Audi has reintroduced plug-in hybrid power to its Q5 SUV in Australia for the same price as new all-wheel-drive petrol grades.
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The 2026 Audi Q5 family SUV line-up has grown in Australia, with plug-in hybrid power set to return early next year along with all-wheel-drive mild-hybrid petrol grades.
Audi Australia has confirmed it will offer the all-wheel-drive Q5 e-hybrid quattro 270kW PHEV at the same price as new, 48-volt mild-hybrid 'plus' petrol TFSI quattro 200kW grades, with order books now open ahead of local showroom arrivals between January and March 2026.
The new powertrains – e-hybrid quattro 270kW and TFSI quattro 200kW – will be offered from $96,900 before on-road costs for the Q5 SUV, and $100,400 for the Q5 Sportback.
Price parity between the all-wheel-drive mild-hybrid petrol and plug-in hybrid grades mirrors the new-generation A5 sedan and wagon, which is also offered in e-hybrid quattro 270kW and TFSI quattro 200kW for the same cost in Australia.
It is despite the plug-in hybrid versions adding more electric assistance, better performance and improved specifications, with the Q5 PHEV including the same distinctive features as the A5 e-hybrid compared to petrol-only grades.
This includes 20-inch alloy wheels, sports suspension, red brake calipers, black exterior trim, rear privacy glass, and auxiliary air-conditioning to preheat the cabin, which are not standard on the Q5 TFSI quattro 200kW.
The new-generation Q5 plug-in hybrid is between $9084 and $13,584 more affordable than outgoing Q5 55 TFSIe S line quattro ultra grades, yet adds a larger battery, more electric-only driving range and new technologies.
Audi Australia product manager Peter Strudwicke said "it wasn't an easy negotiation" to achieve price parity for the petrol and plug-in hybrid grades, but it was made possible with increased customer demand for hybrid cars and Australia's New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).
"It's obviously a complicated business case," Strudwicke said. "We look at where we think the demand might be, and there is obviously an increasing appetite [for PHEV] and it wasn't an easy negotiation."
"We'd really like to encourage our customers to at least consider [PHEV].
"Previously, we did have a decent take rate on our Q5 plug-in hybrid [55 TFSIe], but now with the repositioning that we've done on it, we think that we'll get obviously higher volumes and with higher volumes, you get more profit. It's this volume versus individual profitability equation.
"NVES is a factor in us wanting to sell cars for all sorts of reasons. We're a very big supporter of NVES and we're keen for our customers to drive vehicles that emit less. That's all part of our global strategy from the Group."
The Q5 e-hybrid is a rival to other all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid luxury SUVs, including BMW X3 30e xDrive (from $104,800), Mercedes-Benz GLC350e 4Matic (from $99,900), Volvo XC60 T8 (from $92,990) and Lexus NX450h+ (from $84,500).
All-wheel-drive petrol Q5 grades feature a 200kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine matched to a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, up from 150kW/340Nm in the entry-level Q5 TFSI front-wheel-drive.
Meanwhile, the Q5 e-hybrid pairs a 185kW 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine with a 105kW electric motor and a 20.7kWh battery pack, for a combined system output of 270kW – identical to the SQ5 – and 500Nm.
It has a claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time of 5.1 seconds, 0.6s behind the SQ5 with its 270kW/550Nm 3.0-litre turbocharged petrol V6.
The WLTP driving range rating for the new Q5 e-hybrid PHEV is 87 kilometres, compared to the outgoing Q5 55 TFSIe's 55-kilometre rating based on the older NEDC lab-test standard, which is less reflective of real-world driving conditions.
It supports AC home charging at speeds of up to 11kW, but does not offer DC fast-charging capabilities, unlike some other plug-in hybrid vehicles launched in Australia recently.
The 2026 Audi Q5 e-hybrid quattro 270kW and 2026 Audi Q5 TFSI quattro 200kW are on sale now in SUV and Sportback body styles, ahead of local showroom arrivals between January and March next year.
2026 Audi Q5 price in Australia
Note: All prices above exclude on-road costs.
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Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
