New Audi Q5 on sale now: Mercedes GLC rival starts from £50,000
October 02, 2024 by Jamie Edkins
Car changing is a big deal
The all-new Audi Q5 is available to order now, with first deliveries starting in April next year.
- New Audi Q5 available to order now
- Starts from £49,950, rising to £75,150 for the SQ5
- First deliveries starting in April
- Design cues taken from the Q6 e-tron
- New range of mild hybrid engines
- V6-powered SQ6 gets 367hp
This is the new Audi Q5, the third iteration of the brand’s midsize premium SUV, and it’s available to order now with prices starting from a shade under £50,000.
You might consider the Q5 if you’re also looking at a BMW X3 or Mercedes GLC, and there’s a spicy SQ5 on offer as well with a 367hp V6 petrol engine.
New Audi Q5 price and specs
Order books for the new Audi Q5 are open now, and the first cars will hit UK roads in April next year. Prices start from £49,950. That makes it around £2,000 more expensive than both the outgoing Q5 and the new BMW X3. The Mercedes GLC is around £3,000 dearer.
There are three trim levels to choose from: Sport, S Line and Edition 1. All cars get LED headlights, heated front seats, tri-zone climate control, a 14.5-inch infotainment system and an 11.9-inch digital driver’s display.
Stepping up to the S Line gets you some more aggressive exterior styling, sports seats and 20-inch alloy wheels – an extra inch over the standard car’s rims. Edition 1 is a limited-edition trim which comes fully loaded. You get 21-inch alloys, Matrix LED lights, electrically-adjustable seats and suede-effect trim.
If you want an extra dose of power, the new SQ5 is also available to order now with prices starting from £75,150 – just over £2,500 more than a Mercedes-AMG GLC 43. In addition to the 367hp V6 engine, the SQ5 also has upgraded sports suspension for improved handling.
New Audi Q5 design
If you’ve seen the new Audi A5 saloon, you’ll recognise a lot of the new Q5’s styling cues. It’s a lot more modern-looking than the outgoing Q5, and the SQ5 gets some sporty additions.
Starting up front you have sleek new LED headlights, and the grille is a lot wider and more imposing than before. There are aggressive-looking air intakes in the lower bumper, and these channel air around the side of the car for better aerodynamics.
Alloy wheels start at 17 inches, rising to 21-inch wheels on higher-spec models. The SQ5 also gets 21-inch forged alloy wheels with a different design, as well as deeper side skirts.
Moving to the rear of the car, the full-width light bar is very similar to the one you’ll find on the A5 and the Q6 e-tron. The standard car gets twin exhausts, while the SQ5 has quad pipes and a more sporty-looking lower bumper.
New Audi Q5 interior and infotainment
The current Audi Q5’s interior is starting to show its age now, so it’s a good job that this new one has a completely overhauled cabin using a lot of tech from the new A5 and Q6 e-tron.
It has the same trio of screens as a lot of new Audis comprising an 11.9-inch digital driver’s display, a 14.5-inch central infotainment system and an optional 10.9-inch passenger screen.
The passenger display can be used to watch streaming services, or you can help the driver out by inputting a sat nav destination. It also has a privacy screen which blocks it from the driver’s view so they won’t be distracted.
There’s plenty of leather and suede-effect material around the cabin to make it look and feel more posh, as well as a lot of metallic trim. There’s not much to separate the standard car from the SQ5 inside, with just a few S badges setting the sporty model apart.
New Audi Q5 engines and performance
The new Audi Q5 is the first model to be based on the brand’s new Platform Premium Combustion collection of parts. In short, this is a revised range of petrol and diesel engines.
You can choose between 2.0-litre petrol or diesel engines, both of which have front-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. They also both have a 48-volt mild hybrid system which provides an extra burst of power when you put your foot down.
The new Q5 can drive at very low speeds using just the hybrid system’s electric motor, so you’ll use no fuel at all in slow-moving traffic or while parking. A 300hp plug-in hybrid is also in the works which will be able to drive in pure EV mode at higher speeds, and it may be able to manage over 60 miles on a charge.
If you’re craving a lot more power, then the new Audi SQ5 is also available with a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 petrol engine. It puts out 367hp and 550Nm of torque, 25hp more than the old diesel-powered SQ5.
Audi hasn’t confirmed a 0-60mph time yet, but it should be slightly quicker than the outgoing car – which does 0-60mph in 5.1 seconds.
Looking for an easy way to change your car? Then Carwow is the place to go. You can sell your old car for a great price, and get the best deals on a new one. All through our network of trusted dealers and all from the comfort of your home. Tap the button below to get started today.