Do you like the size and looks of the 2009 Audi Q5, but can't stomach the thought of paying $37,000 for it? Well don't give up on the mini-Q7 just yet. An Audi official told Inside Line that it's only a matter of time before a base Q5 with the company's turbocharged 2.0-liter engine is added to the lineup. "It's a question of when, not if," he told us.
With 211-horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, the four-cylinder should move the Q5 with acceptable speed while dropping the base price considerably. In the A4 quattro sedan, the price difference between the 2.0T and 3.2-liter V6 is $7,350, so the base Q5 should drop much closer to $30,000.
A Volkswagen Tiguan with the same engine and 4Motion all-wheel drive starts at $28,875. The Q5 won't offer a front-wheel drive model.
hondacura4 says:
02:21 PM, 04/ 6/09
I think its a smart move by Audi. The 2.0T model should have been introduced at its initial launch.
roar02ram says:
02:45 PM, 04/ 6/09
Won't a cheaper, 2.0T Q5 will directly compete with the Tiguan?
Then again, VW/Audi seems to do a poor job of differentiating their brands in the $25-$40k space in general, IMHO, so I guess this fits...
hondacura4 says:
03:01 PM, 04/ 6/09
Im still unsure of why Audi charges through the roof for the V6 as its really not all that impressive.
crikey says:
04:17 PM, 04/ 6/09
2.0T + DSG + Quattro = replacement for our 2003 FX35
:)
carfreak8394 says:
06:27 PM, 04/ 6/09
You guys have made some good points. I think it's a good decision to add the 2.0T because $37,000 is a lot of money for an SUV with less cargo space then a RAV4. I'm not saying it's not a nice car, but it's not a bad idea to lower the price. At our local Audi dealership, they had a loaded one for $50,000. That's a lot of scratch for a Q5.
tryan says:
04:15 AM, 04/ 7/09
If the Q5 had an inner dialogue, it would probably be saying: "Yum, those Tiguan sales taste good!"
I wrote an article a few years back about how VW Corporate (different from VW Brand) needs to really be concerned with differentiation of the VW and Audi brands. As it is now, the amount of overlap is ridiculous! This is just another example of the lack of communication between subsidiaries.
hondacura4 says:
08:47 AM, 04/ 7/09
The least Audi could do is give the 2.0T in the Q5 more power. Something in the 225-230 range should do fine. It would look better on paper (marketing) compared to the Tiguan 2.0T which makes the same power.
I'm still having a hard time swallowing the price difference between a 2.0T A4 and a V6 A4 as $7350 is substantial for the so called "upgrade". If it was Audi's new 300+ supercharged TFSI 3.0 the price could be better validated.
audifan45 says:
07:24 PM, 04/ 7/09
The 2.0T in the Tiguan has 200HP vs. 211 for the Audi TFSI, and the Audi has 25% more torque, higher compression, and Audi valvelift technology. Thus, they are not the same engine..
hondacura4 says:
05:37 PM, 04/ 8/09
"Thus, they are not the same engine."
Same engine just with Audi's VVT and more aggressive tuning.
lucien4 says:
09:55 AM, 04/14/09
No need to guess about price difference. In Germany both are sold and the difference there is 4050 Euro's (incl. tax).
So it's more like $33K plus 9% improved fuel efficiency combined and in city 18% (assuming it would be the S tronic).