The Audi Q5, a luxury compact SUV, underwent rigorous testing to ensure driver and passenger safety. This article delves into the safety performance of the 2022 Audi Q5, providing a comprehensive overview based on evaluations conducted by leading safety institutions. These ratings are applicable to models from 2018-2025, including the Audi Q5 Sportback, as the vehicle was redesigned for the 2018 model year.
Small Overlap Frontal Crash Test: Driver-Side
The driver-side small overlap front test assesses the vehicle’s structural integrity and occupant protection in a collision involving the front corner of the car.
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall | Good (G) |
| Structure and safety cage | Acceptable (A) |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | Good (G) |
| Chest | Good (G) |
| Hip/thigh | Good (G) |
| Lower leg/foot | Good (G) |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics | Good (G) |
Technical measurements from the driver-side small overlap test reveal specific intrusion levels and injury measures:
Occupant Compartment Intrusion (Driver Side):
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement (cm) |
|---|---|
| Lower hinge pillar max | 6 |
| Footrest | 10 |
| Left toepan | 8 |
| Brake pedal | 7 |
| Rocker panel lateral average | 0 |
| Upper hinge pillar max | 4 |
| Upper dash | 10 |
| Lower instrument panel | 9 |
Driver Injury Measures:
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 110 |
| Neck Tension (kN) | 0.9 |
| Neck Extension bending moment (Nm) | 22 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.20 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 31 |
| Femur Left (kN) | 3.0 |
| Femur Right (kN) | 0.0 |
| Knee displacement Left (mm) | 2 |
| Knee displacement Right (mm) | 1 |
| Maximum tibia index Left | 0.64 |
| Maximum tibia index Right | 0.24 |
| Tibia axial force Left (kN) | 2.7 |
| Tibia axial force Right (kN) | 0.5 |
| Foot acceleration Left (g) | 80 |
| Foot acceleration Right (g) | 51 |
Small Overlap Frontal Crash Test: Passenger-Side
The passenger-side small overlap test mirrors the driver-side test but focuses on the passenger side of the vehicle.
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall evaluation | Good (G) |
| Structure and safety cage | Good (G) |
| Passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | Good (G) |
| Chest | Good (G) |
| Hip/thigh | Good (G) |
| Lower leg/foot | Good (G) |
| Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics | Good (G) |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | Good (G) |
| Chest | Good (G) |
| Hip/thigh | Good (G) |
| Lower leg/foot | Good (G) |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics | Good (G) |
Technical data from the passenger-side small overlap test are as follows:
Occupant Compartment Intrusion (Passenger Side):
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement (cm) |
|---|---|
| Lower hinge pillar max | 6 |
| Footrest | 10 |
| Right toepan | 8 |
| Center toepan | 4 |
| Rocker panel lateral average | 1 |
| Center dash | 4 |
| Upper hinge pillar max | 4 |
| Upper dash | 6 |
| Right lower dash | 6 |
Passenger Injury Measures:
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 230 |
| Neck Tension (kN) | 0.9 |
| Neck Extension bending moment (Nm) | 15 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.20 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 31 |
| Femur Left (kN) | 0.7 |
| Femur Right (kN) | 1.0 |
| Knee displacement Left (mm) | 5 |
| Knee displacement Right (mm) | 4 |
| Maximum tibia index Left | 0.46 |
| Maximum tibia index Right | 0.36 |
| Tibia axial force Left (kN) | 1.5 |
| Tibia axial force Right (kN) | 1.9 |
| Foot acceleration Left (g) | 59 |
| Foot acceleration Right (g) | 81 |
Driver Injury Measures (Passenger Side Test):
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 159 |
| Neck Tension (kN) | 0.9 |
| Neck Extension bending moment (Nm) | 11 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.24 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 35 |
| Femur Left (kN) | 0.1 |
| Femur Right (kN) | 0.1 |
| Knee displacement Left (mm) | 0 |
| Knee displacement Right (mm) | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index Left | 0.19 |
| Maximum tibia index Right | 0.20 |
| Tibia axial force Left (kN) | 1.8 |
| Tibia axial force Right (kN) | 1.2 |
| Foot acceleration Left (g) | 53 |
| Foot acceleration Right (g) | 85 |
Moderate Overlap Frontal Crash Test: Original Test
In the moderate overlap frontal test, the 2022 Audi Q5 demonstrated robust protection for the driver.
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall evaluation | Good (G) |
| Structure and safety cage | Good (G) |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | Good (G) |
| Chest | Good (G) |
| Leg/foot, left | Good (G) |
| Leg/foot, right | Good (G) |
| Driver restraints and dummy kinematics | Good (G) |
Technical measurements for the moderate overlap frontal test are detailed below:
Occupant Compartment Intrusion (Driver Side):
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement (cm) |
|---|---|
| Footrest intrusion | 1 |
| Left footwell intrusion | 1 |
| Center footwell intrusion | 1 |
| Right footwell intrusion | 1 |
| Brake pedal intrusion | 1 |
| Instrument panel rearward movement Left | 0 |
| Instrument panel rearward movement Right | 0 |
| Steering column movement Upward | -3 |
| Steering column movement Rearward | -7 |
| A-pillar rearward movement | 0 |
Driver Injury Measures:
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 159 |
| Neck Tension (kN) | 0.8 |
| Neck Extension bending moment (Nm) | 8 |
| Maximum Nij | 0.19 |
| Chest maximum compression (mm) | 29 |
| Femur force – left (kN) | 0.2 |
| Femur force – right (kN) | 0.2 |
| Knee displacement – left (mm) | 0 |
| Knee displacement – right (mm) | 0 |
| Maximum tibia index – left | 0.18 |
| Maximum tibia index – right | 0.39 |
| Tibia axial force – left (kN) | 1.6 |
| Tibia axial force – right (kN) | 0.8 |
| Foot acceleration Left (g) | 44 |
| Foot acceleration Right (g) | 42 |
Side Impact Crash Test: Original Test
The side impact test evaluates the protection offered to the driver and rear passenger in a side collision. The 2022 Audi Q5 achieved an overall good rating, although head protection for the driver was rated as Acceptable due to the dummy’s head contacting the window sill despite airbag deployment.
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall evaluation | Good (G) |
| Structure and safety cage | Good (G) |
| Driver injury measures | |
| Head/neck | Good (G) |
| Torso | Good (G) |
| Pelvis/leg | Good (G) |
| Driver head protection | Acceptable (A) |
| Rear passenger injury measures | |
| Head/neck | Good (G) |
| Torso | Good (G) |
| Pelvis/leg | Good (G) |
| Rear passenger head protection | Good (G) |
Technical measurements from the side impact test include:
Occupant Compartment Intrusion (Driver Side):
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement (cm) |
|---|---|
| B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver’s seat | -22.5 |
Driver Injury Measures:
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 184 |
| Neck Tension (kN) | 1.1 |
| Neck Compression (kN) | 0.2 |
| Shoulder Lateral deflection (mm) | 25 |
| Shoulder Lateral force (kN) | 1.3 |
| Torso Maximum deflection (mm) | 27 |
| Torso Average deflection (mm) | 24 |
| Torso Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 2.92 |
| Torso Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.34 |
| Pelvis Iliac force (kN) | 0.7 |
| Pelvis Acetabulum force (kN) | 2.0 |
| Pelvis Combined force (kN) | 2.5 |
| Left femur L-M force (kN) | 0.2 |
| Left femur L-M moment (Nm) | 69 |
| Left femur A-P moment (Nm) | 24 |
Passenger Injury Measures:
| Evaluation criteria | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Head HIC-15 | 239 |
| Neck Tension (kN) | 0.5 |
| Neck Compression (kN) | 0.2 |
| Shoulder Lateral deflection (mm) | 29 |
| Shoulder Lateral force (kN) | 1.0 |
| Torso Maximum deflection (mm) | 25 |
| Torso Average deflection (mm) | 19 |
| Torso Maximum deflection rate (m/s) | 2.84 |
| Torso Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) | 0.28 |
| Pelvis Iliac force (kN) | 1.6 |
| Pelvis Acetabulum force (kN) | 0.7 |
| Pelvis Combined force (kN) | 2.3 |
| Left femur L-M force (kN) | 0.2 |
| Left femur L-M moment (Nm) | 78 |
| Left femur A-P moment (Nm) | 17 |
Roof Strength Test
The roof strength test measures the roof’s ability to withstand forces in a rollover accident. The 2022 Audi Q5 achieved a good rating in this test.
| Overall evaluation | Good (G) |
|---|---|
| Curb weight | 4,114 lbs |
| Peak force | 21,215 lbs |
| Strength-to-weight ratio | 5.16 |
Head Restraints and Seats
Evaluations for head restraints and seats focus on whiplash protection in rear-end collisions. The 2022 Audi Q5 with power leather seats received a good overall rating.
| Overall evaluation | Good (G) |
|---|---|
| Dynamic rating | Good (G) |
| Seat/head restraint geometry | Good (G) |
Technical measurements for head restraints and seats are provided below:
| Seat type | Power leather seat |
|---|---|
| Backset (mm) | 25 |
| Distance below top of head (mm) | 5 |
| Max T1 acceleration (g) | 12.5 |
| Head contact time (ms) | 65 |
| Force rating | 1 |
| Max neck shear force (N) | 0 |
| Max neck tension (N) | 387 |
Headlight Performance
Headlight ratings assess visibility provided by vehicle headlights. The 2022 Audi Q5 offers different headlight variations depending on the trim level.
Prestige Trim Headlights
The Prestige trim level features LED projector headlights and achieved a Good overall rating.
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall rating | Good (G) |
| Low-beam headlight type | LED projector |
| High-beam headlight type | LED projector |
| Curve-adaptive? | No |
| High-beam assist? | Yes |
Premium and Premium Plus Trim Headlights
Premium and Premium Plus trims come with LED projector low beams and LED reflector high beams, earning an Acceptable overall rating.
| Evaluation criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall rating | Acceptable (A) |
| Low-beam headlight type | LED projector |
| High-beam headlight type | LED reflector |
| Curve-adaptive? | No |
| High-beam assist? | Yes |
Front Crash Prevention: Vehicle-to-Vehicle
Front crash prevention systems are evaluated for their ability to avoid or mitigate collisions with other vehicles. The 2022 Audi Q5 offers both standard and optional systems.
Optional Audi Pre Sense Front
With the optional Audi Pre Sense Front system (standard on Premium Plus and Prestige trims for 2021-22 models), the 2022 Audi Q5 achieves a Superior rating.
| Overall evaluation | Superior |
|---|
Standard Audi Pre Sense City
The standard Audi Pre Sense City system also earns a Superior rating for models from 2018-22.
| Overall evaluation | Superior |
|---|
Front Crash Prevention: Pedestrian (Day)
Pedestrian front crash prevention systems are tested for their effectiveness in detecting and reacting to pedestrians. The standard Pre Sense City system on the 2022 Audi Q5 is rated Advanced for pedestrian detection.
| Overall evaluation | Advanced |
|---|
Child Seat Anchors (LATCH)
Child seat anchor evaluations assess the ease of use of LATCH systems for installing child seats. The 2022 Audi Q5 LATCH system received a Good rating.
| Overall evaluation | Good (G) |
|---|
The 2022 Audi Q5 provides two rear seating positions with complete LATCH hardware and an additional position with a tether anchor.
Conclusion
The 2022 Audi Q5 demonstrates strong safety performance across various crash tests and safety system evaluations. Its consistently high ratings, particularly in crashworthiness, highlight Audi’s commitment to occupant protection in the Q5 model. While some headlight variations and driver head protection in side impacts received slightly lower ratings, the overall safety profile of the 2022 Audi Q5 remains commendable, making it a safe choice in the luxury compact SUV segment.
