Paris Motor Show: Audi Unveils 2017 Q5

Audi has officially unveiled the all-new Q5 at the ongoing Paris Motor Show. The second generation of the luxury SUV, unsurprisingly, looks like a scaled-down version of Audi's SUV flagship, the Q7.

The new Q5 gets a body made from a mix of high-tensile steel and aluminum, which lets it save a cool 90kg compared to its predecessor. The design is in line with the new language that the Q7 kicked off, both inside and out.

Up front is the large hexagonal grille that stretches out towards the rectangular headlamps that feature  Audi's trademark 'Matrix' LED set-up along with dynamic turn indicators. There's a fair hint of muscle too, courtesy the sharp creases on the bonnet and the dash of silver on the grille.

The side gets a prominent low-set shoulder line, that vanishes into the tail lamps. The flared wheel arches and the large-yet-subtle-looking wheels make the big Audi look super classy.

The tailgate of the Q5 wraps around the C-pillar -- a design trait peculiar to Audi Q cars. The rear looks rather flat and geometric, with the old Q5's tear-shaped tail lamps giving way to a set of rectangular lights that get their own set of dynamic indicators.

While the shift in design isn't drastic in any way, it certainly is typically Audi. This is exactly what it's like on the inside too. The layout is standard affair, and you will feel at home right away if you have been in any of the recent Audis. The equipment list is fairly similar too. The new Q5 gets the supercool 12.3-inch 'Virtual Cockpit' instead of the good old analogue dials, and an 8.3-inch screen for the infotainment, controlled by a rotary controller that also recognizes handwriting. The unit gets Audi's MMI interface with navigation and is paired with a Bang & Olufsen sound system.

Other features include ambient lighting, the phone box for wireless charging, the new Audi tablet that doubles up as the source for rear-seat entertainment and pneumatic massaging seats. Luggage carrying capacity ranges from 550 to 610 litres and can be expanded to a washing-machine--swallowing 1550 litres by folding the second row.

Engine options include two diesel engines and one petrol. Up first is a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine that is likely to be the main workhorse for India. The engine can be had in three different states of tune, viz. 150PS, 163PS and 190PS. There's a larger, 3.0-litre V6 diesel too, which is good for 286PS/620Nm. The petrol powertrain is a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that delivers 252PS. Like we said, the smaller diesel motor in its most powerful tune is likely to be the pick for India. That said, we won't rule out the possibility of a petrol motor just yet, considering the slowly increasing demand.

Transmission duties are carried out by the seven-speed S-Tronic gearbox for the 2.0-litre diesel and petrol engines, whereas as the bigger V6 diesel gets an eight-speed unit. Then there's Audi's famous 'Quattro' all-wheel drive tech that helps the luxury SUV tackle bad roads and a spot of off-roading as well.

Audi has been testing the new Q5 in India for quite some time now and will be looking at replacing the older version of the SUV soon. The automaker recently halted sales over emission issues and will be keen on phasing out the current model quickly. The Q5 goes up against the Mercedes-Benz GLC and the BMW X3. Expect a launch next year, with prices starting around the Rs 50 lakh mark.

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