Audi A5 and Q6 e-tron updated to fend off C-Class and iX3

Declan Steele

Upgrades to the Q5 earlier this year carry over to other mid-sized Audis – except the A5 TFSI, which disappears without a trace

Audi is following its 2026 upgrade of the Q5 midsize SUV with updates to the midsize A5 sedan/wagon and Q6 electric SUV.

The update includes the axing of certain models in each line-up.

Common updates include revised adaptive cruise control – fitted with a longer-range radar than before – which is now smart enough to keep you in your lane, stop and go by itself in traffic, and perform semi-autonomous lane changes.

Audi is aware the roads in its native Germany are in better condition than Australia’s, and says it’s optimised this tech for Australian roads to compensate.

On the inside, roller switches return to the steering wheel, replacing touch-sensitive controls that proved too easy to operate by accident. Higher-capacity USB connectors, the ability to connect Bluetooth headsets, updated Multi Media Interface (MMI) screens and new modes for the Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster are all added.

“New interior experience worlds” are also coming to the A5 and Q6. The three modes for this – Activating, Relaxing and Harmonising – use the interior lights, sound and air conditioning to set the mood while driving. The Q6 gets a fourth – Power Nap, intended for use during short breaks, like charging.

Park Assist Pro is standard on the sporty S5 and SQ6, optional on the base Q6, but unavailable on the base. This bundles together the ability to memorise parking manoeuvres, a kerb warning, and car wash mode that helps guide you into the tracks of automated car washes.

Audi Q6 changes

Chasing Cars’ foremost criticism of the Q6 – its overly stiff suspension – has been addressed, Audi says, with the fitment of more pliant frequency-selective dampers.

An inbuilt dashcam will be added as standard, alongside more modes for the augmented-reality head-up display. Audi has also modified the Q6’s regenerative braking – it can now bring the car to a stop.

Audi has pruned the Q6 line-up to just two variants, albeit available both as normal SUVs and swoopy ‘Sportbacks’. The base Q6 e-tron, costing $97,935 before on-roads regardless of bodystyle, retains a single 185kW/450Nm electric motor driving the rear wheels, and is able to charge its 75.8kWh battery at up to 225kW DC.

The SQ6 e-tron, costing $137,551 before on-roads for the normal bodystyle and $141,397 for the Sportback, has an electric motor on each axle, delivering 360kW and pulling 0-100 in 4.4sec. The SQ6 also has unique suspension – air suspension specifically tuned for sharper handling than standard.

Audi A5 changes

The Q6’s new inbuilt dashcam spreads to the S5, but not the standard A5, for which customers must stump up $1000 for it. A5 customers can also have a 10.9-inch passenger screen, either in a package or for $1950 on its own.

The S5 keeps its turbocharged 3.0-litre V6, sending 270kW and 550Nm to all four wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, but gains an advanced rear differential as part of a new Dynamic Plus mode for 2026.

Made to dispel Audi’s reputation for uninvolving, understeer-prone cars, Dynamic Plus directs power while cornering to the outer rear wheel, not only inhibiting understeer but enabling “controlled oversteer” if you floor it mid-corner.

Dynamic Plus also stops the transmission automatically changing up as you approach the redline.

A5 variants besides the e-hybrid (Audi’s term for a plug-in hybrid) have disappeared from the spec sheet and Audi’s website. Audi Australia has made no announcement of their discontinuation, so this is both a surprise and a mystery.

A5 customers railroaded into the e-hybrid have nothing to fear – we’re very fond of it at Chasing Cars. Its specs are unchanged – a two-litre turbocharged four-cylinder and a 20.7kWh battery combine to deliver 270kW, 500Nm and 93km of electric-only range.

The A5 e-hybrid retails from $89,900 before on-roads, and the S5 start at $108,515. For both, the premium for the Avant (wagon) over the Sedan (hatchback) is $3000.