Audi Q5 Sportback will return for third-generation SUV

The new third-generation Q5 will be revealed in Autumn this year and helping to bolster its position as the Audi’s best-selling car globally will be the coupe-SUV Q5 Sportback variant. Our fresh spy images showcase the Q5 Sportback testing on public roads for the first time, revealing plenty of design details ahead of its launch. 

We’ve caught the regular Q5 SUV testing a few times before and just like the existing model, the sleeker Sportback version will use the same front end. A slimmer headlight cluster along with a wider grille will give the Q5 Sportback a more purposeful face, but the rear will continue to feature a sloped, coupe-like roof to make it a rival for the BMW X4, Porsche Macan and the Mercedes GLC Coupe. This car we’ve spotted also comes with a twin exhaust setup, while other Q5 prototypes we’ve seen have used a single-exit exhaust system. 

Inside the new Q5 Sportback we’ll see the latest interior technology lifted from its all-electric stablemate, the Q6. That means an 11.9-inch driver’s display, a new head-up display and a 14.5-inch main touchscreen. An optional screen for the front passenger is offered in the Q6 and we’d expect the same of the top-spec Q5 Sportbacks. 

The new Q5 will sit on Audi’s latest PPC (Premium Platform Combustion) –- essentially a highly-upgraded version of the firm’s existing MLB evo architecture. It’ll be the second Audi to use PPC, following the recently-revealed A5. The powertrain lineupline up is likely to mirror the A5’s as well, with a selection of mild-hybrid 2.0-litre, four-cylinder units in either petrol or diesel form and a plug-in hybrid alternative. A hot SQ5 Sportback should spearhead the range, possibly with the same 362bhp 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine as the latest S5. 

With the full reveal of the Q5 and Q5 Sportback not scheduled until Autumn, we expect both cars to go on sale towards the beginning of 2025, with a price tag starting around £50,000 for the SUV and £53,000 for the Sportback.

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