2025 Audi Q5 gets clever new tech and passenger infotainment

On sale Spring 2025 | Price from £49,000 (est)

“Simplify and add lightness,” Lotus founder, Colin Chapman once said. And in one regard that’s precisely what’s happening with the new Audi Q5. That’s because the latest generation will trip the light fantastic with head and tail-lights able to create intricate 3D patterns, plus interior illumination that creates a range of different ambiences.

Yet far from simplifying, the 2025 Audi Q5 will be among the firm’s most sophisticated cars yet. It’s based on new underpinnings which are shared with the new Audi A5 executive saloon, which will see petrol and diesel engines featuring fuel-saving mild hybrid technology introduced at launch. A plug-in hybrid model will arrive later, but you’ll need to look at the Audi Q6 e-tron if you want an electric SUV.

The Q5’s mild hybrid tech works slightly differently to that of many other models, in that it allows the car to move for short distances – when manoeuvring or parking – under electric power alone. It also provides a useful slug of power to assist the engine when accelerating, and can run the electrically-powered air-con system to keep the interior at a comfortable temperature when the engine is off.

The engine range kicks off with a 201bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine and is available with front or four-wheel drive. The 2.0-litre diesel engine is related to those found in the current Audi Q5 and Volkswagen Tiguan, amongst other models, and is four-wheel drive only. The sporty Audi SQ5 will, once again, top the range, featuring a 362bhp 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine. A seven-speed automatic gearbox is fitted as standard to all models

According to official figures, the 2.0-litre petrol engine can average 44.2mpg and 41.6mpg respectively for the front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive versions. Meanwhile, the diesel is slightly more efficient than the petrols; it can average 47.1mpg officially. Of course, the V6-powered SQ5 is the most thirsty of the lot, but it can still average a respectable 35.3mpg, which is more than a Porsche Macan S can manage.

Regular Q5 models have suspension tuned for comfort, while the SQ5 has firmer suspension which can soften when riding over particularly bumpy surfaces, such as cobblestones. Optional adaptive air suspension will allow drivers to configure the setup to suit their own tastes.

The clever exterior lighting is carried over from the Q6 e-tron, and allows the driver to configure patterns in the front and rear lights. The rear lights can even display symbols to warm following motorists of upcoming dangers. There’s similar smart lighting inside, which can show when the vehicle is locked or unlocked.

We’ve had a chance to sit in the new Audi Q5, and the interior is very similar to what we’ve seen in a raft of new Audi models. 

The interiors of the new Audi A5 and Q6 e-tron are very similar and, just like them, the Q5 gets a decent infotainment system. It would, of course, be better if there were more physical buttons to control the main functions of it (oh how we miss the rotary dial of the old Q5) but the touchscreen is responsive and one of the better systems out there overall.

It’s based on Android Automotive technology, and can use information gathered from other devices to optimise the car’s autonomous driving technology. It’s able to update over the air, and doesn’t require a smartphone connection to operate many third-party apps, such as YouTube.

As well as the customisable instrument display and centrally-mounted touchscreen, an optional 10.9in passenger display is available. This allows the front-seat passenger to perform functions such as setting new navigation destinations without the need to reach across to the main screen. The screen is able to shield itself from the driver’s eyes, so as not to distract them whilst driving

We’ve seen the Q5’s head-up display technology in the Q6 e-tron, and were impressed with the way it displays a wide breadth of information, and the depth at which it beams onto the screen, requiring the driver to refocus their eyes less.

Quality is decent, with a nice mix of materials, but that glitzy multiscreen layout and shiny gloss plastics can’t disguise the fact that it doesn’t have the bulletproof robustness of the old model. 

We’ve sat in the back and the dimensions are virtually the same as the old car, which means tall adults are well catered for in the middle row. Cars fitted with a sunroof have a lot less headroom, though.

The rear seats can be moved forward and backwards to vary rear legroom and boot space, and can also be tilted. Whilst no figures have been announced for boot space with the rear seats up, it measures 1473 litres with them folded, which is less than the current Q5, plus the BMW X3 and Mercedes GLC. 

Practicality is boosted with a centre-console cubby larger than that in the current Q5, and wireless charging which can cool your smartphone. A pair of USB-C sockets in the front can, as an option, charge at up to 60 watts, with 100 watts supplied by those in the rear, allowing it to charge laptops directly.

Buyers will be able to choose from 11 paint finishes, and depending on the version, wheels ranging from 17 to 21in. As with the current range, the SQ5 features a more sporty look, with revised front and rear bumpers and optional alloy wheels not available on regular Q5 models.

Prices are yet to be confirmed, but the entry-level Q5 will start at the equivalent of £44,000 in Germany. However, it’s likely it will be priced closer to the £49,000 starting price of the current car in the UK.

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