CarBuyersNoteBook

Audi Q5 Crossover

According to company spokesman Wolfgang Hatz, Audi will offer a hybrid version of its Q5 crossover in the United States beginning in late 2010. Hatz explained that due to current market conditions, it is essential that Audi show the American consumer that it can produce effective and affordable hybrid vehicles, but that Audi sees the real potential for fuel efficiency in diesel models. “If you look at what you have to spend to get the advantage of the hybrid and what you have to spend on other technologies like diesel, the diesel is much more cost-effective,” Hatz said.

The gasoline version of the Q5, which is already available in Europe, will hit the U.S. market in March of 2009. The Q5 is Audi’s competitive product for the consumer drawn to the BMW X3, the Mercedes Benz GLK, and the Volvo XC 60. The MSRP on the gasoline model Audi Q5 has not yet been announced.