Audi has revealed its third Sportback variant following the e-tron Sportback and Q3 Sportback launched this year.

The Q5 Sportback is a sporty coupe with dynamic lines that addresses customers who appreciate not just expressive design and technical innovation, but also everyday usability.

Large air inlets flank the octagonal singleframe, the headlights have a distinctive daytime running light signature feature LED technology while the sweeping shoulder line emphasises the wheels. The roofline extends low over the body and begins its downward slope early so that the third side window tapers sharply to the rear. The harshly sloped rear window and the seemingly high-mounted rear bumper give the Q5 Sportback a very dynamic and powerful appearance.

“It’s great to see SUV Sportback models rolling off the assembly line from mid-size SUV’s right through to the 100 per cent electric and dynamic Audi e-tron Sportback,” said Dean Sheed, General Manager of Audi NZ.

“Here in New Zealand the Q3 & RS Q3 Sportback seems to be the more favourable body shape and we wouldn’t be surprised to see that same with the Q5 Sportback. The Q5 is a great all-rounder with Audi’s quattro technology and there is no doubt the Sportback body shape gives it that sporty, elegant edge.”

The Audi Q5 Sportback rolls off the assembly line at the San José Chiapa plant in Mexico and will arrive in New Zealand in quarter three next year.

At 4.69 metres in length, the Q5 Sportback is 7mm longer than the Audi Q5 model. Height and width are identical to the sister model at 1.64 metres high and1.9 metres wide.

The luggage compartment has a volume of 510 litres. With the rear seats folded down and loaded to the roof, this increases to 1480 litres. Audi also offers the newest member of the family with the optional rear seat bench plus, which can be shifted laterally and has adjustable seat back angles. If necessary, it can slide forward to increase the base luggage capacity by as much as 60 litres to a maximum of 570 litres. On the other hand, it provides enhanced comfort for the rear seat passengers when the seat back and seating surface are all the way back.

The sport suspension features more tautly tuned suspension and damping for a more direct road feel than the steel spring suspension of the Q5. Audi also offers an alternative suspension with controlled dampers or the versatile and extremely comfortable adaptive air suspension. It adjusts the ride height over a wide range of 60 mm in total. Ground clearance can thus be increased by as much as 45 mm when driving on unfinished roads.

During fast driving, the body is automatically lowered 15 mm for greater efficiency due to reduced drag and improved handling thanks to the lower centre of gravity. Another feature of the air suspension is the ability to lower the rear axle by 55mm by pressing a button in the boot, making it easier to load the luggage compartment.

For the controls, displays and infotainment, the Q5 Sportback uses the same new technology in the updated Q5. When fully equipped, the display-based Audi virtual cockpit plus with a 12.3-inch display and a head-up display are also on board. The multifunction steering wheel plus enables the safe and simple operation of the most important functions and displays.

The MMI navigation plus infotainment system is paired with a 10in touch display. Its home screen is customisable; the natural language voice control uses the knowledge of the cloud and can be activated by either pressing a button on the steering wheel or by saying “Hey Audi.” Many vehicle settings can be put into individual user-profiles and stored online on the myAudi customer portal. Each authorised user can access them for any Audi models appropriately equipped.

The Audi Q5 Sportback is equipped with numerous driver-assist systems organised into three packages. The adaptive cruise assist can take over accelerating, decelerating and keeping in the lane for the driver in many situations.

The Audi pre sense city system helps to avoid or mitigate the consequences of collisions with road users in front of the car. The optional turn assist, swerve assist, cross-traffic assist and exit warning systems also enhance safety.