Audi NZ product plan for highest volume car yet to include plug-in hybrid just announced internationally.

ELECTRIFICATION of Audi’s sales staple Q5 has taken a big step forward in the same week the national distributor has announced pricing for two traditional variants that have previously done well here.

Announcement from Auckland-based Audi New Zealand that the Q5 and SQ5 will be on sale soon for $111,990 and $149,990 respectively steered clear of discussing a potential future addition, the plug-in e-hybrid (above) whose detail has been subject of international focus.

While the internal combustion engined cars are paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system with a 1.7kWh battery that helps reduce fuel consumption, can allow manoeuvring on complete electric power at low speeds, while providing an 18kW boost under heavy acceleration load, the e-hybrid is far more intent on delivering life without Big Oil.

With an all-electric range of just over 100 kilometres, the mains-replenished type therefore potentially stands to be of high importance within a model line that is expected to achieve more volume than any other Audi sold here.

It runs a new generation of battery with 25.9 kWh (net 20.7kWh) - roughly 45 percent higher than its predecessor - of power for electric driving and like the first arrivals here is married to quattro four-wheel-drive.

As with the Q5 that’s here from next month and the SQ5 coming a little later in the year, the electric assist type spans the sports utility wagon and sportback coupe body shapes, the latter holding a $4000 premium at SQ5 level, and also comes out of Mexico.

The base engine appears to be the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol that goes into the standard Q5.

Audi NZ has gone for an S-Line trim for Q5 in which the power plant makes 150kW and 340Nm. The SQ5 has a three-litre V6 with 270kW and 550Nm.

Also married to a seven-speed dual clutch transmission, the e-hybrid, meantime, makes 220kW, of which 185kW comes from the engine. Zero to 100km in 6.2 seconds beats the Q5, but sites well behind the SQ5, which clocks 4.5s.

The new battery has a new configuration that previously, with the cells arranged on two levels, one on top of the other. Maximum AC charging power is 11 kW. If the battery is completely empty, it takes 2.5 hours to charge it to 100 percent.

Two operating modes are available: “EV” and “hybrid.” In EV mode, the SUV and Sportback run exclusively on electric power.

When driving in hybrid mode, the hybrid management system maintains a specific charge level as needed in order to save enough electrical energy for later use.

In addition to the automatic hybrid mode, the desired charge level can now be individually selected using a digital slider.

Audi has increased the regenerative braking performance with three different levels achieved using paddles on the steering wheel. But it can also recover automatically, using the sat nav as a guidance.

The Q5 e-hybrid models have sports suspension, 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights plus and LED rear lights pro as standard.

The latest Q5 has been a long time coming; the outgoing line, remember, has been around since 2016. It has the latest design attributes, including an evolutionary look to the signature Singleframe front grille, but the bigger news is that it has gone to a new platform.

The Sportback and SUV share underpinnings, interior and much bodywork, but the coupe adds a sloping roofline for a unique look and less luggage space. Whereas the standard shape fits 520 litres with the second row of seating in use, expanding to 1473L with the 40/20/40-fold seats dropped, the Sportback starts with 470 litres and ends with less than 1400 litres.

SQ5 doesn't have the classical Torsen-differential Audi quattro four-wheel-drive system and instead uses a lightly tweaked version of the Haldex multi-plate clutch setup employed by all the new Q5s.