The second-generation Audi Q5 Sportback is coming soon, and the brand’s local team has indicated it’ll be landing in local dealerships during the fourth quarter (October to December) of 2025.
Speaking with CarExpert at the launch of the third-generation Q5 SUV – on which the Sportback is based – senior executives from Audi Australia’s team said the new model will be more aligned with the SUV range in terms of specification and is expected to be a popular seller.
“There’s a great opportunity for the new vehicle being designed from ground-up,” said Matthew Dale, head of product at Audi Australia, referencing the original Q5 Sportback’s late introduction during the second-gen Q5’s lifecycle.
Product manager at Audi Australia, Peter Strudwicke, added: “A lot of things the Sportback gained [over the Q5 SUV in the previous generation], we’ve actually made standard. They’ll definitely be closer aligned”.
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Mr Strudwicke noted the original Q5 Sportback was running at a 30:70 ratio of overall Q5 sales in Australia after launching Down Under in 2021 as part of the facelifted second-generation Q5 range, four years after the second-gen model first arrived in Australian showrooms.
The first-gen Q5 Sportback arrived in Australia in August 2021 and commanded a roughly $6000 premium over the equivalent Q5 SUV depending on variant.
In the non-SQ5 grades, however, it featured additional equipment as standard like the S line package, which added niceties like sporty exterior styling, sport front seats and mirrors with heating, auto dimming and dipping functions.
Based on Mr Strudwicke’s comments, we’ll likely see the new Q5 Sportback range shrink the price gaps and offer virtually the same variant lineup, basically allowing customers to choose a trim level and then the body style without any noticeable adjustments to standard specification or engine choice.
Like the Q5 SUV, the Q5 Sportback is available globally with 2.0 TFSI 150kW (FWD and quattro AWD), 2.0 TDI 150kW quattro and SQ5 3.0 TFSI 270kW quattro engines with 48V mild-hybrid assistance; along with e-hybrid 220kW and e-hybrid 270kW plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variants.
Audi Australia has already taken the front-drive TFSI 150kW and TDI 150kW quattro models, along with the high-performance SQ5, all of which are now on sale.
The Q5 e-hybrid will come, likely in 2026, though it’s unclear whether we’ll get just the high-output PHEV or both – the former seems more likely, based on previous form.
Revealed last November, the new Q5 Sportback is to the Q5 what the BMW X4 is to the X3, or what the Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe is to the GLC.
A sharply raked rear roofline and fastback tailgate headline the major styling changes, with unique touches like a more prominent rear beltline emphasising its more athletic stance.
The sleeker shape does eat into boot space somewhat. Audi claims 515L of luggage capacity in the Q5 Sportback and 470L in the SQ5 Sportback, expanding to 1415L and 1388L respectively.
It’s otherwise pretty similar to the Q5 SUV and the platform-sharing Audi A5 range, with the brand’s latest in-car technology and displays as well as the aforementioned mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrain options.
Stay tuned for a full price and specs breakdown in the lead-up to the Q5 Sportback’s launch later this year.