No RHD variant for Audi's Q5 hybrid
Exclusively left-hook engineering ensures petrol/electric SUV won't make it to AustraliaAudi has confirmed it won’t be expanding its local lineup to include the hybrid version of the new Q5. The petrol/electric variant won’t even make it into right-hand drive form, Audi Australia spokeswoman Anna Burgdorf told motoring.com.au.
The drivetrain is a series hybrid affair, with a 40kW electric motor sitting on the main output shaft of the company’s trusty 2.0-litre TFSI turbocharged petrol engine, modified considerably in its behaviour to accommodate its new bedmate. The electric motor is compact enough to allow Audi to maintain the longitudinal mount of the petrol engine. Both feed an eight-speed auto transmission using a multiplate clutch system designed to seamlessly activate and deactivate the electric boost as the go-pedal demands it. The package is good for a combined 180kW peak power and 480Nm of torque, giving it an official 0-100km/h sprint time of 7.1 seconds.
Sitting under the rear seat, the 72-cell, 1.3kW/h lithium-ion battery has up to three kilometres of all-electric drive in it at up to 60km/h, according to official literature. It’s a quattro, so the combined output from both sources reaches the road through all four wheels.
In left-hook countries, the hybrid will appear at the premium end of the Q5 lineup. That means it comes with 19-inch alloys, a standard Bang & Olufsen audio upgrade and the top-shelf interior.
The rest of the new Q5 range is due to lob later this year.
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