the Mazda CX-80, which scored higher in all categories.
Q5 includes a variety of advanced driver assistance and safety features, including a 360-degree parking camera system, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, intersection warning, swab assist, hands-free parking system, lane departure warning, and advanced driver attention and fatigue monitoring system.
The premium midsize SUV segment has several vehicles competing with the Audi Q5. The biggest competitor is the BMW X3.The Lexus NX, Mercedes GLC, and Volvo XC60 are also worth considering. If the budget is sufficient, Porsche Macan will also be on the list.
Q5, which began pre-contracting on May 1 in Korea, is receiving a lot of attention due to its completely different interior and exterior design and new mild hybrid plus system. The official release date is expected to be July.
Editor Song Moon-cheol mc.song@carguy.kr
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
