CARS Audi Q5
REPLICATING THE RUNAWAY SUCCESS OF AUDI’S FIRST-GENERATION MID-SIZE SUV CROSSOVER, THE Q5, DIDN’T REQUIRE ROCKET SCIENCE, WRITES JON WALL. IT SIMPLY MEANT MORE OF THE SAME — ONLY EVEN BETTER
For someone who claims immunity to the charms of SUVs, not only do I find myself driving an awful lot of these needlessly oversized motor cars, but also on occasion I’m even forced to admit that the better ones are actually rather good. So here I am again, grinning and bearing it as I punt around town, gazing down on lesser mortals from the privileged perch afforded by the hot seat of yet another urban tractor – and it’s all for your benefit.
This time, however, I’m aboard Audi’s second-generation contender in the mid-size, premium-crossover segment, the Q5. It’s a car with which you’re almost certainly familiar, as it first arrived on these shores almost two years ago – and now it’s available, fully loaded with all manner of tech and luxury, in a discreetly flashy “limited-edition” version.
The original Q5, you may recall, was unveiled around 10 years back and followed in the sizeable wake churned up by Audi’s first-ever SUV, the monstrous Q7. Positioned somewhere between a motor car and a Mack truck when it elbowed its way on to the market in 2005, that latter machine is perhaps known best for its thuggish countenance, which snarled “Get out of my way!” at cowering motorists unfortunate enough to behold its unfeasible bulk bearing down on them in the rear-view mirror.
Fortunately, the smaller Q5 was much less menacing. More soft rock than heavy metal, and satisfying the ballooning demand for a car offering limited off-road capability and an elevated driving position, this familyfriendly Audi quickly established itself as the preferred transport of soccer mums the world over. Indeed, in its nine years of production the first-gen model sold more than 1.6 million units, the kind of numbers one imagines the company could have hardly dared dream about when it first set about building SUVs.
With such a runaway success on its hands, Audi was never going to break the mould for the Q5’s second coming, even though it was new in almost every respect. Built on an evolution of the VW Group’s MLB platform, it’s marginally longer, wider and taller than its predecessor, though in concept, appearance and proportions it’s more or less identical.
There are clues, however, such as the angular single-frame grille, which is now as much a corporate trademark as the former Auto Union’s four-ring logo, and exterior styling that’s sharper, tauter and more defined than before. Beneath the coachwork lurks a mix of aluminium and highstrength steels largely similar to that found on the current A4 saloon – and that, crucially, means the latest Q5 is significantly lighter than both the outgoing car and its current rivals, which should translate into gains in performance, handling and fuel economy.
My test vehicle is badged as a Q5 45 TFSI quattro, which denotes neither that it makes a mere 45 horsepower, nor that there’s 4.5 litres of engine nestled beneath the bonnet. Instead – and no thanks to a bewildering naming system introduced two years ago – those numbers indicate that the motor produces a maximum output in the 169-185kW band (which, now that I’ve written it down, still makes no sense whatsoever). You’ll probably find these figures much more enlightening: the Q5’s 1,984cc turbocharged four-cylinder engine produces 249bhp at 5,000-6,000rpm, with a maximum 370Nm of torque available from just 1,600 revs – and in the unlikely event you’re interested in a middleweight SUV for its performance potential, they also reinforce Audi’s claim that the car hits 100km/h from a standstill in 6.3 seconds and eventually reaches a top speed in excess of 235. Granted, your trousers are unlikely to self-combust from the excitement of driving the Q5 hard, but it’s certainly brisk for its class, with the 2-litre motor delivering a solid and sustained punch from the very bottom of the rev range.
The Audi is also fitted with the latest “ultra” version of the quattro allwheel-drive system, which in this incarnation is intelligently deployed whenever the additional traction is needed; in normal conditions the car is driven through the front wheels only. As for the transmission, it’s the familiar twin-clutch S Tronic seven-speed, whose up- and downshifts are often so smooth and impeccably judged that I occasionally wonder whether there’s anything actually in the engine bay, so silent is the powertrain. When forced to work hard, though, the motor can sound as harsh and tuneless as any four-cylinder unit, which is as good a reason as any to resist the urge to engage Sport mode.
When it comes to chassis development, however, Audi has clearly managed to get its mojo working during the past few years and the Q5 is generally notable for an air of quiet refinement. This is in spite of the fact that the S-line trim package means we’re riding on passive suspension (active dampers are an extra-cost option) and 20-inch alloys shod with low-profile rubber; big wheels sure look cool, but they’re rarely a recipe for ride comfort. Inevitably there’s some roll (the car is, after all, almost 1.7 metres tall), but the body is well controlled, there’s plenty of grip, handling is predictable and the steering is precise. The downside, however, lies in a helm that switches from being over light to too heavily weighted, with an artificiality that prevents the Audi from being genuinely fun to drive.
Among its owners, however, complaints such as these are unlikely to hold much sway, not least because the Q5 is as easy to live with as it’s versatile, capable and comfortable, with an interior whose fit and finish are as exemplary as the car’s perfectly aligned exterior panels. Unlike their counterparts at Benz, the folks at Ingolstadt have resisted the urge to dazzle the Audi’s occupants with Hollywood-style glitz; instead, they’ve created a cabin that impresses more through restraint, spaciousness and superb appointments.
Black is the dominant colour – in fact, it’s just about everywhere, from the electrically operated sport seats upholstered in two leather trims and the three-spoke, flat-bottom steering wheel to the carpet-lined luggage area. You might even call it sombre were it not for the illumination provided by deep windows and large panoramic roof.
There’s more than ample room to pack four full-size passengers aboard – comfort at the front is excellent, as are the driving position and visibility – and with the rear seat in place there’s still sufficient space to store everyone’s belongings. Flatten the second row of chairs and you could almost set up home here, with entry and egress facilitated by an electric tailgate that works at the touch of a button. It goes without saying that the entertainment, communications and information systems, which include a virtual display, a 7-inch colour monitor, navigation system and smartphone interface with Bluetooth, are class leading.
All of which brings me back to the beginning, because much as I want to say rude things about the Audi Q5, the more I drive it the more difficult I’m finding it to do so. It’s classy, roomy, smooth, quiet (largely), well made and practical. It even drives decently enough to engender a degree of contentment, if nowhere near excitement, and meets just about every need that a prospective owner might reasonably enumerate. In fact, if it weren’t an SUV I might even admit to liking it rather a lot...