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Audi lightly refreshes the Q5 and installs its supercharged six.
The addition of a supercharged V-6 engine is the most significant change to Audi’s Q5 crossover, which is getting an otherwise subtle update for the 2013 model year. Final U.S.-market specifications and powertrains haven’t been announced, but below, we run down the global changes and highlight the ones we expect to see here.
Two Engines Now, Maybe More Later
Most Audi Q5s sold in the past year were delivered with the standard turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, and we expect the same to be true in the future. But a V-6 will remain on the options sheet. The 3.2-liter V-6 will be phased out of the Audi lineup at the end of the year, and in its place the Q5 will offer the company’s ubiquitous supercharged 3.0-liter V-6. An eight-speed automatic remains the only transmission available.
The 3.0T—the T stands for Tsupercharged—is tuned to a few different power outputs, and Audi hasn’t yet announced which version will be in our Q5. We expect it’ll match the numbers for the base Q7, though, at 280 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. A hotter 3.0T could power an S version of the Q5, but there’s no guarantee such a model would be available in the U.S.
A diesel engine also should be available for the Q5 in the next 18 months, based on a timeline laid out last year by Johan de Nysschen, the company’s U.S. president. We’re still not sure which engine it’ll be: Four-cylinder and V-6 diesels both are offered in the European Q5. The four-banger makes more sense from a fuel-economy standpoint, though, and that’s why Mercedes soon will sell a four-cylinder GLK250 diesel here.
Finally, don’t be shocked if Audi offers us the option of a Q5 hybrid. A gasoline-electric Q5 has been on sale in Europe for about a year—you can read our drive of one here—and the time may be right for a U.S. launch.
Carspotting
Only the most savvy automotive sleuths will easily spot the cosmetic changes for the 2013 Q5, which mostly bring the face into line with the rest of Audi’s lineup. The headlights look more like those on the recently refreshed A4 and feature xenon lights wrapped around the edges. Vertical chrome slats have been added to the Q5’s grille for a proper locomotive-like appearance.
Alterations to the Q5’s interior are so minor that if you’re able to pick up on them, you probably have a career ahead of you detecting counterfeit currency for the FBI. We do know that the car will pack Audi’s latest infotainment gadgetry, including Audi Connect internet connectivity.
Final U.S.-model specifications and information will arrive closer to its on-sale date later this year.
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