2012 Audi Q5 2.0T Quattro Hybrid - Car and Driver (blog)
Ask the average German engineer what he really thinks of hybrid technology—even if it takes plying him with a half-dozen rounds of Pils to get to the truth—and you’ll generally find an unhappy human being. hybrids are helping to pave the way to the future of personal transport, whether we like it or not. That’s the angle Audi is taking with its 2012 Q5 hybrid. The company says it’s the sportiest hybrid SUV going, and we’re having a hard time finding fault in that claim. It’s also Audi’s first production vehicle to incorporate both gas and electric drive, the former a 2. 0-liter TFSI four-cylinder, the latter a 44-hp electric motor sandwiched between the engine and eight-speed automatic transmission. Combined output is 241 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque, directed to all four wheels. That’s where the Q5 hybrid really impresses. Anyone can appreciate 354 lb-ft of twist—which is over 100 lb-ft more than its sister model’s 3. 2-liter FSI V-6 can muster. The 0-to-60-mph run should take about 6. 8 seconds, just 0. 3 second behind the 3. 2’s 6. 5-second time. On the inflationary European cycle, Audi claims combined fuel economy of 34 mpg. Source: www.caranddriver.com
