2013 Audi Q5 First Look
Look at Me! Audi Hoping New Diesel, Hybrid Options Will Help Set Q5 Apart

What better way to say "Look at me!" in the fiercely contested compact luxury crossover segment than by showing off a fancy new set of powertrains? That's exactly what the folks at Ingolstadt are doing with the updated 2013 Audi Q5, which is coming to market with a new diesel engine, two updated gasoline engine options, and the brand's first-ever hybrid model.

The Q5 Hybrid's closest rival would be the Lexus RX 450h, though the RX is a half-size bigger than the Audi. The Lexus uses a 3.5-liter V-6 as its main source of propulsion, but the Audi's hybrid equation starts instead with a four -- the brand's ubiquitous turbocharged 2.0-liter, to be precise. In the Q5 Hybrid, it's rated at 211 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Supplementing it is an electric motor good for 54 hp and 155 lb-ft that's powered by a 1.3 kW-hr lithium-ion battery. Audi's Quattro all-wheel drive system is standard, which means its eight-speed automatic always sends power to all four wheels. The Q5 hybrid's claimed 0-62 mph time is 7.1 seconds, and its top speed is said to be 140 mph. Combined fuel economy is estimated at 34 mpg. Audi claims the hybrid can travel just under two miles at up to 37 mph in all-electric (EV) mode. Rounding off the three modes are D (normal hybrid operation) and S (sport).

Though Audi is finally dipping its toe in hybrid waters, diesels have always been one of the brand's core strengths, and starting next year, an oil-burning Q5 will finally arrive stateside. Europeans will get their choice among three diesels, but only the 3.0-liter V-6 TDI will make it to the American market. That engine is rated at 245 hp and 428 lb-ft and should achieve an estimated 37 mpg combined with a 0-62 mph time of around 6.5 seconds.