Audi Q5 Sportback targets trendsetters

Hot on the heels of the upgraded Audi Q5 luxury SUV is its all-new coupe-like cousin, the Q5 Sportback, which was revealed today at the 2020 Beijing motor show in China.

Aimed at style-conscious buyers, the new prestige mid-size SUV is expected to be offered with a range of petrol and diesel engines when it arrives in Australia in the second half of 2021, about six months after the facelifted Audi Q5 arrives in February.

Targeting the likes of the BMW X4 and Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe, the Q5 Sportback’s headline features include the swoopy new design – complete with ‘dancing’ OLED tail-lights – and high levels of cabin technology and luxury features.

Customers can expect to pay a relatively small premium over the regular Audi Q5 for the svelte Sportback design, given the Q3 Sportback adds $3500 over the Q3 wagon, and should also be prepared to compromise slightly on luggage space and rear-seat headroom.

But Audi insists that design is a key purchasing factor for a large majority of luxury car buyers, with the swoopy Q5 Sportback expected to account for around 30 per cent of Q5 sales globally.

Australian pricing and specification details will be announced closer to the SUV’s launch, but expect it to align closely with the Q5 wagon which currently sells for between $66,900 to $101,136 (plus on-road costs).

Compared to the Q5 wagon, the Sportback lowers the roof slightly and creates a gently sloping rear end to provide a longer, leaner aesthetic.

There’s even a long-wheelbase version that elongates the SUV yet further, but this is only available in China.

The Q5 Sportback boasts a more athletic appearance than the garden-variety Q5 thanks to a unique grille design that borrows elements from Audi’s incendiary RS models, along with a sportier front apron.

Carryover body parts from the Q5 include the headlights, bonnet and doors, with the big changes taking place around the back. The sloped rear-end design incorporates a new tailgate, a unique roof spoiler and re-sculpted bumper.

Although the mid-sized SUV’s LED or matrix LED headlights are familiar, the Audi Q5 Sportback is offered with OLED (organic light-emitting diode) tail-lights which is a unique selling point.

The OLEDs form part of an intelligent lighting system that adjusts to various situations, and won’t just blink on when drivers hit the brakes like most cars. For instance, if a vehicle is tailgating the Q5 Sportback or comes within two metres, the brake light will become agitated and adjust the pattern and even start strobing.

Audi has created four different light patterns or ‘signatures’ from the single OLED elements, and the lights will adapt their visuals for different drive modes as well.

The new hero colour for the Q5 Sportback range is ‘Ultra Blue’, compared to the regular Q5’s ‘District Green’.

Mirroring the newly-revealed Audi Q5, the cabin of the Q5 Sportback has a modern, minimalist look and feel, with the tasteful dashboard design punctuated by a 10.1-inch touch-screen.

The larger central digital display runs Audi’s latest operating system (MIB 3) and now offers broader voice-controlled functions and activation via a “Hey Audi” prompt. It also has handwriting recognition and split-screen functionality.

Sports seats and an ambient LED cabin lighting system are expected to be part of the Australian specification.

European models will ‘swarm intelligence’ (data gathered from other Audi vehicles) to provide alerts for traffic jams and other hazards like fog and slippery roads.

Other features include a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel (Audi’s ‘virtual cockpit’), wireless smartphone charging, a Bang & Olufsen premium audio system and a range of advanced driver safety systems, including traffic sign (speed limit) recognition that works in tandem with adaptive cruise control to automatically maintain the correct speed limit.

Interior dimensions are largely the same as the Q5 but the Sportback version loses around 15mm of rear-seat headroom due to the tapered roof. Boot space also drops slightly from 520 to 510 litres for the same reason.

A powered tailgate will be offered along with an extensive array of options and accessories.

At least eight powertrains have been developed for the Q5 Sportback, with five regular engines to be offered in Europe at launch: a quartet of four-cylinder mills (two petrol, two diesel) and a V6 turbo-diesel. A plug-in hybrid powertrain will join the range later.

A high-performance SQ5 V6 turbo-diesel will also arrive in due course, belting out 255kW/700Nm, alongside an SQ5 V6 turbo-petrol.

Audi is also plotting an Audi RS Q5 flagship, and this is expected to be offered with the Sportback design.

But the first cab off the rank in Europe will be the Audi Q5 Sportback 40TDI, a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder unit (140kW/500Nm) that features a 12-volt mild-hybrid system to achieve fuel consumption between 5.3L/100km and 5.5L/100km.

There will also be a lower-output version of the 2.0-litre diesel with 120kW, plus a beefy 3.0-litre V6 oiler worth 210kW/620Nm.

The two petrol engines are 2.0-litre four-cylinder powerplants that will produce around 195kW and 150kW.

Audi Australia has not yet confirmed which engines will be offered with the Q5 Sportback locally, but if it mirrors its wagon-shaped cousin coming in February 2021, expect to see the 40 TDI (150kW/400Nm) and 50 TDI (210kW/620Nm) diesels, and the 45 TFSI (185kW/370Nm) petrol engine.

A range of chassis options will be offered, including normal and sports suspension, active dampers and even air suspension.

Together with a dedicated off-road vehicle mode, the optional air suspension can lift the SUV by an extra 45mm.

The Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe and BMW X4 have provided important incremental sales in this segment, and Audi will be hoping for a similar uptick with the all-new Q5 Sportback.