Audi Q5 Hybrid Revealed — Will It Make It To Indian Shores?

Audi took a big leap in to the plug-in hybrid arena at the Geneva Motor Show this earlier this year, but details were scarce back then. Today Audi is officially taking the wraps off the Q5 plug-in hybrid, named the 55 TFSI e-Quattro in Europe.

The Q5 plug-in features a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and a single electric motor for propulsion. A total system output of 367bhp and 500Nm of torque moves the Q5 to 100kmph in just 5.3 seconds. The car does a top speed of 238kpmh.

Those numbers are impressive and for reference, it actually makes 13bhp more, and the same amount of torque as the 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 in the SQ5. So basically the hybrid is officially more powerful than the Audi with an S badge on it.

Switching gears to the electric side of things, Audi says the Q5 plug-in is capable of covering a distance of 40 kilometers when running all-electric. The car features a 14.1 kWh battery that is placed is under the boot compartment floor.

The electric motor is integrated to the seven-speed transmission, which transfers the drive torque to the all-wheel drive system. Top speed in electric mode is a 135kmph. Audi says it'll take 2.5 hours to get a full charge from a 400V outlet, and approximately six hours on a standard 220V outlet.

The vehicle features three driving modes. At startup, the car automatically puts itself into EV mode, which keeps the engine from coming on unless the accelerator pedal is pushed past a certain pressure point. The Hybrid mode activates when you navigation guidance is active or if it is chosen manually.

The system uses its knowledge of the route to strategically plan when the Q5 will operate in pure EV or in hybrid mode. One needs to be using Audi's built-in navigation, and not Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The last mode is called Battery Hold mode, and it keeps the battery charge at the same level the whole drive.

In Europe, the Q5 plug-in comes with a bunch of optional equipment as standard. The Hybrid plug-in Q5 is priced at Euro 60,450 euros. That converts to Rs 47,04,722, plus additional taxes and import duties. Audi says the Q5 plug-in will be available for sale in the third quarter this year in Europe. As of now, there's no launch date for the electrified version of the crossover in India.

Thoughts About The The Hybrid Plug-In Audi Q5

Interesting to know that a hybrid can be more powerful than a conventional engine. Of course, it uses better tech than otherwise, and the AI systems are far more intelligent. We would like very much to see this car in India, and that might happen if Audi decides to localize some of their manufacturing components. An of course, keeps it priced as low as possible.