Audi Q5 facelift on Malaysian website – coming soon

We showed you the price and specs of two facelifted Audis yesterday – the A4 sedan and the Q2 compact crossover – now here’s another refreshed model that’s coming soon. The Audi Q5 facelift has appeared on the local website, with specs but not yet the price.

Like the Q2, the second-generation Q5 made its maiden Malaysian appearance at the inaugural paultan.org PACE show in late 2018, and was launched here in March 2019. First unveiled in late 2016, Audi’s globally successful second-gen midsize SUV was given a midlife facelift in the middle of last year.

The facelift is characterised by a slimmer, octagonal Singleframe grille that follows the style of the Q8, flanked by redesigned headlamps with new LED daytime running light signatures. Below, the side “air intakes” are now larger and more square, with an additional insert. The new bumper adds 19 mm to the Q5’s length, which is now at 4,682 mm. The rear sports new OLED tail lamps and a trim strip bridge.

The Q5’s clean dashboard remains, but there’s a new third-generation Modular Infotainment Platform (MIB 3) system, which is claimed to have 10 times the processing power of the MIB 2. The 10.1-inch MMI touch display is joined by a 12.3-inch Audi virtual cockpit and the optional head-up display.

This time around, we’ll be getting the Q5 in S line 2.0 TFSI quattro form, which is similar to before, but in the sporty S line trim. Under the hood is a 2.0 litre turbo-four with 249 hp at 5,000 to 6,000 rpm, and 370 Nm of torque from 1,600 to 4,500 rpm. Paired to a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission and quattro AWD, the Q5 does the 0-100 km/h sprint in just 6.1 seconds. Top speed is 240 km/h.

The TFSI has been given mild hybrid assistance for this generation. Not to be confused with the 48-volt system found in the likes of the Q7, the MHEV consists of a belt-driven starter-generator that is linked to a lithium-ion battery on a 12-volt system. This helps to recuperate energy when coasting and braking, as well as allowing for the start-stop function to operate at speeds below 22 km/h. Combined fuel consumption is rated at 8.0 litres per 100 km (12.5 km/l).

As for standard kit, Malaysia will get Audi drive select, cruise control, Parking aid Plus, reverse camera, three-zone climate control, powered front seats with four-way lumbar support (memory for driver), front sport seats, Comfort key, electric tailgate, auto-dimming frameless rearview mirror, leather/leatherette “mono.pur 550” combination upholstery and manual rear window sunshades.

Also standard are Audi virtual cockpit plus, MMI Navigation plus with MMI touch, Audi smartphone interface and a 10-speaker 180W sound system. On the outside, the S line car also comes with aluminum roof rails, High-Gloss Styling package, LED headlamps with washer, LED rear combination lamps and five-double-spoke star style 19-inch alloys with 235/55 tyres.

As we found out with the Q2 facelift, there’s a rather long list of cost options for these CBU Audis. Those available for the Q5 include adaptive air suspension, HUD, Park Assist, the Black Appearance package (as seen here), panoramic glass roof, a Bang & Olufsen sound system and some lighting packs.

For the latter, you can have Matrix LED headlamps with regular LED tail lamps, or the fancy new OLED tail lamps. Both come together with Audi active lane assist. 20-inch wheels and 20-inch Audi Sport 5-V-spoke items are also yours to tick. These options aren’t likely to be cheap, but good stuff usually aren’t. No local pricing yet, but it should be higher than the 2019 launch price of RM340k.

Being fully imported all the way from Mexico, the Q5 will be comparatively expensive. You won’t be seeing many on the road, but that would be part of the appeal for those who want to stand out. What do you think of the Q5’s style compared to the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC CKD duo?

GALLERY: Second-generation Audi Q5 facelift

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