The next-generation Q5 is likely to be the last ever offered with an internal combustion engine as an option and this is one of the prototypes that Audi has been using to develop the production version. Spied testing, the model remains under reasonably effective black and white camouflage. A few details can be seen poking through the camo, like the headlights. Although their precise shape remains obscured, what we can see reveals that the new Q5 will continue with Audi’s modern trend of intricate headlight design. Even here, two distinct shapes can be seen, formed out of the DRLs, and the model will likely be marked out by them.
The rough shape of the front end also
indicates that the new model will get a reworking to be brought more in line
with the current Audi design language. In particular, it seems like it will
take plenty of styling cues from the Q6 e-tron, as Audi moves to converge the
styling of its latest / last ICE and electric models.
Audi is
believed to build this Q5 on a revised MLB Evo platform, which also underpins
the A8 and the Q8. That opens it up to all kinds of fancy tech, including
autonomous driving functions, connectivity features, and even four-wheel steering.
Just how likely those features are to be offered on this midsize SUV, though,
remains to be seen.
The model will almost certainly be offered
with a range of mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid drivetrains, and Europeans may
even get some diesel options. A 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine is likely to be
the basis for more than a few powertrain options.
It’s unclear if Audi will offer an
electric version of the Q5 but it seems likely that the Q6 e-tron will serve as
the electric option in the segment. Based on the PPE platform, that crossover
may carry the Q5’s legacy into the future. The new Audi Q5 is expected to
arrive sometime in 2024 as a 2025MY in North America.
