All-New Audi Q5 Launches with Five-City Audi Driving Experience Tour

Five cities to be visited in the first Audi Q5 nationwide tour

Drivers to experience the Audi Q5 with hands-on driving experience

Experience designed and executed with strategic partner Emotive

SONOMA, Calif., March 11, 2009: Audi of America, Inc and Emotive today announced the launch of the Audi Driving Experience to introduce the all-new Audi Q5 crossover vehicle. Audi Driving Experience visits Washington, DC, New York, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles and provides a hands-on driving experience that gives participants the opportunity to be the first to drive the class-defining Audi Q5.

The Audi Driving Experience will feature more than thirty Audi Q5 vehicles and will consist of a three-hour program providing participants a firsthand experience with the Q5. The program is open to the public through online registration. The Audi Driving Experience begins in Washington, D.C. on April 3 and concludes in Los Angeles on May 15. Each session begins with a 360-degree projection demonstration in a state-of-the-art, interactive theatre which explores Audi and how it stands apart from other brands. Following that, drivers will get behind the wheel of the Q5 and drive on city roads as well as a driving clinic course with Audi Driving Experience instructors. The program will also include an extensive tour of the vehicle as well as a safety presentation that highlights various features of the Q5. The Audi Driving Experience offers participants the opportunity to experience the mobility, versatility, luxury and performance of Audi's all-new crossover vehicle.

"Luxury crossover vehicles appeal to a wide audience seeking both practicality and performance," said Johan de Nysschen, president, Audi of America. "But monotony has developed in that segment - sameness we're certain the Audi Q5 now disrupts with its array of distinctive styling cues and forward-thinking features."

"The Audi Q5 Driving Experience was developed on the pillars of the Audi brand - performance and technology," said Scott Keogh, chief marketing officer, Audi of America. "The Audi Q5 is quicker, more fuel-efficient and roomier than the competition and we're showcasing our leadership in this segment by introducing the new vehicle with a five-city tour. The Audi Driving Experience allows participants to test and sharpen their driving skills and push our cars in a controlled environment. There is no better way to demonstrate the foundation of this company than behind the wheel and on the track."

"We've created not only a unique opportunity, but a dynamic experience allowing people to take charge and be in the driver's seat of the new Audi Q5," Chip Pankow, president of Emotive Group. "There is no better way to understand the new levels of power, efficiency, performance and luxury that the Audi Q5 has to offer than to drive it yourself."

The Q5 expects to change the perception of what a crossover vehicle has to offer while at the same time raising the bar on performance, luxury and flexibility. The 3.2 FSI(R) engine delivers outstanding power, smoothness and efficiency with the low-end torque needed to get you to your destination. The Q5 comes equipped with the latest quattro(R) all-wheel drive and a generous 7.8-inches of ground clearance, making it at home both on and off the road.

The Q5 offers plenty of unique features that give it a balance of functionality, luxury and performance. The Q5 will be the only vehicle in its segment with three-zone climate control, allowing drivers and passengers to select their own comfort levels. It is the only vehicle in its segment with 40/20/40 rear seats that recline and offer fore-aft adjustment for the comfort of passengers and for balancing cargo-carrying capabilities. The Q5 will be the first model sold in the U.S. with available MMI Navigation plus, the third generation of Audi's acclaimed MMI (Multi-Media Interface) system, which manages entertainment, communications and navigational information. The Q5 will also lead the segment of AWD, gasoline-powertrain crossover vehicles in fuel economy. According to the U.S. EPA, the Q5 achieves 18 mpg city mileage and 20 mpg combined - both tops in the fuel-consumption category - along with 23 mpg highway mileage.