Audi has been doing it for a while, but the facelift SQ5 reminded us again
Sports exhausts are inconvenient things for car manufacturers. In terms of efficiency, most twin-straw motors can meet their CO2 needs, but that’s not what buyers want. They want two shiny cannons on either side. To achieve this, engineers have to sacrifice luggage space (or space for the spare wheel) to create a recess for an exhaust to the other side, and add unnecessary weight. In addition, a closed rear bumper is more efficient.
But a closed rear bumper without visible exhausts, that’s not what the buyers want. Especially in countries like China they really appreciate big downspouts on expensive cars. Like large grilles, for example. That is why many car brands choose to integrate an exhaust in the design. They are often large holes with a thin pipe in the middle – at least that way vapor still comes out in the winter. But the worst fake exhausts, we find them at Audi.
The worst fake exhausts
This is the exhaust system of the Audi SQ5. We are currently testing the facelift version and we noticed it again. Audi has been doing this for a while. If you haven’t seen what’s wrong in the top photo, take a look under the bumper. Correct: the exhausts in the bumper are completely fake. Nothing more than an unnecessary design feature. If this were the case with the entry-level Q5, it was bad enough, but you’re looking at the most expensive and fastest model in the Q5 family here.
Not the only one
The exhaust of the Mercedes A 250 e is in the middle of the car and does not even reach the back. Why? Well, an exhaust eats up space and is very inconvenient if you want to put a somewhat larger battery pack under the rear seat (where the petrol tank is normally) and do not want to limit the luggage space too much. And yes, that car also has fake exhausts in the rear bumper – at least the thicker decorated versions.
If there’s one benefit to the electric future, it’s that fake exhausts will be a thing of the past. Do you know of worse examples of fake exhausts? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook.
