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Tiny Lights and a Small Grille Make the New 2025 Audi Q5 Look Like a Chinese Knockoff

It’s been nearly a year since we first laid eyes on the next-gen Audi Q5 in prototype form testing in the open. During this time, our spy photographers took numerous images of different pre-production models, and they even managed to get close enough to snap a few pics of the interior.
2025 Audi Q5 38 photos
Photo: CarPix
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The latest batch of scoops shows several prototypes of the upcoming BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC fighter from the four-ring brand driving in the snow, in an Audi motorcade. Nothing to write home about yet, until you start noticing some of the design updates.

Equipped with the final production headlamps by the looks of it, these testers reveal that the all-new Q5 will have a much smaller grille compared to the outgoing iteration. The central intake in the front bumper has grown in size, and the side vents are much smaller. The roofline is a bit arched towards the rear, but not that much, because there is also a Sportback variant coming to take on the GLC Coupe and X4.

New taillights are partially visible from beneath the vinyl stickers, and they have thinner proportions. The tailgate is also new, and the license plate holder was moved further up. The bumper is a bit cleaner, and we can see exhaust tips coming out of the new diffuser, in different shapes and sizes. Audi will also revamp the wheels and colors of the upcoming Q5 to further differentiate it from its predecessor. Also, as we already told you, we caught a glimpse of the interior that doesn’t look that high-end, with its two tablet-like screens, multi-layer dashboard panel, new steering wheel, and push-button gear selector.

Overall, the design updates kind of make it look like a cheap crossover signed by a Chinese company that not many people heard of, when it comes to the exterior anyway. But who knows, maybe it will be pretty once the fake skin comes off, and it could be a while until it does that, because it is rumored to apply for a U.S. visa as a 2025 model. That means it might be introduced either towards the end of the year or in early 2024.

And the biggest news is that it will obviously retain the internal combustion firepower. It is believed to launch with an assortment of mild- and plug-in hybrid assemblies and maybe one or two diesels overseas. A battery-electric derivative doesn’t seem to be in the pipeline, but the hot SQ5 is, as we already spotted it in the wild. The sporty model will probably feature a V6 with 48-volt assistance and up to 370 hp produced, a 20 or so boost over the current one, which does the 0-60 mph (0-97 kph) in 4.7 seconds.
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About the author: Cristian Gnaticov
Cristian Gnaticov profile photo

After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s.
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