The first impression

Audi’s Q line of vehicles have created a following but not without initial controversy. The Q7, the first of the brand’s quest to go big or go home in the SUV market, was launch back in 2006. It was judged for looking like a hearse. That didn’t stop it going on to be a top seller and having a longer lifespan than the previous generation VW Touareg and Porsche Cayenne, from which it shares its platform. In 2009 Audi launched the Q5, an attractive car that has its own a scale and proportion, which is more family SUV than funeral director transportation.

I have reviewed the Q3 and felt this compact SUV to be faultless but also lacking in character. Well I’m pleased to say its recently upgraded older sibling, the Q5, doesn’t suffer this flaw. The minor cosmetic updates to the body work are subtle but freshen up the look of the mid-sized SUV. Most notable updates are the Audi’s new angular shaping of the grill, the rhinestone LED daylight running lights have been replaced with super slick tube LEDs, which surround the entire headlight cluster. This treatment follows through to the rear lighting system too, and finally there are new sets of mags. The Q5 isn’t loud in its design language, it is modern and chic, leaving others to push the trend boundary.

The particular model I am reviewing replaces the 3.2-litre with a fantastic 3.0 supercharged unit. The new engine lives in perfect harmony with its eight-speed automatic gearbox, which it borrows from Bentley. We all know Germans make well built cars, but Audi are in many instances the industry leaders in terms of their interiors. Design, fit, finish and overall aesthetics shout expensive and leave the drive and their passengers knowing this is a quality vehicle. Audi are the Paul Smith of car makes. Tailored, considered and with very interesting suit linings so to speak.

I likened my driving experience in the Q5 to an aged whiskey, refined dark chocolate and a piece of silk velvet fabric. Sublime. The Q5 rides like a limousine, floating silently from destination to destination. The Q5 is the perfect mix of practicality and driving pleasure. It is big enough to seat five adults, has loads of useful storage spaces and a large boot, with or without the seats flattened. The seats are comfortable and able to seat larger framed individuals too. Ergonomically the switch gear falls to hand like candy to a kid’s mouth. The Q5’s driver infotainment system is easy enough to use and gives the driver access to a voice activated jukebox of functions which include: A Bang & Olufsen sound system (optional), MMI navigation, a large hard drive, seven-inch colour monitor, 3D graphics, DVD player and Bluetooth which is integrated WLAN hotspot and lets passengers surf the Internet and email with their mobile devices. For the driver, it brings customized Audi Connect online services into the car, such as Google Point of Interest search by voice control, navigation with Google Earth Images and Google Street View.

The facts

Pros

• It glides on the road like a limousine
• It is beautifully made and oozes quality
• Its light on its feet and able to change its character from Aladdin’s floating carpet to hot hatch sprinter.
• It is very practical.

Cons

• It is not cheap
• It is thirstier than Paris Hilton after a spinning class
• It has limited off road capabilities

The figures

The extra stuff

The new Audi Q5 has the following pricing, inclusive of all taxes and the standard
5-year/100 000km Audi Freeway plan:

The verdict

The Q5 3.0T Quattro is a great SUV full stop. It competes against the BMW X3 3.5 and the Range Rover Evoque. This trio are all great SUVs full stop. So why would you pick the Q5 over its rivals? For one it is better priced than both its rivals and offers greater practicality than the Evoque. The BMW is the sportier driver’s car and the Evoque wins in the fashion department, but if you are the sort who enjoys wafting along in a bath of understated luxury, the Q5 is for you. If you are on budget consider 2.0 TDI S S tronic.
 
Pricing

Audi Q5 2.0T FSI S: R464 000
Audi Q5 2.0 TDI S manual: R469 000
Audi Q5 2.0 TDI S S tronic: R488 000
Audi Q5 2.0T FSI SE Tiptronic: R528 000
Audi Q5 3.0T FSI SE Tiptronic: R599 000 – Vehicle tested
Audi Q5 3.0 TDI SE S tronic: R616 000
 

Please note the video shown is pre the cars facelift and enhancements and improvements have been made since.

You can find me on Twitter @danielcalbacho