2017 Audi Q5 spied cold testing

The design on the exteriors looks largely unaltered apart from the front fascia on the Q5 that is inspired by its elder cousin, the new Q7; it adopts a prominent grille, flanked by angular headlights and a typical Audi air intake.

Moving further back, we can see door-mounted mirrors, bulging fender flares, and a strong shoulder line.  The crossover also has a sloping roof, a tailgate-mounted spoiler and LED taillights.  There also appears to be a stylish dual exhaust system that is neatly integrated into the rear bumper.

On the interior front, the new Q-series car is set to borrow its features from the new A4 with the digital dashboard and touch-sensitive air conditioning controls being the hghlights.

The new Audi Q5 is also based on the same platform that underpins the new A4 with the body designed for significant weight savings of as much as 100 kg.

Reports suggest that one particularly noteworthy unit under the hood could be a 2-litre TFSI mill rated at 190 PS and capable of sipping fuel really well. When combined with FWD and an "ultra" setup, it should return around 5.5 L/100km on the combined cycle. Diesel options will also be plentiful and hopefully devoid of Volkswagen’s scandalous ‘defeat device’. The 2.0 TDI could be offed with 150, 163 and 190 PS, followed by 218 and 272 PS versions of the bigger 3.0 TDI.

The 2017 Audi Q5 is expected be introduced sometime in 2016 and will be manufactured at the company's José Chiapa plant in Mexico.