Audi Q5 refresh is uninspired

Walkabout · Dec 17, 2020

I realize that the entire industry is under pressure, but I agree completely with Autoblog's take here.

2021 Audi Q5 First Drive | Mid-cycle retrofit

Our first drive of the updated '21 Q5, specifically the 55 TFSI e plug-in hybrid.

www.autoblog.com

It's great that Audi has refreshed their infotainment but all the other complaints here are bang on, imo.

Earlier I complained about volvo not making significant changes as model lines age. Fair is fair, and it's worth pointing out that the competition is just as guilty.

Unless something changes, when the current lease is up, I'm going to get right back into another XC60.

stocis · Dec 17, 2020

that design is awful. looks like a stretched hatchback on photoshop

ptpatrick · Dec 17, 2020

i actually walked into the audi show room the other day after test driving an xc60 and an xc690. i had q5 on the short list but basically made a loop, sat in a couple things and walked out with zero plans to look at audi any further. if you like them great, but they just dont do it for me, certainly not in the price points i can really afford. maybe if I could have a q8 with new infotainement and a decent seat, but it is out my league. sat in a q7, and the 6 year old xc90 design just felt better and overall more serene and usable. the seats were terrible in pretty much every one that i sat in after tooling around in inscription volvos. BMW and Merc at least have better seats...merc more so than BMW.

i say this not to dog audi, they have a schtick they are good at. my other half has an allroad in the stall next to my v90 and i perfectly enjoy driving it, but only for short periods. i am always happy to get back into my volvo. the hard seats kill me on long trips. The 2 good things i can say: the handling and engine are lovely.

Holeydonut · Dec 17, 2020

stocis said:
that design is awful. looks like a stretched hatchback on photoshop

Plus Audi's lead designer Marc Lichte is one of those black turtleneck wearing designers. Volvo's Ingenlath is awesome. Yes, I'm being a fanboy nit picking on turtlenecks.

Barf.

31355 · Dec 17, 2020

I've owned 4 Volvos and then moved to Audi. The last 5 years have been spent in a 2016 TT and a 2018 R8 V10. There is a tremendous amount to like about Audi, but their current refresh of the A4/A5/Q5 is really a let down. I'm very impressed with the new updated interior in the 6/7/8 range of Audi, but all those products are too large for a single guy like me. So I've moved back to Volvo again, making my 2021 S60 T6 R-Design in Bursting Blue with Slate leather and Polestar Optimized. I'll miss the Google Maps in the Audi and a great engine lineup, but I think the Volvo products offer more pizzaz for less money. FYI, Audi has completely abandoned the leasing game. A mid-level A4 4-cylinder leases for $1,000/month. You can literally lease an identically equipped Volvo for half the price. That, too, was another reason I left Audi....the leases are horrible.

jpnwdc · Dec 17, 2020

I've had two Q5s - a 2016 and now a 2019. They are great vehicles but the seats in my current 2019 are not good. I sat in a 2021 to see if they improved the seats but they are still hard as a rock. I don't know why so many manufacturers are making such hard seats. BMW X3 leather is the same way.

Ultrarunner511 · Dec 18, 2020

It appears Audi is a cross between the Hyundai Tucson and the Infiniti QX50. And that is not good for Audi. The Q5 body change in 2018 was bad enough. The side profile lines were done terribly and completely turned me away from them. This refresh cheapens the already poor design.

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Walkabout · Dec 18, 2020

jpnwdc said:
I've had two Q5s - a 2016 and now a 2019. They are great vehicles but the seats in my current 2019 are not good. I sat in a 2021 to see if they improved the seats but they are still hard as a rock. I don't know why so many manufacturers are making such hard seats. BMW X3 leather is the same way.

I've always agreed with you on this issue. The seats are the main downside for me. I don't mind the hard/firm nature (I like that) so much but those seats are not shaped like any human I know.

VxF · Dec 18, 2020

I currently drive a Q7, so I do like Audis... but what they did with the latest refresh is hideous.
But... it seems to be a trend. I think the new X5 and, especially, the new X7 are horrendous as well. Much of it is that grill. I had one at home for a while - every morning, you feel like a Chinese regional provincial leader ready to drive into the rice fields for the X7 to gobble up peasants.
Which bring me to the point... I don't think Western market aesthetics are driving this... truth is, all of these brands are prioritizing Asia right now, because that is where the growth is at...

Holeydonut · Dec 18, 2020

VxF said:
I currently drive a Q7, so I do like Audis... but what they did with the latest refresh is hideous.
But... it seems to be a trend. I think the new X5 and, especially, the new X7 are horrendous as well. Much of it is that grill. I had one at home for a while - every morning, you feel like a Chinese regional provincial leader ready to drive into the rice fields for the X7 to gobble up peasants.
Which bring me to the point... I don't think Western market aesthetics are driving this... truth is, all of these brands are prioritizing Asia right now, because that is where the growth is at...

I suspect you're right... but the irony is that what makes a car cool in China is literally that it is Western. So catering to China is like a no-win proposition since the moment you cater to them as a Western company, you lose the one little thing that might cause a Chinese buyer to pay for your product.

As an aside, here's a fun little nugget. The Changan CS75 came out last year and is selling like hotcakes. It's basically a hybrid bastardization of a RDX and RX.

CS75

RDX

RX

BigBang · Dec 18, 2020

stocis said:
that design is awful. looks like a stretched hatchback on photoshop

Your personal opinion, sales results in the world show something else

This is a successful design, all models look the same, from a distance of 30 meters you do not know which model

BigBang · Dec 18, 2020

Holeydonut said:
Plus Audi's lead designer Marc Lichte is one of those black turtleneck wearing designers. Volvo's Ingenlath is awesome. Yes, I'm being a fanboy nit picking on turtlenecks.

Barf.

Enter in Google Thomas Ingenlath , a car designer who worked for years at VW, responsible for the current look of all new models XC90, XC60 .....
Yes it is a German who designed for Audi, VW, Skoda
He has not worked for Volvo since 2017, but is the head of Polestar

stocis · Dec 18, 2020

Of course its my personal opinion.
And my opinion is that that grill is hideous.
Global sales mean nothing to me.

stocis · Dec 18, 2020

BigBang said:
Enter in Google Thomas Ingenlath , a car designer who worked for years at VW, responsible for the current look of all new models XC90, XC60 .....
Yes it is a German who designed for Audi, VW, Skoda
He has not worked for Volvo since 2017, but is the head of Polestar

Kudos for the guy. No wonder why VW and Audi were beautiful back then!

BigBang · Dec 18, 2020

Walkabout said:
I realize that the entire industry is under pressure, but I agree completely with Autoblog's take here.

Different people as well as different journalists have different opinions

Audi Q5

RootDKJ · Dec 18, 2020

The main infotainment screen looks like someone hot-glued an old Amazon Kindle tablet above the air vents on the dashboard. In 2021 I really expect automakers to have better infotainment integration into dashboard.

The drive mode selector is super small. I like the wheel we have a lot.

The oversized half open/half blocked grill and air ducts are not attractive for the 4-Ring Skoda.

I’m torn on the LED DRL’s. I think I’d have to see it in person before passing an opinion.

I’ll happily stick with my XC60 T8 as the better looking SUV!!

Ultrarunner511 · Dec 18, 2020

RootDKJ said:
The main infotainment screen looks like someone hot-glued an old Amazon Kindle tablet above the air vents on the dashboard. In 2021 I really expect automakers to have better infotainment integration into dashboard.

The drive mode selector is super small. I like the wheel we have a lot.

The oversized half open/half blocked grill and air ducts are not attractive for the 4-Ring Skoda.

I'm torn on the LED DRL's. I think I'd have to see it in person before passing an opinion.

I'll happily stick with my XC60 T8 as the better looking SUV!!

Seems like Mazda and Toyota have done the same thing, among other manufacturers. It looks tacky, busy, and cheap. Volvo's flush and simplistic design is still beautiful.

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BigBang · Dec 18, 2020

RootDKJ said:
The oversized half open/half blocked grill and air ducts are not attractive for the 4-Ring Skoda.

I'm torn on the LED DRL's. I think I'd have to see it in person before passing an opinion.

These are also in the 4-Ring group: Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche you probably haven't even heard of them, because they're unknown.

In the automotive world, everyone uses the term "Matrix lights" for LED lights, try to find them on the Internet,
Audi has been using it since 2013, and four years ago Audi, together with BMW, was the first in the world to start using Laser Lights
Audi offers first production animated Digital Matrix LED headlights in 2021

Since you don't know, Skoda was founded in 1895, unfortunately their development and success were stopped by the USSR in 1945 when they occupied the Czech Republic.

Since you don't have Skoda in the US, search the internet SKODA SUPERB - Laurin & Klement

Volvo will probably have something similar from 2023 as Skoda has now

Dimon aggie · Dec 18, 2020

I believe Skoda's success was stopped by the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1938 ;-)

White3 · Dec 18, 2020

Not sure where German manufacturers are heading with grill design. Maybe it’s slightly retro. Looking at BMW’s new iX I could swear I have seen the same grill shape on their earliest cars. If this mess makes it’s way into the BMW mainstream-yikes!

Audi Q5 refresh is uninspired

2021 Audi Q5 First Drive | Mid-cycle retrofit

Walkabout

2021 Audi Q5 First Drive | Mid-cycle retrofit

stocis

ptpatrick

Holeydonut

31355

jpnwdc

Ultrarunner511

Walkabout

VxF

Holeydonut

BigBang

BigBang

stocis

stocis

BigBang

RootDKJ

Ultrarunner511

BigBang

Dimon aggie

White3

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