All About Japan Autos

There are some great options in the Luxury Compact SUV segment, but when it comes to powertrains that conserve fuel the pickings are slim-to-none. But all that may change within the coming weeks — or at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 18th, to be more specific.

“With the Q5 Hybrid Quattro, Audi wanted to offer a hybrid model that cultivated the typical Audi sportiness,” says TopSpeed. “The new model is said to be the pioneer of electric mobility for Audi.”

That’s a bold statement from the German automaker, but will the Q5 Hybrid have the performance numbers to back it up? “From what we can tell, power comes courtesy of a 208 horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine coupled to a 44 horsepower electric motor,” says Autoblog. “All told, the set up is good for 354 pound-feet of torque. Those are stout numbers by any measure, but the really impressive bit comes from the fact that the vehicle can whisk along on full-electric power for up to 1.9 miles, all while cracking off a 0-60 mph run in a little over seven seconds.”

As far as styling is concerned, the Q5 Hybrid will not deviate greatly from its more conventional sibling. “There doesn’t appear to be any major changes except for new wheels which are undoubtedly wrapped in low-rolling resistance tires,” says World Car Fans. “Inside, there’s a revised instrument cluster (which provides an overview of the hybrid system) and a smaller luggage compartment which holds 480 liters (17 cubic feet) of cargo.”

What may interest consumers the most is that when the Audi Q5 Hybrid hits the market in 2011, it won’t have any competition. Pricing information has yet to be released, but if you’re in the market for a luxury compact SUV and want something a bit more eco-friendly,friendly; the Q5 Hybrid may be worth the wait. TopSpeed was quick to point out that, “We could transfer the competitors for the standard Q5 to the hybrid version, but the Volvo XC60 and the Mercedes GLK are not offered with a hybrid system just yet.” Additional information on the 2011 Audi Q5 Hybrid is expected later this month.

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