Your Luxurious Audi Q5 Crossover

Feb 10
10:04

2009

Matthew C. Keegan

Matthew C. Keegan

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Mercedes and BMW no longer "own" the European crossover segment with their various models. The Audi Q5 offers compelling reason for luxury car buyers to consider this stylish and well appointed three row people mover.

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Since becoming a factor about a decade ago,Your Luxurious Audi Q5 Crossover Articles the crossover segment of the auto industry has boomed as buyers have gradually left truck based sport/utility vehicles for car based crossovers. Just about every major manufacturer who developed and SUV now has at least one crossover model including Audi which is giving to us the luxurious Q5.

But, Audi isn't promising business as usual with the Q5. Instead, the German automaker has decided to bring to the market a vehicle featuring segment-exclusive characteristics including three-zone climate control, standard LED tail lights, reclining and sliding rear seats and available Audi drive select. Audi developed the Q5 to compete against the Lexus RX, BMW X3 and the Mercedes-Benz GLK.

"Luxury crossover vehicles appeal to a wide audience seeking both practicality and performance," said Johan de Nysschen, President, Audi of America. "But monotony has developed in that segment - sameness we're certain the Audi Q5 now disrupts with its array of distinctive styling cues and forward-thinking features."

With the Q5, Audi is continuing its honorable role as prominent automotive interiors leader most evident in the crossover's standard twelve-way power front seats, leather seating surfaces end-to-end and genuine wood or brushed aluminum inlays. Available exclusive luxury touches on the Audi Q5 include the Bang & Olufsen Sound System and the exclusive Audi drive select system that allows motorists to select among four identifiable driving configurations.

The Audi Q5 will be the first model sold in the U.S. with available MMI Navigation plus, the third generation of Audi's regarded MMI (Multi-Media Interface) system, which manages entertainment, communications and navigational information.

The new MMI Navigation plus offers a high-capacity hard disk with 40 gigabytes of memory (including 10 GB for media storage), DVD drive and an automotive grade chip graphics processing. The added processing power allows MMI Navigation plus to render 3D maps of the entire U.S., including branded points of interest, and detailed images of buildings while offering real-time traffic information. The system also features a new, larger screen that measures seven inches from corner to corner, a vocal command recognition system that understands complete words in a variety of languages and improved joystick controls.

The Audi Q5 will also lead the segment of AWD, gasoline-powertrain crossover vehicles in fuel economy. According to the EPA, the Audi Q5 achieves 18 mpg city mileage and 23 mpg highway mileage for a combined fuel economy of 20 mpg. The Q5 goes on sale in Audi showrooms beginning in February 2009.