A new Audi Q5 Sportback will follow hot on the heels of the standard facelifted SUV – and our exclusive images preview how it could look
Audi’s refreshed Q5 SUV is here and, to bolster the car’s line-up, the German firm will soon launch a coupe-SUV version that will challenge the likes of the BMW X4 and Mercedes GLC Coupe. It’ll be called the Audi Q5 Sportback and we expect it’ll feature most of the facelifted Q5’s styling features, powertrains and technology.
Shown here in our exclusive images, the new Q5 Sportback will follow the theme of Audi’s other coupe-SUV models, bearing a close resemblance to the standard car at the front, but gaining a new sloping roofline at the rear.
New Audi Q5 facelift means fresh looks inside and out plus extra tech
New Audi Q5 facelift means fresh looks inside and out plus extra techLike the standard Q5, Audi’s new Sportback model should also feature new LED headlamps, a revised front bumper with larger intakes and slightly narrower radiator grille. At the rear, the lighting system should have a similar design to the standard car’s, albeit modified to suit the needs of the reprofiled tailgate.
Hotter versions in the range will also gain an Audi A1-style triple-vent design at the leading edge of the bonnet, in homage to the original Quattro coupe, along with a more aggressive body kit, larger alloy wheels and tailgate spoiler.
The Sportback’s interior will be transferred wholesale from the standard facelifted Q5. As such, equipment will include heated front sports seats, three-zone climate control, cruise control, a larger 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a new storage bin in place of the old car’s rotary control knob.
Like all Volkswagen Group products, the Sportback’s options list will be extensive. Buyers will be offered a customisable interior ambient lighting pack, a head-up display and an updated version of the Audi’s 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, which the firm says has 10 times the computing power of the unit fitted to the old Q5.
New Audi Q5 Sportback: engines and drivetrains
As the facelifted Q5 and new Q5 Sportback will both share the same MQB underpinnings, the latter will benefit from the former’s upgrades. UK buyers should have a choice of three powertrains – all of which will be mated to Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system and feature some form mild-hybrid technology.
The entry-level model will be powered by an improved version of the standard SUV’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine which, thanks to a new belt-driven integrated starter-generator mild-hybrid system, will produce 201bhp and 400Nm of torque. For the standard Q5, Audi also fitted a lighter aluminium crankcase and a lighter crankshaft, shaving 22.5kg of weight off the engine – and these revisions will be carried onto the Sportback model.
Buyers should also receive an improved version of Audi’s turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder 45 TFSI petrol unit. The powertrain will be fitted with the same mild-hybrid technology, which has increased the unit’s power figure from 242bhp to 261bhp.
Finally, Audi’s forthcoming flagship SQ5 Sportback will feature an upgraded version of the same 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine found in the old SQ5 SUV. It’ll be fitted with a more potent 48-volt mild-hybrid system, which should offer an improvement over the conventionally driven unit’s 349bhp output – although official performance figures are yet to be confirmed.
What do you make of the upcoming Audi Q5 Sportback? Let us know in the comments section below…
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