This article is reprinted from the autocarweekly official account.
Author: Joey
Last night, Audi Q5L prepared a rock party for me, and I seemed to witness the “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”.
About three weeks ago, after a traditional round table dinner, I went to a nightclub for the first time in my life. At first, I refused, but my friend Miss Vanessa persuaded me, “Come on, you will feel young!” In this night, in the suffocating music and constant toasts, I tried my best to find the breath of young hormones, and felt their happiness from the twisting bodies of young people, looking for the excitement of life.
Yes, time always takes away something, but if you are ready to open your arms and embrace a brand new world, the door of this unfamiliar world will always try its best to open a gap for you.
Recently, I have been thinking about whether to replace my ten-year-old Golf. In the process of looking for the next new car, Audi and BMW are always topics that I cannot avoid, and Q5 is one of my candidate models. But with my inherent cognition over the years, Audi tends to be more stable and technological, while BMW loves passion and control. Yes, this is inherent cognition, of course, we also know that the biggest role of inherent cognition is to be broken.
This was once again verified at the launch event of the Audi Q5L last night, because “freedom” became the only theme of this rock party.
Once again, I was almost suffocated by the sound waves. A complete two-hour rock concert was staged in front of me. In fact, since I received the invitation, I have expected that the Q5L launch event will be a high-energy event.
Therefore, I chose a position in the corner to avoid the situation of “the sound waves are too strong, and I will be knocked down if I don’t sway”. But things often don’t go as planned. Due to the design of the three-sided stage, my position in the corner was directly pushed to the front row of the first concert, and my front was a huge speaker that could make me breathless. At this moment, I really wanted to stand up and tell them, “Stop, I can’t hold it anymore!”.
# Q5L Launch Event: A Refreshingly Different Performance
In traditional launch events, the spotlight usually falls on a leader’s speech. At the Q5L launch event, however, such speeches took a backseat as the event featured a more lively and engaging performance. Despite being held in a hot and stifling atmosphere, even the coolest and most reserved upgrades failed to excite the crowd. There was no “wow” moment when a product was unveiled, which is usually the case at ideal launch events.
In reality, it was the Q5L’s mid-cycle facelift that stole the show. Although this new Q5L model might be seen as something of a “Benjamin Button”, having regressed in a way, the fundamental Audi genes remain unchanged.
You don’t need to look at the car’s specs or data to know that this is still the Quattro AWD system-powered Q5L with a 2.0T engine and S tronic7 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. This time, Audi has focused on energy efficiency. The Q5L is the only car in its class to be equipped with a standard 12V mild hybrid system. A new start-stop system and energy recovery system have also been added, which have become key highlights that make it more efficient to drive.
Undoubtedly, energy efficiency has become the top priority for this vehicle. Although electric vehicles are popular these days, and Audi itself has already launched products that embrace the new era, traditional automakers are not about to give up on the internal combustion engine technology that they have painstakingly developed over the past century. That is the foundation of their pride and existence.
Of course, Audi’s traditional technological heritage must continue to be inherited and promoted, with the new MIB 3 infotainment system, the new Asterix app store, and the new voice interaction system. There is no doubt that they will provide a completely new human-car interactive and application experience. Equipped with a new 10.1-inch high-resolution MMI touch screen display, a new 12.3-inch enhanced version of the Audi Virtual Cockpit, and a head-up display (HUD), the Q5L will once again refresh the way drivers obtain information.
I know you’re going to criticize the absence of a massive, immersive screen that has already been overused in smart electric vehicles, and how this feature can compete with the mainstream. But where would the massive screen really be useful? Would it really be like Tesla, where you just plug in a Switch and play a game?The ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) at L2+ level is still described restrainedly. At least at the scene, I didn’t hear various exaggerated descriptions of radar stacks like new forces, nor the exaggeration of P2P (point-to-point) and door-to-door cross-era automatic driving, nor the contempt for complex road conditions in China and the confidence in solving the pain points of automatic driving by their own supercomputing power. The only thing described is the detection linkage function of the OLED taillights changing modes to warn approaching rear vehicles in a stationary state.
Obviously, such a function is not enough compared to the so-called new forces in car making. However, it is more persuasive to me because with the technological strength of Audi, all of this can be achieved. At least a few years ago, the A8 model has already claimed to achieve L3 level of automatic driving. However, true strength is often presented in a restrained way, and self-discipline people are obviously more likely to approach freedom. This is my interpretation of “freedom” advocated by this new Audi Q5L.
Above is all the information I learned about the new Audi Q5L yesterday during the music party interval and my understanding of it. To be honest, Audi has been working hard to change its overall image of high-end and prestigious in the outside world in recent years. They focus on young elites and a more vibrant young consumer market.
Compared to BMW finding Yi Yangqianxi and Lexus hiring Wang Junkai as spokespersons, are Zhang Yadong and Zheng Jun who appeared last night young enough to be recognized by young people? Can their shout of “freedom” make them truly accept this new Audi Q5L? It may need time and sales to verify. However, Audi’s efforts and attempts still deserve my positive embrace.
Now back to my own topic, since I didn’t bypass Audi and BMW, and Q5 is a candidate model, did the mid-term facelift Q5L from last night impress me?
The answer is yes. But it seems not enough to make me decide to choose it because I still have my own requirements for driving control. However, what Audi presents to me is a strong desire for brand and product youthfulness, and I have received it. I believe that more people are willing to give their positive recognition to this Audi that is willing to change and break itself.
Just as I have always believed, Audi is ready to embrace the unfamiliar world, so this world must leave a door for them. Isn’t it?
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.