New Audi Q5 taking shape ahead of late 2016 release

Audi’s all-new Q5 SUV will be more upmarket and refined when it reaches showrooms before the end of the year. Spied testing at the Nurburgring, the prototype Q5 shows how Audi is keeping the existing model’s chunky look and steering it away from the awkward angles of the recently launched Q2.

As illustrated in our exclusive images, it will feature a prominent hexagonal front grille, slimmer headlamps than those on the outgoing model and triple-slat air intakes. Given the size and design of the alloy wheels, the car seen on track is likely to be the hot SQ5 TDI.

The second-generation Q5 will mark a switch to the VW Group’s MLB platform. This is, in effect, the same mechanical make-up of chassis, engines and technology that is used in the already popular MQB set-up, but based around longitudinal engines instead of motors mounted transversely. It’s the same set of components that underpins the latest A4, and that will allow Audi to make significant weight savings with the Q5. The new car is expected to be as much as 100kg lighter than the model it replaces.

That slimming down should help the SUV’s efficiency, while Audi will also introduce some front-wheel-drive versions for the first time. In addition, all four-wheel-drive Q5s from launch will get the latest version of the quattro system, which disconnects the rear wheels during everyday driving to save more fuel (as in the new A4 Allroad).