Audi's Goldilocks Crossover

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

Think the Q5 is a bit too small? Do you find the Q7 altogether too large? You’re in luck! Rather than simply continuing to bracket the meat of the German luxury SUV market, Audi is stretching and widening its Q5 chassis in order to directly challenge the “just right” Mercedes ML/BMW X5 segment. The end result is supposed to look more coupe-like (read: more BMW X6-like) than this pieced-together mule, as Auto Motor und Sport calls the Q6 the “sporting connection between Q5 and Q7.” Let’s hope those wild test wheels are an option when Q6s start rolling off production lines sometime in 2014.


Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • BlueEr03 BlueEr03 on Aug 18, 2011

    How is that a crossover and not just a wagon?

    • Graham Graham on Aug 18, 2011

      The article states that's it's a testing mule.

  • Nickeled&dimed Nickeled&dimed on Aug 18, 2011

    I don't believe I've ever seen the B pillar go all the way down like that - well, like it says in the article - it's a pieced together mule.

  • MadHungarian MadHungarian on Aug 18, 2011

    Have to ask why they would give it that pieced-together or stretched look instead of making one or both doors longer, or putting the extra length behind the rear door. Reminds me of the first couple of years of LWB Lincoln Town Cars where Ford was too cheap to reengineer the windows in the rear doors, so they inserted an ungainly filler panel.

  • Advo Advo on Aug 19, 2011

    Looks to me that Audi has designed the most generic-looking SUV possible. It's all softly rounded and without much real distinction.

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