A 72-cell, 1.3-kWh lithium-ion battery pack is positioned under the load floor, and it takes a minimal toll on the rear cargo area. Combined output is 241 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque, directed to all four wheels. It’s also Audi’s first production vehicle to incorporate both gas and electric drive, the former a 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder, the latter a 44-hp electric motor sandwiched between the engine and eight-speed automatic transmission. The company says it’s the sportiest hybrid SUV going, and we’re having a hard time finding fault in that claim.
That’s the angle Audi is taking with its 2012 Q5 hybrid. Bearing that in mind, why not make them at least a little bit enjoyable to drive? But with reluctance, he’d likely concede its inevitability; hybrids are helping to pave the way to the future of personal transport, whether we like it or not. Ask the average German engineer what he really thinks of hybrid technology—even if it takes plying him with a half-dozen rounds of Pils to get to the truth—and you’ll generally find an unhappy human being.
That’s the angle Audi is taking with its 2012 Q5 hybrid. Bearing that in mind, why not make them at least a little bit enjoyable to drive? But with reluctance, he’d likely concede its inevitability; hybrids are helping to pave the way to the future of personal transport, whether we like it or not. Ask the average German engineer what he really thinks of hybrid technology—even if it takes plying him with a half-dozen rounds of Pils to get to the truth—and you’ll generally find an unhappy human being.
Audi Q5 2.0T Quattro Hybrid
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viewed from the rear
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Interior
If, for example, you need to floor it to overtake slow-moving traffic or maybe gun through that yellow light, the car returns to EV mode once you’ve calmed down. Unlike some competitors—say, from Lexus—the Q5 hybrid’s EV mode will remain the vehicle’s priority when selected. “S” maximizes battery boost for sporty driving, and “EV” aims to maintain full-electric driving. “D” is the default setting and works to maximize fuel economy.
Audi offers three driving modes. The unique instrument cluster makes it easy to keep the internal-combustion engine silent, although doing so demands delicate throttle inputs so as not to awaken the engine. Using solely electric power, the Q5 hybrid has a maximum speed of 62 mph, although the maximum electric range of nearly two miles requires that speeds stay below 40 mph. We expect EPA testing to return estimates of about 26 mpg in the city and 27 on the highway compared with the 3.2 FSI’s 18 mpg city and nonhybrid 2.0’s 20.
On the inflationary European cycle, Audi claims combined fuel economy of 34 mpg. Huge Fuel-Economy Gains When you’re done tossing it around back roads, the Q5 readily gets down to the business of maximizing mpg. Steering is weighty and precise, with more feedback than we’d dared hope for, and the brakes are among the best we’ve sampled in any hybrid, although they still lack the progressive modulation found in a good nonhybrid system. The 0-to-60-mph run should take about 6.8 seconds, just 0.3 second behind the 3.2’s 6.5-second time. Anyone can appreciate 354 lb-ft of twist—which is over 100 lb-ft more than its sister model’s 3.2-liter FSI V-6 can muster.
That’s where the Q5 hybrid really impresses. True sportiness isn’t in the numbers, though; it’s in the driving.
Audi offers three driving modes. The unique instrument cluster makes it easy to keep the internal-combustion engine silent, although doing so demands delicate throttle inputs so as not to awaken the engine. Using solely electric power, the Q5 hybrid has a maximum speed of 62 mph, although the maximum electric range of nearly two miles requires that speeds stay below 40 mph. We expect EPA testing to return estimates of about 26 mpg in the city and 27 on the highway compared with the 3.2 FSI’s 18 mpg city and nonhybrid 2.0’s 20.
On the inflationary European cycle, Audi claims combined fuel economy of 34 mpg. Huge Fuel-Economy Gains When you’re done tossing it around back roads, the Q5 readily gets down to the business of maximizing mpg. Steering is weighty and precise, with more feedback than we’d dared hope for, and the brakes are among the best we’ve sampled in any hybrid, although they still lack the progressive modulation found in a good nonhybrid system. The 0-to-60-mph run should take about 6.8 seconds, just 0.3 second behind the 3.2’s 6.5-second time. Anyone can appreciate 354 lb-ft of twist—which is over 100 lb-ft more than its sister model’s 3.2-liter FSI V-6 can muster.
That’s where the Q5 hybrid really impresses. True sportiness isn’t in the numbers, though; it’s in the driving.
Ask them for something they don’t want to give you, and they’re going to make you pay for it. Oh, those Germans. (We figure that will happen later in the year.) Considering that Audi touts the hybrid as the range topper in the Q5 lineup, expect it to carry a price premium of about 15 percent over the 3.2 FSI, which would place it in the low-$50,000 range.
No specific on-sale dates or pricing information have been released, but Audi has indicated the Q5 hybrid will begin arriving at dealerships sometime in 2011. The needle is quite precise and lets you know exactly how close you are to coming off full-electric drive, making it easy to maintain silent operation. The tachometer has been replaced by a power meter that displays real-time levels of electric boost, gas power, and battery charge. Audi’s usual Multi Media Interface (MMI) appears here with special functions to monitor the flow of energy among the engine, motor, and battery, as well as to display rates of energy consumption and recuperation as easy-to-read bar graphs.
If maximizing fuel economy and minimizing your carbon footprint are your goals—if you’re shopping for a hybrid, they almost certainly are—the Q5 hybrid’s driver interfaces make them easier to attain.
No specific on-sale dates or pricing information have been released, but Audi has indicated the Q5 hybrid will begin arriving at dealerships sometime in 2011. The needle is quite precise and lets you know exactly how close you are to coming off full-electric drive, making it easy to maintain silent operation. The tachometer has been replaced by a power meter that displays real-time levels of electric boost, gas power, and battery charge. Audi’s usual Multi Media Interface (MMI) appears here with special functions to monitor the flow of energy among the engine, motor, and battery, as well as to display rates of energy consumption and recuperation as easy-to-read bar graphs.
If maximizing fuel economy and minimizing your carbon footprint are your goals—if you’re shopping for a hybrid, they almost certainly are—the Q5 hybrid’s driver interfaces make them easier to attain.