The Audi Q5 and SQ5 will be sold in mid-next year as 2025 cars, and they will have a completely new look. At launch, neither of the new small luxury SUVs will be offered in an electrified configuration; instead, they will both run on gasoline. Later, a plug-in hybrid version is planned. Based on how the new Q5 and SQ5 look, it’s clear that Audi didn’t want to risk the success of its famous mid-size SUV. There are no batteries or electric motors inside; instead, gas engines power it. Audi’s Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) design is used in the new Q5 and SQ5. This is likely to be the last new gas platform for the brand. The cars will be sold in the spring or early summer of 2025. When we see the shape and curve of the greenhouse’s windows, we think of a Q5, but the design is very different. The face consists of a big opening and two huge air intakes on either side. Above the LED headlights, there is a small strip of LEDs that looks like a face. Small sculptures can be seen through the side door panels, and the black trim around the doors’ bases hides a lot of the Q5’s size. The Q5 will normally come with 18-inch wheels. However, you can upgrade to 19—or 20-inch wheels with all-season tires. It comes with 20-inch tires, but you can get 21-inch tires for better all-season or summer handling. The changeable horizontal OLED taillights in the back took a lot of work to get right. In places other than the US, the Q5’s taillights, which are made up of six panels with 266 different OLED elements, can light up in different ways to let other drivers know about crashes, too much braking, or problems. To get a better idea of how this works, look at a few different checkerboard patterns. This also has to do with the third stop light. By shining a pattern of light onto the back window, the third brake light, which is on the bottom of the spoiler at the top of the hatch, makes it easier to see. We checked, and the mirrored light can’t be seen from inside the car, so don’t worry. Well-known engines and modern transmission The Q5 and the sporty SQ5 are both powered by two well-known engines. There is no longer a basic engine from last year that makes 201 horsepower. As of now, the Q5 comes with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 268 horsepower. This is the same engine that powers the Porsche Macan and the Volkswagen GTI. A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission took the place of the old Q5’s eight-speed conventional automatic gearbox. Today, it takes 6.1 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph, but it will only take around five seconds. This is because the 2.0-liter engine has seven more horsepower than its predecessor, and the new dual-clutch transmission will give launch control. That needs to be faster? The SQ5 also has a 3.0-liter V-6 turbocharged engine that makes 362 horsepower, which is 13 more than the old model. Instead of an eight-speed transmission, the SQ5 and Q5 both have a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The current SQ5 can reach 60 mph in 5.1 seconds. If the dual-clutch system has launch control, that time should drop to four seconds. The Q5 and SQ5 will get about the same amount of gas mileage as the last generation, which was 26 mpg and 21 mpg, respectively. The old version had a plug-in hybrid car with 362 horsepower, but that type is no longer being thought about. Also, cars going to the US won’t be able to get the mild hybrid system that the rest of the world will get. This means that Americans won’t be able to get the small fuel-economy boost or the short bursts of power that the 24-hp electric motor may offer when accelerating. Audi says that the new base will make it possible to make plug-in hybrid models, which will be available in late 2025. The inside is different from the last generation’s. For Audi, the two big screens in the middle of the dashboard are called the “Digital Stage.” It stores all of the car’s settings, radio controls, HVAC, and other functions on its 14.5-inch tablet in the middle. Thank goodness there’s a volume knob that can also be used to look for stations and a joystick to skip songs. The driver can see details about the car’s speed and other things on an 11.9-inch screen in front of them. The digital gauges in the new Audi Q5 are more flexible and adjustable than the ones in the current Audi A6. However, a head-up display (HUD) with an 85% bigger viewing area might compensate for this. A third, 10.9-inch screen can be added so that people can watch movies or use the entertainment system more easily. While the car is moving, the driver can’t see what’s on the passenger’s screen. Nearly half of all Q5s (including SQ5) were sold in the United States in the past. This was possible thanks to Audi’s careful exterior design and successful interior makeover. People are likely to keep buying these until the new ones come out in the spring or early summer of 2025. Customers who have bought from us before will feel comfortable with the two gas engines until the PHEV transmission is ready, which we expect to be soon. We’ll let you know how it went when we test-drive it in a year.
