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It’s All A Matter Of Style
Lights That Dazzle
You Decide How The Lights Look
Why We Can't Have All The Nice Things
Audi is on a roll with plans for 20 new models in the next two years, 10 of which are electric. They recently launched the new A5 and A6 e-tron, and now it’s time for the new Q5. This two-row SUV sits in something of a sweet spot, since midsize SUVs are all the rage these days. They offer the perks of an SUV with more room for people and cargo without getting so big that they're cumbersome to park or drive through narrow city streets.
Audi
Audi is a German automaker that produces a range of luxury vehicles that combine sporty driving dynamics with the latest technology. Its history goes back over 100 years and includes both production cars and a rich racing heritage.
- Founded
- 1909
- Founder
- August Horch
- Headquarters
- Ingolstadt, Germany
- Owned By
- Volkswagen Group
- Current CEO
- Gernot Döllner
The challenge here for Audi is that, because it is a hot segment, customers have lots of choices. Some of them are good, some of them are mediocre. So, what makes the Q5 stand out? Audi flew me to Germany to get an early look at the new Q5, and although we couldn’t drive it just yet, it was easy to see why it’s likely to hold plenty of appeal when it arrives in the US.
It’s All A Matter Of Style
It’s All A Matter Of Style No matter the price, no matter the tech, no matter the power, the first thing you notice about any vehicle is its style. There’s a reason that when you drive up to a dealership, the most eye-catching cars are parked right out front and again in the showroom when you walk in the door. We all initially judge a vehicle by how it looks. Don’t believe me? Ask Ford about the Edsel, or Pontiac about the Aztek. Strike that last one because that whole company is gone now (even though we have some retrospective thoughts about the Aztek).
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No one wants an ugly car sitting in their driveway. In fact, what most people want is a car that the neighbors notice, even if they won't admit that out loud. This third generation of the Q5 is going to get noticed; it has a new look that is still very Audi, but better. It’s sporty with a wide stance, especially from the rear, with beautifully sculpted metal combined with striking lighting - and it's that lighting that truly separates the Q5 from the pack.
Lights That Dazzle
Lights That Dazzle It doesn’t sound like an especially important element, but beautifully designed lights make a car look better, day or night. In fact, lighting is something of a defining element in many cars. The Kia EV9, for example, has what it calls Star Map lighting. It's all angles, sort of like connecting the dots on a constellation. Volvo has Thor’s hammer, which, you guessed it, looks like his trusty hammer, Mjöllnir.
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Not to be outdone by lights with fancy names, Audi instead made the lights themselves fancy. One unique element of the design is reserved for the back of the Q5. Instead of just housing the usual third brake light that illuminates in red, it projects the light right onto the glass just below the spoiler. It looks fantastic, but inside, you don’t see it at all. It can't distract the driver, but the person behind you will appreciate the trick. Here in the US, we get a little something extra available on the sporty SQ5: Instead of a red light bar, the light says "Quattro," making it even more striking.
You Decide How The Lights Look
Generally, the lights on your car always look the same. They’re off or on, but that’s about all the changes you can expect. Some cars have sequential taillights that light up in a sequence instead of all at once, but even that is something that’s a set feature. It never changes. What you see the first time is what you see forever. Audi took a different approach.
Have Your Say
Why can't America get matrix LED headlights and stop everyone driving around with their high-beam headlights on?
It seems like every second driver on the road at night drives with their high beams on. The simple solution here would be to allow technology like matrix LED headlights that don't dazzle oncoming drivers but still illuminate everything else as if your high beams were on. So why can't we get the tech? As of 2022, we technically do get adaptive high-beam headlights, but while the law changed to allow that, the high-beam intensity rating wasn't changed, meaning it stays the same as it was in 1970 (!). Because of that, American cars don't get full matrix LED headlights, and high-beam overflow (outside of the predetermined area for measuring brightness) creates an awkward glare that doesn't actually illuminate the road properly.
If you don’t like how the lights on your Q5 illuminate, then you can simply change the pattern. Choose from a selection of available styles that adjust the headlights and taillights when the Q5 is in park. You access the lighting selections from within the infotainment screen, so it's easy. It even shows you how they’ll look, so you don’t have to get out of the car to double-check that you like what you see. This is a small detail, but it’s one that lets you personalize the look of your Q5 to suit your mood.
Why We Can't Have All The Nice Things
Why We Can't Have All The Nice Things We get a lot of nice things in the new Audi Q5, but we don’t get all the nice things. Audi would very much like to give us everything they developed on the lighting front, but legally, it’s not allowed. The laws in the US and in Europe differ. Those differences include what’s legal for vehicle lighting. This lets Europe get nice things that are not legal here.
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While there are multiple lighting designs to choose from, those designs are static. They don’t change patterns while you’re driving, which is something that does happen on European models. Those models also show symbols, like a triangle when your hazards are on, which aren’t allowed stateside. All sorts of warning symbols that are a part of Car-to-X communication have yet to be approved in the US. It’s not Audi’s fault, but I do admit I'm jealous as heck. Anyone know a Senator that can get the law to change?
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While the Audi Q5 has an amazing list of features and powerful engines that will likely make it a hoot to drive, at this point, all we have to go on is its looks. And I very much like what I saw in Germany and can't wait to get behind the wheel.
