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The Q5 will also be produced in Bratislava, Slovakia. The first public introduction of the Audi Q5 was at the 2008 Beijing Auto Show on 19 April 2008 (alongside the similarly-competitive Mercedes-Benz GLK-Class.
Here we go again; according to unconfirmed reports from the UK, Lamborghini is working on a spiritual successor to the LM002 aka Rambo Lambo – you know, the monstrous Italian SUV of the late 1980s, which used the Countach's 5.2-liter V12 and had a special place in the hearts of obscenely rich sheiks.
"Industry insiders" say that the new model will be based on the same platform as the Audi Q5 and Porsche's upcoming Cajun. Let me deviate right here, as this sounds more than a bit off.
The original LM002 measured 4.9 meters (192 inches) in length, but its bulky design made it seem a lot bigger. The Audi Q5 is 4.62 meters (182 inches) long and it shows, as it doesn't come anywhere near the Q7's presence. It really looks like a small SUV. No, a true successor has to be as off the charts as the original or even more. A bigger platform is a must. Strike one.
Although there's been no official announcement other than confirmation of a Q5 Hybrid SUV sometime this year (next week's L.A. Auto Show is a good bet), Audi's website seems to think that the brand's mid-size hybrid crossover is ready for some time in the spotlight.
According to the site, the Q5 Hybrid will be a full hybrid with a 2.0 TSI four-cylinder working alongside a 33-kW (44 HP) electric motor, regenerative braking, and start/stop tech.
Behind the scenes, the car will have an adaptive control system to optimize the gas/electric power ratio. On electric power alone, Audi is expecting the car to be able to cruise at speeds up to 100 km/h / 62 mph. Curious about range and efficiency? There's now a power meter in the instrument cluster for just that reason.
Who would have thought that BMW's all-wheel drive systems were enough to shame Audi's famous quattro system? Not the average consumer, that's for sure (though BMW certainly has had enough time to get it right). BMW, which has actually been making AWD cars for the past 25 years, has decided to begin more aggressively targeting consumers who live in harsher climates.
According to this video, BMW's xDrive is vastly superior to Audi's quattro - at least when driving up metal inclines built by BMW... In the clip, we get a glimpse at what appears to be some sort of BMW press event and a hill climb-off between two small-ish diesel-powered premium soft-roaders: Audi's Q5 and BMW's X3.
A sensor informs the ESP system if a roof rack has been mounted, which will cause the Audi Q5's centre of gravity to be shifted higher in keeping with the roof load of up to 100 kg (220 lb). If a roof rack is present, the ESP engages earlier in the handling limit. Without a roof load, the driver is free to tap the full dynamic potential of the Audi Q5. The Audi Q5 is capable of towing up to 2.0 tonnes; the standard hill descent control system makes it safe to navigate down steep inclines by regulating the preselected speed when driving at under 30 km/h (19 mph). The Q5 is also fitted with an advanced Trailer Stability Program designed to combat any unwanted snakeing when towing a large trailer or caravan.
According to Volkswagen AG CEO Martin Winterkorn himself, there's a new baby Cayenne in the works. In an interview with German magazine Der Spiegel, Winterkorn said Porsche "will get a new SUV, a smaller brother to the Cayenne which might be named Cajun."
I guess the name is appropriate if Porsche insists on spicing up its lineup with controversial vehicles. Should this be the case, can we expect the Panamera coupe to be called the Tabasco? Or perhaps the Texas Pete? Name game in the comments below.
Audi was originally reported that it would offer Q5 hybrid as launch model, it was later reported that Audi suspended the plan because of unsatisfying crash test result for the nickel metal hydride batteries.
In 2009, Audi announced it would resume the Q5 hybrid development.
Production version would be on sale in 2012 for Japanese market.
