Audi Q5 8R: giving the 2.0 TFSI a voice, the exhaust system guide
The Q5 8R is the Audi SUV people choose for its versatility: roomy, carefully finished, at ease on any journey. Its 225 hp 2.0 TFSI has more character than it lets on, however, because the factory exhaust was designed so that you never hear it. This guide helps you choose a valved ROG exhaust tailored to your Q5, from the material to the tips, right through to fitting.
Written by ROG Motorsport · Updated
Your ROG exhaust for the Audi Q5 8R
From €2,190 in stainless steel, €2,690 in titanium
Configure my exhaust- Vehicles
- Audi Q5 8R 2.0 TFSI (2014)
- Engine
- 225 hp · 350 Nm
- Exhaust
- Valved cat-back, built for your VIN
- Material
- 304 stainless steel or titanium
- Front section
- Optional: catted downpipe with 200 or 100 cells, or decat
- Valves
- ROG remote, or factory control if your vehicle has it
- Lead time
- 20 working days from order confirmation to delivery
- Warranty
- 3 years, parts and workmanship
Closely related versions have their own guide: Audi SQ5 8R 3.0 TFSI V6.
The 2.0 TFSI: a turbocharged four-cylinder serving the Q5 8R
Under the bonnet of the 2014 model year Q5 8R, the 2.0 TFSI is a 2.0-litre direct-injection petrol four-cylinder, boosted by a turbocharger. It is rated at 225 hp and 350 Nm, with early torque that moves the SUV effortlessly, in town and on the motorway. It is a smooth, refined engine, designed to carry a family car rather than to draw attention to itself.
On a turbocharged four-cylinder, the turbine already absorbs some of the pulses, and the factory exhaust takes care of smoothing out the rest. The result is effective but anonymous. The valved ROG exhaust changes this balance: you choose when the engine makes itself heard, with no work on the mechanicals or the ECU. The Q5 keeps its factory comfort every day and gains real personality whenever you decide.
How the exhaust on your Audi Q5 8R is put together
An exhaust system is best understood in two parts. Here is what each one does, and what ROG replaces.
The cat-back is the complete exhaust system
It is everything you can see under your Audi Q5 8R, from the outlet of the front section to the tips: pipes, silencer, valves. Routing, silencer, valves: this is where the sound is shaped, and where we focus our research and development.
The front section, where the catalytic converter sits
On your Audi Q5 8R, this is the downpipe, the pipe that leads away from the turbo. It contains the factory catalytic converter: the second restriction in the exhaust, after the silencer. Changing this part remains a choice: it pays off mainly with an ECU remap, which turns the freed-up flow into power.
Your Audi Q5 8R in figures
What an exhaust changes straight away is the sound, the engine's breathing and the weight at the rear. For more power, add an ECU remap.
Power
Torque
Published factory and Stage 2 figures.
With or without an ECU remap, the exhaust fits and works. But it is an ECU remap at an approved tuning centre that truly unleashes your Audi Q5 8R, and that is what we recommend.
On this turbocharged four-cylinder, a Stage 2 remap works on boost pressure and mapping, where the 2.0 TFSI still has headroom. This potential depends on the condition of the car and on the tuner. The ROG exhaust plays no direct part in it: it accompanies this work on the sound side.
Configuring your exhaust, step by step
4 choices, in the same order as the product page configurator.
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Step 1 of 4: Material: stainless steel or titanium
For your Audi Q5 8R, the exhaust costs €2,190 in stainless steel and €2,690 in titanium.
304 stainless steel
2 190 €
- Weight
- Baseline
- Sound
- Full and rounded
Durable, corrosion-resistant, with a rounded, full sound: the most popular option.
Titanium
2 690 €
- Weight
- Around 40% lighter
- Sound
- Metallic, crystal-clear
For the same design, it weighs around 40% less than stainless steel. A more metallic note at high revs and a look all of its own, from brushed to blued.
Both materials age well: 304 stainless steel copes with winter and salt, and titanium does not rust. Stainless steel or titanium: what really changes.
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Step 2 of 4: Front section: downpipe and catalytic converter
Optional: the downpipe on your Audi Q5 8R, with its catalytic converter. Sound rating out of 10, valves open: the factory exhaust sits at 3.
Cat-back only
Included
7/10Factory emissions control
Nothing changes at the front: the cat-back alone is already enough to change the car.
200-cell sports catalytic converter
+850 €
8/10Road use and French MOT
The everyday compromise: emissions control is still there, and breathing improves noticeably.
100-cell sports catalytic converter
+850 €
9/10French MOT pass not guaranteed
One step further: more flow, a more aggressive sound, reduced emissions control.
Decat
+540 €
10/10Track use only
Everything unleashed: maximum flow and unrestrained sound, for the track.
Sound intensity, on a scale of 0 to 10
- 10/10Decat downpipe + ROG cat-back
- 9/10100-cell sports catalytic converter + ROG cat-back
- 8/10200-cell sports catalytic converter + ROG cat-back
- 7/10ROG cat-back only, factory catalytic converter retained
- 3/10Factory exhaust, for comparison
Valves open. With the valves closed, every configuration becomes discreet again.
What about the engine warning light? It can appear with a sports catalytic converter: the downstream oxygen sensor reads a different level of cleaning from the factory unit. It is not an engine fault, and it is dealt with by an ECU remap or a diagnostic tool. With a decat, an ECU remap becomes necessary. If it happens to you, call us and we will point you in the right direction. Passing the French MOT with a sports exhaust.
-
Step 3 of 4: Valves: ROG remote or factory control
Two ways to control the valves on your Audi Q5 8R.
ROG remote
The simplest solution: a control unit in the boot and a remote, open or closed at the press of a button, whatever mode you are in. A question while fitting? We will get back to you.
Factory control
- Only for vehicles fitted with factory valves
- Controlled by the drive modes
Does your vehicle have factory valves? The exhaust keeps their existing control: the drive modes operate the valves, as before, with no added electronics.
On a long journey, what matters is the absence of drone at a steady speed. With the valves closed, the exhaust keeps the cabin calm; the show is still there whenever you ask for it. More about exhaust drone.
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Step 4 of 4: Tips: the visual signature
Match the tips to the style of your Audi Q5 8R, understated or bold. A particular finish in mind? Send us a photo and we will look at it together.
- Stainless steel
- Black
- Carbon
- Blued titanium
The ROG sound signature on the Q5's 2.0 TFSI
A turbocharged four-cylinder has a drier, more rhythmic voice than you might think, with an edge that hardens as the boost builds. In the standard Q5, you hear almost none of it: the silencer and the sound insulation reduce everything to a distant whisper.
With the valves open, the ROG exhaust lets that texture out: a more present start-up, acceleration you can hear, and a fuller, more assertive tone. With the valves closed, the Q5 becomes once again the discreet SUV you know, for long journeys and early-morning departures alike.
From order to fitting
-
Configuration
You choose the options for your Audi Q5 8R and enter its VIN, found in box E of the registration certificate.
-
Check
We confirm compatibility with your car before we build it.
-
Manufacturing
Made to order, for your Audi Q5 8R.
-
Delivery
Free, insured delivery, with tracking sent on dispatch.
-
Fitting
Clamps and gaskets, no welding: two hours on average at the garage of your choice.
20 working days from order confirmation to delivery
- Warranty
- 3 years, parts and workmanship, from the date of delivery
- Payment
- In instalments with Klarna
- Installation
- At the garage of your choice
What about the manufacturer's warranty? In Europe, fitting a part from another brand is not enough on its own to void it; the manufacturer has to prove the link between that part and the fault. Our article on the manufacturer's warranty.
Our recommendations for your Audi Q5 8R
-
Daily driving
2 190 €
- Stainless
- Cat-back only
- ROG remote
Your Audi Q5 8R stays easy to live with, the factory emissions control is retained, and you open the valves when you decide.
View this configuration -
Fast road
3 540 €
- Titanium
- 200-cell downpipe
- ECU remap
For great roads: more voice and more response, while staying road-friendly.
View this configuration -
Track
3 230 €
- Titanium
- Decat downpipe
- Stage 2
The most extreme configuration, for track use only.
View this configuration
These profiles are starting points. The right choice is often made in five minutes on the phone.
Audi Q5 8R: your questions
How much power does an exhaust add on the Audi Q5 8R?
As standard, the Audi Q5 8R produces 225 hp and 350 Nm. Without a remap, the exhaust transforms the voice and lightens the rear; it is the ECU remap that increases power. With a Stage 2 build, the published figures reach 305 hp and 462 Nm.
Stainless steel or titanium: which material for the Audi Q5 8R?
For the Audi Q5 8R, the ROG exhaust costs €2,190 in stainless steel and €2,690 in titanium. Choose stainless steel for value for money and a rounded sound, titanium to save around 40% in weight and get a clearer tone.
Do you need to replace the catalytic converter on the Audi Q5 8R?
No, the cat-back alone already does most of the work on the Audi Q5 8R. The downpipe option is for those tuning the engine: 200 cells to stay road-friendly, 100 cells or decat for the track.
Does the Audi Q5 8R pass the French MOT with a ROG exhaust?
The cat-back only and the 200-cell sports catalytic converter both keep emissions control: that is the configuration to present, with the valves closed. The 100-cell converter makes a pass uncertain, and the decat fails the emissions test on the Audi Q5 8R.
How is the ROG exhaust fitted on the Audi Q5 8R?
Fitting needs no welding or cutting and takes two hours on average on a lift. We check compatibility with the VIN of your Audi Q5 8R before manufacturing.
What price and lead time for a ROG exhaust on the Audi Q5 8R?
From €2,190 to €3,540 depending on the configuration. Allow 20 working days from order confirmation to delivery. Free delivery in Europe, 3-year warranty.
Unsure about your configuration? Give us a call.
Stainless steel or titanium, cat-back only or the complete system: the right choice depends on how you use your Audi Q5 8R. We take the time to talk it through before you order, with a reply within 24 hours. We are not here to sell to you over the phone: we help you choose, even if that means a cheaper option because it suits the way you drive.
Behind every ROG exhaust is a French team you can actually reach, who know the cars they talk about. More than 500 exhaust systems fitted and a rating of 4.9 out of 5.
Further reading
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