Listing date: February 18
Brand: SAIC Audi
Guidance price: 395,500-51,000 yuan
Level of concern: ★★★★★ (Very important pure electric new car series)
Keywords: SAIC Audi, MEB, the first BBA pure electric platform SUV, Audi Concept Shanghai, three-row 6/7 seater, Audi version of ID.6, 9.3S/6.7S acceleration, 520/560 km endurance, top grid, 265/40R21
SAIC Audi's second car, SAIC Audi's first new energy vehicle, BBA's first SUV developed on a pure electric platform... These elements are destined to become the focus of attention of all aspects of the SAIC Audi Q5 e-tron - from the industry to the media circle, from car lovers to car buyers.
Because of the appearance of Audi Concept Shanghai at the 2021 Shanghai Auto Show, the Q5 e-tron has no suspense in terms of shape design - the Audi Concept Shanghai is actually just a Q5 e-tron that has reached the mass production standard and pasted some mysterious patterns.
From the naming point of view, since Audi has named it Q5, it naturally implies its original intention of positioning "medium-sized" rather than "medium-sized". That is to say, don't look at its size wheelbase is very large, but also arranged three rows of seats, but its core competitors, is still EQC, iX3 this layer. The size and space are only used as advantages when comparing it with competitors.
Of course, platformists prefer to think of it as an Audi version of the Volkswagen iD.6. There's nothing wrong with looking at it that way. Not only are they both platformed the same, but the three-electric Q5 e-tron is basically the same as the long-endurance version of the ID.6 X. Even the dimensions, contours, spatial layouts and other aspects are roughly equivalent. However, you can't simply think of the Q5 e-tron as an ID.6 X hull. It's like you can't think that Q3 is a Tanyue hull, A3 is a Golf hull, and a Lexus ES is a Camry hull. The topic of different positioning of the same platform has a long history, and it will not be repeated here.
Specific to the product force, the design level uncle feels that Audi handles it very well, that is, it not only reflects the family elements of Audi, but also reflects the proportion characteristics of the pure electric platform, so that it can accommodate a good 6/7 seat space in the case of 4.8 meters long.
The proportion card uncle mentioned here has repeatedly said that the pure electric platform and the fuel vehicle platform are very different in terms of basic design appeals. For example, fuel vehicles consider the distribution of center of gravity and tranquility, so that the cockpit of luxury cars should be designed backwards, but pure electricity is not necessary. On the contrary, the relatively advanced design will greatly facilitate the expansion of space. Therefore, we look at the side ratio of the Q5 e-tron, which is significantly different from the EQC and iX3.
In terms of style, the Q5 e-tron adopts a more "full" and "round" style, which makes it significantly different from the simple and lean approach of the new generation of Audi fuel vehicles. However, this reminds Uncle Ka of the style of the previous generation of Audi. For example, would you feel that seeing the Q5 e-tron has a sense of "the return of the previous generation Q7 (shrink)"?
There is no suspense in the equipment of the motor. On the one hand, it is similar to the ID.6, on the other hand, it is also the same as mercedes-Benz and BMW in terms of performance equipment - there is no extreme flaunting performance like Tesla or other new forces because of pure electricity. For example, the two-wheel drive version of the Q5 e-tron accelerates by 9.3 seconds. This is simply incomprehensible in terms of "new force thinking." But does this have to be wrong? Not really.
It is easy for pure electricity to achieve high power, and the added cost is not much, but this is at the expense of endurance. In fact, from some of the practices of BYD's new car, it can also be seen that after the pure electric show has completed a round of performance muscles, mainstream manufacturers have gradually returned to rationality on the balance of performance and endurance - enough is good, and endurance is more important, and it has gradually become a consensus.
Having said that, Uncle Ka personally feels that the 9.3-second acceleration is still a bit too "slow": the pure electric model at this price point should still take the 7-second acceleration as a "basic requirement" as well. What do you think?
Of course, you may also understand that SAIC Audi does not intend to launch the 2-wheel drive version of the Q5 e-tron. Although the Q5 e-tron four-wheel drive version starts at 485,500 yuan (accelerated by 6.7 seconds), its configuration is also very "top grid". Whether it is a horizontal ratio (comparing EQC) or a vertical ratio (comparing a two-wheel drive version), the Q5 e-tron target group should also be more attractive for the four-wheel drive version. The same is true from the situation in the industry - do not all manufacturers play the single product explosion, entry is the top match?
As for the competition, Uncle Ka is still that sentence: pure electricity is not like fuel, it is an incremental market, everyone is still in the era of staking the land, not counting who PK who. For example, if you compare the Q5 e-tron with EQC and iX3, no matter who you think is more cost-effective, in the end their sales will still be separate. That is, the listing of Q5 e-tron, the probability will not affect the sales of competitors. On the contrary, it is more like providing a new choice: the BBA SUV of the pure electric platform, with large space, six or seven seats, the endurance technology is not hard, and the price is also reliable.
Of course, from the perspective of the industry, everyone will be more concerned about the absolute sales performance of Q5 e-tron - in the face of new forces, Q5 e-tron will at least not be criticized like EQC and iX3, so can it sell new forces? I am afraid that not only Audi cares, but Mercedes-Benz BMW will also care...