Audi unveils plug-in hybrid Q5

AUDI has brought plug-in hybrid power to its Q5 medium SUV range with the introduction of the 55TFSI e quattro, but the company has no plans to bring it to Australia.

Audi Australia corporate communications manager Shaun Cleary told GoAuto the company’s short-term electrified plans were dedicated to Audi’s first full EV, the e-tron, due here next year.

The 55 TFSI e teams a 185kW/370Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine and seven-speed auto to a synchronous electric motor producing 105kW/350Nm, making for a combined total output of 270kW/500Nm.

Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive is used in conjunction with an electric motor for the first time, with a front-biased system that only activates the rear wheels when traction is required.

The hybrid powertrain’s combined output outstrips the 260kW/500Nm performance of the 3.0-litre turbo-petrol V6 under the bonnet of the SQ5.

The hybrid is also 0.1 seconds quicker than the SQ5 from zero to 100km/h, clocking the dash in 5.3 seconds.

Top speed for the 55TFSI is 239km/h, while official combined fuel consumption stands at 2.1-2.4 litres per 100km, and CO2 emissions at 46-53 grams per km.

On the WLTP cycle, pure-electric range from the 14.1kWh battery is rated at over 40km, with a 135km/h V-max.

Maximum charging power is rated at 7.4kW, while charging with a household outlet can fully recharge the battery in six hours.

Standard configuration for the powertrain is hybrid mode which works with the navigation system to optimally distribute battery charge, using electric mode in urban and start-stop situations to help reduce fuel consumption.

EV mode propels the vehicle with the electric motor unless the driver pushes the accelerator past a certain pressure point. Battery hold mode exclusively employs the petrol engine.

A predictive system adjusts braking recuperation when coasting, recuperating up to 25kW of power, while full deceleration can result in up to 80kW of recuperated power.

The car can also suggest to the driver the optimal time to brake to achieve maximum recuperation, taking into account speed limit changes, highway exits and downhill slopes.

Standard equipment on the 55 TFSI e includes LED headlights, sports seats, three-zone climate control, PHEV-specific displays, head-up display, 18-inch wheels and the S line exterior package.

To the end of April, Audi has sold 1182 Q5s, marking a 20.9 per cent decline over the 1494 sales it managed in the same period last year.

It remains the third-best selling premium mid-size SUV behind the Mercedes-Benz GLC (1680) and BMW X3 (1672).