The new Audi Q5, as is pretty common with cars from the German automaker, got a bit of a mixed reception. Some people are tired of Audi cars always looking like updated version of the previous generation, rather than all-out new designs. Others, myself included, appreciate the new model’s tauter lines, good proportions, fine detailing, and most importantly the front view which is much better resolved than either on the old Q5 or the larger Q7. And it’s from the front that the new Audi looks a lot like another car that made its market debut a little bit earlier than it did…
The Hyundai Tucson. The Q5 and Tucson have a very similar philosophy guiding their taut grille/light assembly – a hexagonal grille with shorter upper/side edges than the bottom/side edges, high-set company logo, a prominent bright surround to the grille, and aggressive, horizontal lights that are neatly integrated into the upper corners of the grille. Of course, with the Tucson coming to market before the new Q5 but after the facelifted Audi Q3, which uses a very similar grille/light assembly, it’s a bit of a chicken and egg problem in saying who got there first. But irrespective, I view this similarity as flattering to the Audi – personally I think the Tucson is a great-looking car, a standout among the Korean automaker’s recent batch of so-so-looking models.
