Audi kills plans for Q5 hybrid
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Audi Q5
A few short months after announcing that it would be killing off the Q7 hybrid SUV, Audi has decided that its smaller brother, the Q5, doesn't really need the fuel-saving option either. The German automaker cites the safety of its nickel metal hydride battery packs, but we're not completely sold on that being the real concern, especially considering the hundreds of thousands of Toyota Prius hybrids (among others, of course) already roaming the world's busiest highways with nary a problem. If not safety, then why cancel the project? Pricing is likely the biggest factor holding Audi's hybrids back, along with Audi's large investment in turbo diesels and the growing use of lightweight materials in its line, especially the use of aluminum in its chassis structures. Adding the cost of hybrid technology to these already expensive programs may seem cost prohibitive. Oh yeah, and gas is getting cheap again.
Gallery: Beijing '08: 2009 Audi Q5
[Source: Autocar]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Torrent 11:34AM (12/16/2008)
That is just JACKED up.
On the other hand, it kinda makes sense.lol but I don't think gas prices will stay low for long.
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zamafir 11:55AM (12/16/2008)
Not really, not if they're planning on bringing the Q5 with 2.0TDI or 3.0TDI over ;). Americans drive on the highway more then europeans, TDIs do great in such senarios.
Beastage 12:30PM (12/16/2008)
European modern diesel engines with the new particulate filters totally beat any hybrid solution, so yea, making a heavier cars with higher costs due to batteries and such makes little sense for european car makers.
noz 12:36PM (12/16/2008)
If Audi is concerned with heavy cars, then they should start by addressing it with redesigning their overweight fat pigs of cars. That's a good place to start...not because it's a hybrid.
And no amount of transference to diesel engines is going to ween you people off crude oil....it's going to increase it. The gains you get from better fuel economy are negated by the process of producing diesel.
MBS 5:44PM (12/16/2008)
@noz:
Ehhh producing diesel is easier and cheaper by far than producing gasoline.
Not to mention that bio-diesel is a much more viable option than ethanol as an alternative fuel.
On the other hand... the cost and materials required to build and maintain a hybrid system easily outweighs the (mostly theoretical) fuel efficiency gains from such a system).
Mobius_1 11:45AM (12/16/2008)
Last sentence was really all that was needed.
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Kevin 11:54AM (12/16/2008)
Death to hybrids, and bring on the TDIs!
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Smegley 12:03PM (12/16/2008)
....... Q5. Because the Tiguan isn't overpriced enough .......
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rsfourever 12:34PM (12/16/2008)
yea, that's a great point, except the Q5 isn't based AT ALL on the Tiguan's platform, but on the Audi MLP platform, which also underpins the A4, A5, and I believe the upcoming A6. so you're point really is a stupid one... you could just as much have said "Q5, because the 4Runner isn't overpriced enough" or something to that effect.
Smegley 12:46PM (12/16/2008)
Or I could have said "because rsfourever is a hypersensitive fanboy."
Davin Black 12:07PM (12/16/2008)
Predictable - sensible even, but still disappointing.
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UnixSystemsEngineer 2:36PM (12/16/2008)
But the Q5 was so much less hideous than the Q7!
Why is it that Audi can build such beautiful cars, inside and out*, but somehow thought the Q7 turd fit into their lineup?
* "beautiful" comment does not apply GMC truck-style steering wheel on all models
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nagmashot 2:46PM (12/16/2008)
Hybrid is a death technology no long term solution, Audi was the first ever car producer offering commercial sold Hybrid cars (Audi 80 duo and A4 duo).. long befor other were thinking about it, no one was interest in Hybrid echnology in the early mid 1990´s, Audi droped it and switched to TDI technology as Toyota started selling the first generation Prius.
TDI burn less amount of oil in real world traffic than Hybrids... but both still burn oil... and sooner or later we run out of oil so both are no long term solution.... today less than 1% of all vehicles sold world wide are hybrids... but over 25% of all cars sold world wide are diesel powered.. why should Audi shipping money into a death horse..
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zack 3:38PM (12/16/2008)
Can they just kill all the Q's instead? I'm an Audi lover (A4 Avant 3.2). It's a shame that they continue to follow... K-I-L-L the SUV crap!
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P.V. 5:27PM (12/16/2008)
Meh. I'd rather they never made the Q7 or Q5 in the first place (the A4 Avant and the A6 Avant/allroad do quite nicely). However, if it must be this way, I'd rather they just bring the diesel (in addition to the base gasoline engine) engine.
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Mike 12:10PM (12/17/2008)
I've never really seen what people see in Audi. They have decent products but nothing that really jumps out at me (Except the R8.. Love it!).
A4's are ultra slow.. all models.. even the S4 for the money.
A4 HP - 255 - Lexus/Infiniti/BMW/ All have over 300hp. Mercedes - 268 but they also have 7speeds for better acceleration. Camry, Accord, Malibu all have more hp.
S4 - BMW335 trumps it for thousands less, better gas mileage and cheaper insurance.
RS4 - over 80k - M3 can be had for nearly 20k less! C63AMG would kill it as well.
They don't have an engine to put into their small SUV's thats the problem.
3.6liter V6 - 280hp - 14/19 in their other SUV So mabye 16/21 in this smaller one?
Thats their only engine option. If they push to the 4.2 liter V8 the gas mileage will be horrible. The engine only gets 13/20 in the smaller S4. In this SUV it would probably be like 11/17.
The FX50 would kill this. FX has 50 more hp and gas mileage is 27% better.
They are in a tough situation..their only option is Diesel and streamline their offerings.. they are developing too many products that are going to cannibalize their own products.. not other manufacturers.
If audi could produce a 300hp car for a REASONABLE amount of money..then it would make sense. Every other major manufacturer has 300+hp cars for under 40k. Audi is over 50k until you get to a 300hp car. Thats 25% higher..is audi worth 25% more than ANY other car manufacturer out there?
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