Audi Q5 review

        AUDI  Q5  review

You’ll need to have an extremely developed eye for detail to spot the differences between the old and new models. The grille now takes Audi’s new hexagonal shape, with detailing depending on the engine that lies under the hood. The headlights get new daytime running lamps, the bumper is new and the fog lights have chrome ring surrounds. The tail-lamps get different LEDs and there’s a new rear diffuser.

Under the hood, the carmaker has pumped up the power output of the same range of motors and claims that the new car is 15 per cent more fuel efficient than its predecessor. We drove the 3.0-liter diesel and the 2.0-liter petrol extensively to feel the difference.        

We’ve always favoured the Q5 and the new, greater power output has only gone to make the car’s case stronger. At the heart of this premium SUV is the 3.0-liter V6 diesel with a common-rail diesel injection and a variable vane turbo that generates 245hp and 579Nm of twisting force. That’s a 5hp and a massive 78Nm step-up from the old version. Correspondingly, the V6 turbo motor propels this 1.8-tonne beast to 100kph in 6.54 seconds flat – that’s nearly a second quicker now. But most impressively, the rush you feel every time you floor the delightfully sprung floor-pivoted throttle pedal makes the Q5 feel even faster than figures on paper.

Like most diesel motors, this one is strongest in the lower revs. And it reaches its peak at 4,500rpm. With a limited rev band, constant gear switching is a must and that’s where the potent seven-speed dual-clutch auto ’box comes in. In ‘sport’ mode, it hangs on to revs longer, kicks down faster and in short, does almost everything a manual can with the ease only automatics can offer. An engine like this, blessed with such masses of torque, can make any auto ’box look good.

The 2.0 TFSI turbo petrol, on the other hand, is much tamer. That said, it still has more than enough grunt on hand. The mid-range and top-end are key to the 2.0 TFSI’s strong performance. It might not have the freedom to rev like naturally aspirated engines, but the power delivery is smooth all the way up to the 6,500rpm limit.        

And when you rev the motor, there’s that pleasantly deep growl. The tiptronic shifts allow for a great degree of promptness and the eight-speed torque converter gearbox puts you in the meat of the powerband in a flash. Stay in the punchy midrange with the turbo spinning past 3,000rpm and you get a nice thrust of power. This translates into impressive performance figures, with the Q5 petrol reaching 100kph in 7.76 seconds.

The biggest change in the improved Q5 is the far more pliant ride. While the old car’s ride was lumpy at times, Audi has addressed this issue by making the new ride much more supple. The softer spring rates and damper settings allow the new Q5 to glide over most surfaces without much fuss and it is now truly the luxury ride its customers always deserved. When it comes to off-roading, there’s only a bit of technology to help like the hill descent control and an off-road ESP setting, not to mention decent ground clearance.

There are three variants on offer in the Q5 (Premium, Premium Plus and Navi). Prices for the base petrol start at Rs 43.17 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and the 3.0-liter diesel comes at a hefty Rs 48.71 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). With this update and that too on offer for these prices, Audi has managed to set the bar higher and may even be some cause of worry for the BMW X3