(April 26, 2012) Audi has introduced an updated Q5 luxury compact sport utility with its first-ever hybrid powertrain. Also included in the 2013 lineup are a new diesel engine and two updated gasoline engine options. Audi's hybrid includes the brand's well-used turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine rated at 211 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Supplementing it is an electric motor good for 54 horsepower and 155 pound-feet of torque powered by a 1.3 kW-hr lithium-ion battery.



Audi's Quattro all-wheel drive system is standard, which means its eight-speed automatic always sends power to all four wheels. The Q5 hybrid's claimed 0-62 mph time is 7.1 seconds, and its top speed is said to be 140 mph. Combined fuel economy is estimated at 34 mpg. Audi claims the hybrid can travel just under two miles at up to 37 mph in all-electric (EV) mode. Rounding off the three modes are D (normal hybrid operation) and S (sport).

Though Audi is finally making the the hybrid move, diesels have been one of the brand's core strengths in Europe, and starting next year a diesel Q5 will finally arrive in the U.S. Europeans will get their choice among three diesels, but only the 3.0-liter V-6 TDI will make it to the American market. That engine is rated at 245 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque and should achieve an estimated 37 mpg combined with a 0-62 mph time of around 6.5 seconds.

Updates to the 2013 gasoline engines include a revised 2.0-liter turbo-four, which now puts out 225 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque compared with the current engine's 211 horsepower. As expected, the 3.2-liter V-6 is going away. Coming to take its place is Audi's supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 rated at 272 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. According to Audi, the V-6 gives the Q5 the ability to break 6 seconds from 0-60 while delivering 27 mpg combined.

The big news is in the powertrains. Visual changes are minimal. The Q5 receives some new LED lamps, gloss-black accents, revised rear diffuser unit, plus some new chrome and steel detailing, and that’s about it for the exterior. Inside the cabin Audi has fine-tuned the ergonomics, especially around the MMI navigation system.

Gasoline and hybrid versions of the 2013 Q5 are set to arrive in Audi dealers this fall, with the diesel scheduled to go on sale sometime next year. Pricing will be announced closer to the on-sale date, but expect it to start somewhere in the $37,000 range, right around where the present base model starts.