Audi’s profits are collapsing, but its bestseller recovers in the best form

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Audi’s profits are collapsing, but its bestseller recovers in the best form

This is the best-selling Audi in the world, which is probably why manufacturers decide not to take risks when they update. The latest Q5 is designed to make former owners feel at home. But is this a good enough update to solve Audi’s growing problems while demand is weak? Audi/DPA

The pressure on Audi’s best-selling cars cannot be higher. Just as the fifth quarter is preparing to enter the European showroom in the third-generation showroom in late March, Audi’s profits have been out of the cliff.

Company executives will be counting on the explosive sales of the flagship Q5 after the company reported profits fell 33% due to weak demand and price wars in China.

As critics accused German luxury brands of efficiency, they also had high progress rates and high expectations than competitors Mercedes and BMW.

€52,300 from home from Europe, the family SUV from Ingolstadt is compared to the BMW X3, Mercedes GLC and Volvo XC60.

The Volkswagen Group subsidiary decided to play a role safely and exercised restraint in its design. The car’s length is maintained at 4.72 meters and its wheelbase is 2.82 meters, and its appearance has only been slightly modified.

The egg-style single-frame grille dominates, and when it comes to shapes, it may accuse Audi of resting on its laurels, just the format customers expect this confident one.

The handsome Q5 is still different from some Jelly Bean opponents, with a slightly clear look and a series of letters and numbers on the backsplash. A beautiful light logo is also available, but overall, it has a lot in common with the replaced cars.

Those who want more wake up will need to wait a few weeks before they can reappear as a sports background for tilting after tilting. This variant offers less space and costs an additional €2500.

Audi has been synonymous with new technologies for many years, and under metal, the Q5 is brand new. This is the first SUV based on what the Volkswagen Group calls premium platform burning (PPC).

In addition to the latest driver assistance system suite, it also has the latest combustion engine, including the tempting 2.0 TDI diesel, which is out of place but should appeal to traditionalists.

The device stirs up a lot of torque and is matched with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Both the diesel and the gasoline engine are attributed to a pair of electric motors.

One is mounted on the engine and the other is mounted on the automatic transmission with a 1.7kWh battery on the board. Audi said it added 24 hp and allowed limited power to run.

Increased energy recovery during braking reduces the consumption of standard cycles to 5.9 liters per 100 km.

This equates to a range of 1,100 kilometers, which could cause jealousy among owners of the larger and more expensive Q6 E-Tron Electry. Its most effective version has a range of only 625 km.

Even if it’s already acceptable to take a regular break to charge an electric car, it’s rare to leave the Q5 for a long time. The seats are comfortable and the distant buzz of the diesel is more soothing than annoying. The chassis relaxes, and the steering provides a proper amount of feedback.

This means that those who hold power will find it easy to clear the tank in one breath.

Audi also offers a two-liter four-cylinder petrol engine, which turns out to be 150 kW/204 hp, the SQ5 is a temporary top-tier model.

It is powered by a V6 turbocharged petrol engine with a maximum speed of 250 km/h. Audi said the plug-in hybrid version is in the pipeline as a Q6 alternative and will also provide a certain level of electrical traction.

In the new Q5, everything is new but familiar. Like all new models, Audi opted for a curved standalone display with two drives on screens and an optional third for the front passenger.

Many switches are grouped together on the counter island, for example in a door. If you can’t find your way out right away, just ask for help from an integrated chatbot from AI.

In such a car, actual virtues are more important anyway, such as the sliding rear bench seat that allows custom legroom and of course boots. At 520 to 1,473 liters it is a little smaller than before, but it can be used better.

Obviously, we need new cars for the new era, but in the Q5, Audi has proposed a car for its loyal followers in this segment.

It’s an Audi that may also prevent many hesitant customers from going all out. After all, it’s 10,000 euros cheaper than the battery-powered cousin.

The concept of diesel and petrol drives is not sustainable and old-fashioned, but it is a tried and tested recipe for four rings – this single ring alone keeps it on top of the sales list.