AUDI SQ5 3,0T FSI QUATTRO TIPTRONIC
HOW much power is enough? The answer to this often-asked question will, of course, depend largely on the type of vehicle in question (and, to a degree, on the foolhardiness inherent in its driver). You could, for instance, make a compelling argument there is such thing as too much oomph in a front-wheel-drive hot hatch.
But what about an SUV? Well, here the line becomes a little blurrier, chiefly thanks to the effects of added weight and the security of all-wheel drive. Indeed, there are a number of high-riding machines on offer in South Africa boasting peak outputs well north of 400 kw (like the Cayenne I drive on page 60), with more to come as the inevitable “power wars” – which have since spilled over into the double-cab bakkie segment – intensify. Overkill? Perhaps, although most are an absolute hoot to drive.
Yet, each time I alight from another performance vehicle (traditionally shaped or otherwise) and slot back in behind the SQ5’S now familiar flat-bottomed tiller, I’m further convinced this powertrain – as thirsty as it is proving – is close to perfectly judged and the highlight of a remarkably wellrounded package.
Sure, Ingolstadt’s flagship Q5 – which packs 260 kw courtesy of Audi Sport’s turbocharged 3,0-litre V6 petrol heart – is short a small handful of kilowatts compared with similarly priced rivals such as the BMW X3 M40i and Mercedes-amg GLC43 but, in an everyday setting, where the Audi excels at serving up fuss-free pace rather than acoustic or dynamic theatrics, this matters nought.
For the first six months of this test, I haven’t once found myself longing for more power from the SQ5, whether I’m blasting along a quiet strip of tarmac, cruising down a highway, negotiating a gravel road or sitting in soul-destroying traffic. And I simply can’t see that changing over the next six.