Audi's compact SUV revealed

Audi has lifted the covers off its latest model -- the Q5 compact SUV. Due to be unveiled at Auto China in Beijing today, the Q5 is the Ingolstadt brand's entry into the burgeoning compact/midsize SUV marketplace.

Designed to take on the likes of BMW's X3, Benz's GLK and Land Rover's Freelander II, among others, the Q5 is built on the same platform as the maker's new B8 generation A4. Indeed, the Q5 shares the passenger car's wheelbase but boasts its own SUV-specific look and feel.

At 4.63m long, the two-row five-seater is around 70mm shorter than its sedan stablemate but longer than both its BMW and Land Rover competition (4.57 and 4.50m respectively). It's also lower than both the comparable SUVs at 1.65m but no wider.

Audi claims the car sets a benchmark in the class for aero efficiency with a drag coefficient (cd) of 0.33.

The Q5 will debut with three engine variants -- one petrol and two TDI units, all direct injected and turbocharged.

The 2.0 TFSI petrol engine is new, rated at 155kW/350Nm. Audi claims the TFSI-equipped Q5 consumes just 8.5L/100km and sprints from 0-100km/h in 7.2sec.

The TDI engines displace 2.0 and 3.0-litres respectively. The smaller four-cylinder oiler produces 125kW and 350Nm, while the familiar Audi/VW V6 TDI is rated at 176kW/500Nm. As well as vivid standing start acceleration (Audi claims 0-100km/h in 6.5sec!), expect exceptional in-gear and overtaking ability from the big turbodiesel.

The 2.0 TDI is offered with a six-speed manual transmission at launch, with the TFSI and V6 TDI powerplants coupled to Audi's new seven-speed S-tronic twin-clutch automated manual transmission (Audi's version of DSG). This transmission can be left to its own devices to operate as a conventional automatic or shifted manually via steering-wheel mounted rocker switches.

Despite offering street-biased wheels of up to 20-inch in diameter and matching road rubber, Audi confidently quotes offroad stats for the Q5 -- 31 degrees (climbing ability); an approach angle of 25 degrees; rampover of 17.5 degrees and ground clearance of 200mm. Fording depth is claimed to be 500mm although there is no detail on departure angle. Hill descent control is standard equipment.

The Q5's quattro all-wheel-drive system features the same 40:60 rear-focussed all-wheel-drive torque split as the A4 sedan but can apportion up to 65 per cent of torque to the front wheels and 85 per cent to the rear as conditions warrant.

Q5 boasts almost 1600 litres of luggage space with the sliding second-row seats stowed. There's still 560 litres available five-up.

Braked towing capacity is 2000kg and the standard stability control system is smart enough to sense roof rack loads and adjust its settings accordingly. Like the A4, the Q5 also features Audi Drive Select which tunes damper, transmission and steering settings as selected.

Q5 carries over the new A4's high level of equipment, safety and convenience items. These include: parking sensors and reversing camera; Audi's lane departure warning system and Audi side assist, and adaptive cruise control. A high-level of interior finish is guaranteed -- as is an encyclopaedic options list.

Although Audi Australia is not talking dollars or specification levels at this stage, Q5 is a 'must have' for the brand Down Under. It's expected to launch locally in the first quarter of 2009.

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