AUDI PUTS A PLUG IN THE Q5

By CHRIS RILEY

Audi has added a plug-in hybrid to its Q5 line-up of SUVs.

Arriving in the second half of 2023, the Audi Q5 55 TFSI e quattro S line will be available in both SUV and Sportback variants.

It is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, together with an electric motor that puts out a combined 270kW of power and 500Nm of torque.

With a seven-speed S tronic transmission and quattro all-wheel drive with “ultra technology”, it sprints from 0-100km/h in 5.3 seconds.

Fuel consumption is a claimed 2.0L/100km (WLTP) and it can travel up to 55km on electricity alone, or 53km in Sportback form -- at speeds of up to 135km/h.

The 14.4kWh battery (17.9kWh total capacity) is located under the rear luggage compartment and can be charged in about 2.5 hours with 7.2kW AC charger.

The PHEV is supplied with all charging equipment including a 240-volt three pin Australian Standard plug, 230-volt 32 Amp industrial plug and a wall bracket for mounting the charger at home – as well as a Type 2 charging cable for use at public charging stations.

The driver can choose between purely electric power or the conventional engine, with four operating modes. Hybrid mode is activated automatically with the route guidance but can also be selected manually.

In this mode, the battery charge is distributed optimally across the route in order to keep power consumption to a minimum.

In stop-and-go traffc, the Q5 and Q5 Sportback e quattro run mainly on battery power.

This is determined by a large amount of data, including online traffc information, distance to the destination, the route profle, navigation data, types of roads, topography and data from the on-board sensors.

If route guidance is active, the predictive operating strategy attempts to drive the last urban segment of the route on electric power to arrive at the destination or charging station with the drive battery nearly empty.

When the driver takes their foot off the accelerator, the drive management system decides, depending on the situation, between coasting with the engine off or power recuperation – recovering kinetic energy and converting it into electrical energy.

When the driver is not using cruise control, the system provides prompts to take their foot off the accelerator, in the form of a haptic impulse from the active accelerator pedal as well as visual displays in the cockpit and from the optional head-up display.

The new Audi Q5 55 TFSI e quattro S line models are available for order in Audi dealerships now, priced from $102,900 for the wagon and $110,200 for the Sportback.