The facelift for the first generation of the Audi Q5 arrived on the market in 2012.
It was improved in many ways, including the exterior, the cabin, and the engine compartment.

After the world economic crisis was over, the car-makers started to rebuild market-share, the Audi was on pole-position with its mid-sized premium SUV. It was the most successful vehicle in its class, in Europe. In the U.S. the Q5 was considered a compact-size SUV.

On the front, the headlights featured incorporated daytime running lights with LEDs. The lights at the rear were undivided; wrap-around LED strips made their appearance in interplay with the xenon plus headlights. An additional set of lights were added in the back, to lit when the tailgate was opened.

Inside, the driver would have noticed the new, flat-bottom, steering wheel. There was an option for a new MMI (Multi-Media Interface) with four additional buttons to ease things up. For the rear outer occupants, Audi offered heated seats. Like the non-facelifted version, the Q5 offered enough room for its occupants. The trunk was very big, with up to 1614 liter (57 cu-ft) of space.

For the engine compartment, the Q5 was offered with a wide choice, both gasoline, and diesel. They were ranged between 143 hp and 272 hp. The big novelty was the bi-turbo 3.0-liter TDI engine that offered 258 hp. All versions were offered with a standard all-wheel-drive system. Depending on the engine version, an automatic 7 (dual-clutch) or 8 (torque-converter) gearbox was offered. The standard gearbox for some engines was a 6-speed manual.