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2017 Audi Q5 Pulls a Porsche 911 With Minimal Design Changes

Porsche is famous for never changing its designs, but Mercedes and Audi have recently jumped on a similar bandwagon. We are looking the all-new 2017 Audi Q5 in the eyes and boy does it look similar to its predecessor.
2017 Audi Q5 Looks Even Better in the Metal in Paris 17 photos
Photo: Stefan Baldauf/Guido ten Brink
2017 Audi Q5 Pulls a Porsche 911 With Minimal Design Changes2017 Audi Q5 Pulls a Porsche 911 With Minimal Design Changes2017 Audi Q5 Pulls a Porsche 911 With Minimal Design Changes2017 Audi Q5 Pulls a Porsche 911 With Minimal Design Changes2017 Audi Q5 Pulls a Porsche 911 With Minimal Design Changes2017 Audi Q5 Pulls a Porsche 911 With Minimal Design Changes2017 Audi Q5 Pulls a Porsche 911 With Minimal Design Changes2017 Audi Q5 Pulls a Porsche 911 With Minimal Design Changes2017 Audi Q5 Pulls a Porsche 911 With Minimal Design Changes2017 Audi Q5 Pulls a Porsche 911 With Minimal Design Changes2017 Audi Q5 Pulls a Porsche 911 With Minimal Design Changes2017 Audi Q5 Pulls a Porsche 911 With Minimal Design Changes2017 Audi Q5 Pulls a Porsche 911 With Minimal Design Changes2017 Audi Q5 Pulls a Porsche 911 With Minimal Design Changes2017 Audi Q5 Pulls a Porsche 911 With Minimal Design Changes2017 Audi Q5 Pulls a Porsche 911 With Minimal Design Changes
The German officials tell us that all the major changes are under the skin, but even there, we don't see anything mind-blowing. For example, the maximum weight reduction is 90 kilos. What? You see more in a Micra.

But look past the specs and the design to notice that every single element of the Q5 has been revised and improved. At the front, you've got an evolution of the Matrix LED headlights, which do so many things that we won't try to name them. The grille is sharper and shaped a bit like a shield, giving the Q5 a solid look.

Just like the new Q7, it's got fenders that sit flush with the wheels instead of bulging out, and the hood line disappears from certain angles. The side crease is probably the most obvious design feature of the whole car, while the trunk is a clear homage to the old generation of the Q5.

Speaking of which, there's anywhere between 550 to 610 liters of space back there, but it's only 10 more than before. The cabin emanates the same Teutonic sobriety as the A4 sedan on which the Q5 is based. The only differences are a touchpad controller and a square steering wheel, both of which are shared with the Q7.

I think that the main reasons to trade in your old Audi SUV have to do with the suspension and the powertrains. The 2017 Q5 features 5-link independent underpinnings at all corners, but you can choose to make it sporty or more capable off-road.

For instance, you can order adaptive air suspension to lift the body when dealing with obstacles. However, we're most excited about the quattro sports differential. It's available on the top 3.0 TDI with 286 PS, but should also be installed on the SQ5.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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