Audi Q5L builds on predecessor's popularity with extended wheelbase

FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co has launched the localized All-new Audi Q5L in China, hoping the world's first mid-sized premium SUV with an extended wheelbase will drive Audi's success further in its largest market globally.

Jing Qingchun, executive vice-president of FAW-Volkswagen Audi Sales Division, said the model, which was tailormade for the Chinese market, will be the most competitive in its segment, now that its wheelbase has been extended 101 millimeters from its predecessor, the Q5 SUV.

Citing results of a recent survey, the company said that 40 percent of customers in China choose SUVs because of their roomy space.

"Audi was the first premium car brand to come and localize in China. After 30 years here, we can always capture customer demands in the fastest and most accurate way," Jing said.

Audi has been the most popular premium brand in recent decades. In the first half of the year, its sales totaled 306,590 units, 20.3 percent growth year-on-year, according to Jing.

"To offer Chinese customers a better driving experience, we have not only extended the model's wheelbase but also enhanced its overall performance. In short, the All-new Audi Q5L represents the highest standards of mid-sized premium SUVs," said Jing.

The model comes as the successor of the Q5 SUV, on which FAW-Volkswagen started production in 2010. In recent years, its sales have totaled more than 800,000 units in the country, almost equivalent to the sum of all its competitors, according to the carmaker.

Marco Schubert, president of FAW-Volkswagen Audi Sales Division, said he expects the All-new Audi Q5L will exceed the successes of its predecessor.

"It is the latest model to be built based on the MLB evo platform and boasts the latest technologies, so we are confident in its sales volume. The All-new Audi Q5L has similar target customers as its predecessor, but they are younger and more dynamic."

FAW-Volkswagen President Liu Yigong said the model has overriding advantages over its rivals and even has the ability to compete with even larger models, thus taking the overall level of the segment to a new high.

To build the best model in its segment, Liu said the carmaker had fully upgraded its already industry-leading production system.

Among other things, FAW-Volkswagen invested 13 billion yuan ($1.94 billion) to build a new plant in Changchun, Jilin province for the model, and has introduced an even stricter quality control system that covers all aspects, ranging from raw materials, to components and to whole cars.

Longest mid-sized premium SUV

One thing that immediately distinguishes the All-new Audi Q5L, priced between 392,800 yuan and 517,000 yuan, from its competitors in the market is its roomy space, which has been one of the most important reasons why people prefer SUVs.

According to the company, the model's wheelbase has been extended 101 mm from its predecessor, the localized Q5, to 2,908 mm. It measures 4,765 mm in total length, the longest in its segment. This means the driver and passengers in an All-new Audi Q5L can enjoy more room that is rarely found in other models in the market.

The model boasts a 550-liter trunk, enough for 10 20-inch suitcases. If the seats in the second row are folded away, the trunk space totals 1,600 liters, the largest in its segment.

The All-new Audi Q5L is also designed to deliver the most powerful performance and the best handling, according to the company.

Featuring the latest EA888 2.0T engine, it has a maximum output of up to 185 kilowatts and a top torque of 370 Newton meters. Coupled with the all-new 7-speed S tronic gearbox, the All-new Audi Q5L can finish the 0-100 kilometers per hour sprint in 6.7 seconds, making it the fastest mid-sized SUV.

The model is equipped with Audi's quattro ultra system, which is an upgraded version of the renowned quattro technology. Monitoring up to 150 parameters, including speed and road surface friction, the system can switch automatically and seamlessly between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive.

This makes it easier and safer for the All-new Audi Q5L to get out of slippery and soft terrains, and cuts fuel consumption by 0.3 liter per 100 km compared with its predecessor.

The system, coupled with weight-cutting efforts and other technologies, has made the model the most efficient in its segment, consuming 6.9 liters of gasoline per 100 km.

The All-new Audi Q5L also boasts segment-leading lighting technologies.

Its headlamps feature a matrix of 16 LED sources, each of which can be turned on or off, which can light up a distance of up to 300 meters. Inside the car, there are up to 30 ambient lighting choices to go with the drivers' and passengers' mood.

All its outstanding features and state-of-art technologies has made it an ideal choice for modern customers, especially those in busy cities, to relax and enjoy their lives, said the carmaker.

As a heavyweight model, the All-new Audi Q5L is expected to push forward the carmaker's momentum in 2018, a year that will see its extraordinary efforts in product introduction and brand building in China.

Thanks to its overwhelming competitive advantages, as well as popularity inherited from its predecessor, the All-new Audi Q5L will surely become the leading model in the segment of premium mid-sized SUVs and push the success its predecessor has seen to a new high, said the carmaker.

lifusheng@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 07/16/2018 page19)