2022 Audi Q5 to offer new 40 TFSI entry-level model

Audi will soon offer a more affordable entry to the Q5 lineup with the 40 TFSI Quattro version. An Audi spokesperson has confirmed to Autoblog that it will use a B-cycle (named for its inventor, VW powertrain engineer Dr. Ralf Budack) version of its turbocharged “EA888” 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, and that its introduction to the U.S. market is “imminent.”

According to specs listed on Audi’s consumer site, the Q5 40 will provide 201 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, routed to all four wheels via Audi’s S-Tronic seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and Quattro all-wheel-drive system. The 0-to-60 miles per hour run stretches to a still respectable 6.8 seconds (down from the 45’s 5.7 seconds), and it shares the other Q5 versions’ electronically limited top speed of 130 mph. Compared to the Q5 45, the 40 will see a 1-mile-per-gallon improvement on the highway, with 23 mpg city, 29 mpg highway and 25 combined mpg.

The new starting MSRP for the Q5 will be $44,495 (including $1,195 in destination fees) with the Premium trim package, a $2,500 discount compared to the current base-model Q5 45. Premium Plus will start at $49,495, and the top-of-the-line Prestige trim will ring in at $55,195.

Additionally, the Q5 40 will cost less to operate, as the 40 runs on regular unleaded gasoline, as opposed to the premium fuel recommended for the other Q5 powertrains. (UPDATE 4/26/22: Audi originally stated that the the Q5 40 "can run on regular as opposed to Premium recommended." After further inquiry, Audi clarified, "The engine in the Q5 40 TFSI can run on Regular unleaded, but the manufacturer does recommend Premium unleaded to optimize performance for the product.")

Other Audi models that offer a version of this powerplant include the A3, A4, A5 and Q3.

Audi provided a few other details to Autoblog about the Q5 40, particularly in how it compares to the rest of the lineup. It will feature the Advanced exterior, while the 45 now gets the S Line exterior as standard, as does the 55. It will only offer 18-inch wheels, while the 45 and 55 can be had with 20-inchers. The 40 doesn't get the other versions' illuminated door sills. It does, however, get the same 12-volt mild hybrid technology that the 45 received for its 2021 refresh.

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