2018 Audi Q5 45 TFSI petrol SUV launched in India at Rs 55.27 lakh

Abhishek Samuel Updated: June 28, 2018, 04:10 PM IST

Audi has just launched the Q5 45 TFSI SUV with a petrol engine in India at Rs 55.27 lakh. The new petrol engine option is the same 2.0-litre TFSI motor found on its larger stablemate, the Audi Q7 45 TFSI. The petrol engine on the Q5 produces 252PS of power and 370Nm of torque. This is the second generation of the luxury SUV to be launched in India and the third Audi launch in the country after the Q5 35 TDI diesel SUV and the Audi RS5 earlier this year. The presence of a petrol engine option will give the Q5 a leg up over the Volvo XC60 which is diesel-only. We recently compared the Q5 with its rivals, which you can see here. Read our first drive review of the Q5 diesel here.

The second-gen Audi has a much sharper design than its predecessor. The result, it looks more compact than before despite having slightly larger dimensions in length, width, and height

Audi claims that the 45 TFSI petrol motor is the most powerful in its class. The 2.0 litre engine propels the Q5 from 0 to 100kmph in a claimed 6.3 seconds, and onwards to a top speed of 237kmph.

At the launch in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Audi India head Rahil Ansari said that the Q5 petrol is part of Audi's strategy 2020. "The strategy involves introducing new body types as well as alternative powertrains. Audi sold 90% of its cars with a diesel engine in 2015. This came down to 70% by end of last year. For 2020, we aim for Audi to sell 50% of the cars with petrol engines," he said.

The Q5 will receive a 7-speed dual clutch automatic transmission and not the same 8-speed as the Q7. The second generation Q5 petrol will be cosmetically identical to its diesel sibling, which is a good thing. The Q5 sports a sharper design and looks more compact than before, defying its slightly larger dimensions. Its face is sharper with rectangular all-LED headlights, while the sides and rear use curvier lines.

Interiors are well appointed and use high-quality materials all around. The Q5 uses a 12.3-inch TFT display for the instrument cluster, as seen on the A4 and Q7 before, while the infotainment screen is an 8.3-inch display mounted on top of the dashboard. The system sports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality.