2016 Audi Q5 to launch in mid-2016 from new Mexico plant - IAB Report

09/11/2015 - 12:08 | ,   | Anjan Ravi

Based on the same platform as the new A4.

2016 will see the launch of the second generation, 2016 Audi Q5, for which work is underway at Audi's new plant in San Jose Chiapa, Mexico. The Q5 will be the first model to roll out of this new plant, from the middle of 2016.

Audi SQ5 TDI Plus front three quarter left at IAA 2015
The new Q5 will borrow its engines from the 2016 A4. Image of the current Q5 used for illustrative purposes only.

Speaking to Indian Autos Blog at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, member of the Board of Management of Audi AG and head of Audi’s Technical Development, said -

The new Q5 will be in the market next year and we’ll find a good show to present it. It’ll be produced in Mexico from the middle of next year.

Based on the MLB Evo platform, which also forms the basis of the new 2016 Audi A4, the new Q5 is also expected to lose around 100 kg in kerb weight. Spyshots have shown the SUV with a Q7-inspired front fascia, complete with Matrix LED headlights, a 6-point Singleframe grille, LED taillights and an overall shape similar to the current generation model.

India-bound 2016 Audi A4 MMI infotainment at the IAA 2015
Like modern Audi models, the new Q5 will receive two Nvidia-powered screens: the MMI interface and the Virtual Cockpit cluster.

Under the hood, reports state that the Q5 will inherit four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, and the 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine from the new A4. These engines will be offered with an S-Tronic dual-clutch gearbox, or an 8-speed tip-tronic transmission. Apart from these motors, a new V6 range of petrol engines are expected to debut on the SUV, which have been jointly engineered by Audi and Porsche under the codename KoVoMo.

Also read: 2018 Audi Q3 – Rendering

The Q5 can be expected in the Indian market towards the end of 2016, or in early-2017. The current model is assembled at Audi India's Aurangabad facility, and is offered with four- and six-cylinder diesel engines.

Audi SQ5 TDI Plus at the 2015 IAA - Image Gallery (unrelated)

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