Audi Q5 – What you need to know

The second-generation Audi Q5 arrived on our shores in 2017 and a comprehensive update followed early in 2021, the range facelifted and given a technology makeover including two new diesel engines and one petrol, all boasting mild-hybrid technology. 

Badging for the three diesel trim levels is 40 TDI quattro, 40 TDI quattro Sport and 50 TDI quattro S line, while the two petrol variants have 45 TFSI quattro or 45 TFSI quattro Sport badges slapped on their tailgate. 

So let’s see which Audi Q5 variant floats your boat.

Priced at $68,900 plus on-road costs, the Audi Q5 40 TDI quattro is the entry model and has the following standard equipment:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• 10.1-inch infotainment touch-screen
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster 
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Cruise control
• Eight airbags
• Selectable drive modes
• Wireless phone charging
• Three-zone climate control

There are 12 exterior and four interior colours on the Audi Q5 to choose from, with 10 of the exterior colours carrying a $1990 premium.

To personalise your Q5 further there are three option packs.

The Assistance pack adds $2300 to the price of the Audi Q5 40 TDI quattro and 45 TFSI quattro but is standard on other variants. It comprises adaptive cruise control, a distance indicator, traffic jam assist and speed limiter. Park assist steers the Q5 into a parking space and the exterior mirrors offer heating, folding and auto-dimming functions. A 360-degree camera helps with manoeuvring in tight spots.

A Comfort pack isn’t available on the entry models but can be added to the Sport models. What you get for your $1690 is an electrically-adjustable steering column with memory and automatic entry and exit functions. The rear seatback can be reclined and the seat moves fore and aft for greater legroom or cargo space.

Last but not least is the Technik pack that is also unavailable on the Q5 40 TDI quattro and 45 TFSI quattro. Order it on either Q5 Sport model and it costs $5600 and if you add it to the 50 TDI quattro S line it’s only $3900. For that you receive Matrix LED headlights with dynamic front and rear indicators, a Bang & Olufsen 3D 755W 19-speaker sound system, a head up display and privacy glass on the rear and rear side windows.

All Audi Q5 models are equipped with eight airbags, pre-sense rear that mitigates potential rear-end collisions, stability and traction control systems, hill hold, and hill descent control, tyre pressure monitoring and, of course, anti-lock brakes.

LED headlights and tail-lights, and daytime running lights, are also standard.

Advanced driver assist systems fitted standard across the board include visual parking display with a reversing camera, driver attention assist, autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, lane keep assist, rear cross traffic alert, an exit warning system detecting pedestrians and cyclists when opening doors, plus the set-and-forget convenience of auto headlights with auto high beam and rain-sensing wipers.

Moving up to the diesel or petrol quattro Sport introduces to the specification a 360-degree camera, collision avoidance assist, adaptative cruise control with stop and go functions, traffic jam assist, self-parking and turn assist. The latter monitors oncoming traffic when turning right.

The exterior mirrors have fold and heating functions along with automatic dimming, and the passenger mirror dips to help you avoid kerbs when reversing. 

A 10.1-inch infotainment touch-screen in the Audi Q5 provides an interface for the satellite navigation, the eight-speaker audio system, Apple CarPlay/Android auto, DAB radio, along with music streaming and Bluetooth phone functions.

Making life less stressful are online traffic and hazards updates, parking and weather information, fuel prices and Google services. There is also a car finder function, online roadside assist and emergency call capability.

Voice commands control many functions and there’s handwriting recognition for less menu scrolling. The maps can be displayed in 3D and wireless phone charging is standard too.

If you want a more powerful audio system, step up to the quattro Sport and its 10-speaker 180W power of sound. And if a concert hall is how you want your Audi Q5 to sound, spring for the $2000 Bang & Olufsen 3D 19-speaker 755-watt audio system with a 16-channel amplifier.

All Q5 models offer the luxury of leather upholstery and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with shift paddles and hands-on detection.

But head to either quattro Sport variant for power-adjustable heated front sports seats with a memory function for the driver’s chair along with aluminium trimmings and a black roof lining, replacing the grey of the entry-level Q5.

Do you want a tinted sunroof with both slide and tilt functions? Then head over to either petrol or diesel quattro Sport.

And if you fancy your Q5 to stand out from the others, dig deeper for the Q5 50 TDI quattro S line for the unique styling that includes a honeycomb design single-frame grille, a tailgate spoiler, ‘S’ door sill trims and different front and rear bumpers.

Inside, there’s the convenience of an electrically-adjustable steering column with memory, and entry and exit functions. While all models have alloy wheels, just the entry-level quattro variants make do with 19-inch wheels, with the Sport and S line variants rolling on 20-inch wheels.

The Audi Q5 is available with either a single petrol mild-hybrid engine or a choice of two mild-hybrid diesel engines.

Both 40 TDI quattro and 40 TDI quattro Sport variants are powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel with a 12-volt mild-hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV) system. Output is 150kW/400Nm. It is bolted to a seven-speed auto and quattro ‘ultra technology’, which means it isn’t all-wheel drive all the time.

Under the bonnet of the 45 TFSI quattro and 45 TFSI quattro Sport is the same transmission and quattro system found in the diesel four, but this engine is a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol powerplant with 183kW/400Nm and a 12-volt MHEV system.

Powering the Q5 50 TDI is a 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-diesel with a 48-volt MHEV system. It produces 210kW/620Nm and is connected to an eight-speed Tiptronic with all four wheels constantly driving.

The Audi Q5 45 TFSI quattro feels quite spritely and, for most, its level of equipment and tech, and its blend of performance and efficiency thanks to the mild-hybrid system, will be more than enough.

The smooth, silent and frugal Q5 40 TDI diesel offers a range in excess of 1000km, and if long journeys or towing are your thing, you’ll be very happy.

But it felt somewhat heavier and less athletic than its petrol sibling and, as a result, less engaging. And the extra $13,000 for the six-cylinder diesel doesn’t appeal financially. 

Therefore, the Q5 45 TFSI quattro Sport with its next level of features above the entry-level model and its pleasing driving dynamics make it my pick of the litter.

Check out the latest Audi Q5 review and video

How much does the 2021 Audi Q5 cost?
40 TDI quattro 150kW – $68,900
45 TFSI quattro 183kW – $69,600
40 TDI quattro Sport 150kW – $74,900
45 TFSI quattro Sport 183kW – $76,600
50 TDI quattro S line 210kW – $89,600
*Prices exclude on-road costs