“The Audi Q5 is the sports car of the SUV landscape, and the perfect vehicle for an active lifestyle – it is progressive and dynamic, spacious, multifunctional and comfortable.” This is what Audi had to say when they launched their Q5 SUV earlier this year. We covered over 600km in Audi’s Q5 3.0 TDI Quattro S tronic to decide for ourselves.

Exterior
Chunky, bold and solid. These are the words that come to mind when we look at the Audi Q5. Huge 20-inch 5-spoke alloy wheels, high shoulder line, large single-frame front grille and stubby rear-end, define the Q5’s presence on the road. The LED day-time running lights in front, and tail-lights at the rear, further accentuate the lines and contours of the Q5,  making it one stylish and elegant SUV – not simply a down-sized Q7. However, some features are hidden from view, such as a video camera mounted next to the tailgate lever, as well as lights beneath the side mirrors, which illuminate the ground next to the car at night. Despite what its proportions may suggest, the Q5 has the lowest drag coefficient in its class of just 0,33 Cd.

Interior
Inside, our Q5 test vehicle was dripping with luxuries, however, they merely served to enhance what is already a superbly appointed and high quality interior. Looking beyond these optional luxuries, such as the panoramic sunroof, satellite navigation, park distance control with camera, bluetooth cellphone preparation and voice command recognition, the Audi Q5 offers its occupants a supremely comfortable environment, with enough support, head and leg room to rival any executive saloon. Which is no surprise really, as the Q5 is built upon Audi’s Modular Longitudinal Platform (MLP) shared with that of the A4 sedan and A5 coupe. From a drivers perspective, all controls are within easy reach and found in logical positions. The Q5 provides ample visibility from all angles and coupled with the park distance control, as standard equipment, makes driving in town anything but intimidating. Audi’s third-generation Multi Media Interface (MMI) system, features a full colour, hi-resolution screen and works well with the joystick controller. Admittedly it took us a bit of time to get used to the system, but we managed to find our way around the menu’s and use the sat-nav without begging for help from a 5-year old. Speaking of which, if we did have to ask one – and once they’d finished teaching us how to connect our cellphone via bluetooth – there is plenty of space for them and their mates in the boot. 540-litres of luggage space can be increased to 1560-litres with the rear seats folded down – more than enough space for the majority of your cargo needs.

The Drive
What can we say, we were surprised and impressed with the ride and handling of the Audi Q5 3.0 TDI. Riding 200 mm above the ground and weighing in at 1 865 kg, we did not expect the ‘compact’ SUV to handle the way the Q5 does. The steering is accurate, although without providing much feedback. Body roll is minimal and with the huge 255/45 R20 sized tyres biting into the road, the Q5 is able to negotiate turns at a surprising rate. The athleticism of the Audi Q5 is partly due to the Audi Drive Select (ADS) system. The push-button system on the centre console allows the driver to choose between comfort, dynamic, and auto settings. Switching between these settings creates a noticeable change in throttle response, gear change points, the electronically controlled suspension damping, and the power-steering ratio. When in ‘dynamic’ mode the Q5 responds crisply to steering, throttle and gear change inputs, providing genuine car-like handling, which coupled with Quattro all-wheel drive, inspires confidence and spirited driving – even in a diesel.

Performance
As we mentioned, the ADS system is only part of the equation that makes the Q5 the best compact SUV we’ve tested, to date. The other part is the 3,0-litre TDI diesel, which pushes out 176 kW and 500 N.m of torque from just 1500 rpm. Quiet, refined, plenty of power and torque, and relatively frugal consumption make the 3,0-litre TDI a benchmark engine in our book. To put the torque figure in perspective, the Audi R8 5.2 FSI Quattro we tested last month, produces just 30 N.m more, but you have to step on the gas to the tune of 6500 rpm to unleash it all. Usually you’d find a torquey engine to be a relaxing drive on the open road, where it would allow you to climb hills or overtake without the fuss of changing down a gear or two. But with the Q5 this is your experience no matter what the situation. Be it traffic or a cross-country sojourn, the Q5 handles it without batting an eye-lid and ensures you arrive at your destination feeling just as fresh as when you left. We should mention that helping the Q5 deliver its power to the road is a new 7-speed S tronic gearbox. As with all dual-clutch gearboxes these days, it capitalises on the torque of the motor to bring consumption down and provide lightening quick changes. Changes can be made either via the steering mounted paddle shifters or the sequential style motion of the gear level.

What we like…

• Bold, elegant styling with definition provided by the LED lights and flowing lines.
• Brilliant diesel engine provides refinement and performance.
• Audi Drive Select gives you a boulevard cruiser or a performance SUV.
• Comfortable and supportive seats inside a luxurious cabin – its a great place to be.
  

What we would like…

• A USB/iPod connection as standard – the stereo jack is adequate but doesn’t make use of the MMI system.
  
• An Audi Q5 parked in our garage please – it really is very very good.

 

If you’re following us on Twitter, you would have seen that last Friday we spent some time in the beautiful new Audi R8 5.2 FSI Quattro – otherwise known as the Audi R8 V10. What you are reading therefore, is an exclusive first impression of Audi’s range topping supercar in SA.

The V10’s 386 kW and 530 N.m of torque are enough to rocket the R8 V10 towards the horizon at, well, any speed you wish really. You can do zero to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, 200 km/h in 12 seconds or simply hang-on for dear life before reaching the R8’s claimed top speed of 316 km/h. However, making our way out of town and filtering through early morning traffic, we weren’t about to test any of the above figures – just yet. Instead we had time to ‘aclimatise’ to the new R8 V10, taking in the quality interior trim and finish thereof, now synonymous throughout the Audi range.

Inside, there is not much to distinguish the V10 R8 from its smaller V8 sibling, apart from a ‘V10′ logo, red rings around the dials and another on top of the gear lever. Early morning rush hour traffic is typically no place for a supercar, but for us it highlighted the genuine all-round capability of the R8. With full leather trim, climate control, electronically adjustable heated sports seats, cruise control and a host of other features, the R8 sports an interior familiar to ‘lesser’ Audi’s in the current line-up. But Audi have some of the best interiors in the business and the R8 is a supercar which we would happily strap ourselves into for a long haul journey or use as a daily drive if desired.
Exterior changes to the new R8 V10 are subtle. Flared side-blades, extended sills, a larger rear diffuser, standard LED headlamps (an industry first), 10-spoke 19-inch wheels exclusive to the V10, polished black front and rear air vents, more chrome for the front grille, and oval exhaust tips, help to distinguish the bigger V10 from its smaller V8 sibling.

As we began to leave the city behind and traffic started to clear, we had our first chance to ’step on the gas’. Beginning with a mechanical whine, quickly drowned out by a rising cacophony from the 90-degree 10-cylinder engine, we found ourselves at autobahn speeds without so much as a down shift from the R-tronic gearbox. Somewhat uneventful really, apart from the impressive rate of speed – that is until we pressed the ’sport’ button. Immediately we were greeted by super-quick shifts from the 6-speed auto, which gave the feeling of a more aggressive throttle response when compared to the normal mode that responds somewhat jerkily and reluctantly to impatient throttle orders. As a result, we would stay in sport mode for the remainder of our journey, rewarded by blips of the throttle on every down shift, which we imagine can only be likened to the automotive equivalent of heroin.

Climbing up into the hills for our first sampling of the Audi R8 V10’s handling, nothing but smooth tarmac, sunshine and glorious sweeps lay ahead. Dropping a gear in the R-tronic box let out an  intoxicating bark from the engine before we were rocketed towards the first corner. The steering responds as if wired to our brain as we turn into the first bend, the 235/35/R19 tyres wrapped around the front wheels seem to be connected to an invisible scalectrix track and the 295/30 section rear tyres wait for our command to dig in and deliver the 530 N.m of available torque. Thanks to Audi Magnetic Ride, the electromagnetic dampers can be stiffened within milliseconds at the press of a button to provide sharper handling. From our initial impressions, the car seemed to handle the uneven public roads better with the more compliant ride of the standard suspension setting, with the sportier setting better left for trackday use.

The R8’s mid-engined layout means the V10 power plant sits behind the rear seats but in front of the rear axle, keeping the major masses near the centre of the Audi Space Frame chassis and providing near-perfect weight distribution for agile handling – which is partly why racing cars use the same configuration. When accelerating hard from mid-corner, we detected a slight tendency toward under-steer but this is a characteristic best explored on the racetrack to discover the extent to which it does, or doesn’t, play a role in the V10 R8’s handling.

Flooring the accelerator teleported us to the next corner where the 380 mm front and 356 mm rear discs scrubbed off our speed at a reassuring rate, initially a bit snatchy but the steel discs warmed to the task with each successive corner. Optional on the new Audi R8 5.2 FSI are ceramic brake discs. The discs are made of a composite material containing high-strength carbon fibres and abrasion-resistant silicon carbide. These are especially light: their combined weight is nine kilograms less than their steel equivalent – meaning quicker steering response as less inertia is at play on the wheels. The ceramic brakes can easily cope with the harsher requirements of racing, won’t corrode, and have a typical service life of 300 000 kilometers. The ceramic discs are distinguishable from the standard steel discs by their charcoal gray calipers, emblazoned with the inscription “Audi ceramic”.

Once over the mountain we had a chance to discover the full extent of the 5,2-litre engine’s power. Burying the accelerator pedal releases a wave of power, which doesn’t seem to end as the revs climb unabated in every successive gear. Put another way, we can now relate to the phrase “Beam me up Scotty!”. Even at high-speed, however, the R8 feels planted on the road with the suspension and steering never feeling anything other than responsive and confidence-inspiring. In fact, the R8 has achieved a synergy that other supercar makers will find hard to beat for the price (starting at R1.95 million). Yes, it may not be the fastest, the most powerful, or the lightest in its league. But with a luxurious interior, agile handling, more than enough proverbial bite to match its bark and at half the price of its bigger Lamborghini cousin, the Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro is attractive in more ways than one and a more than capable gentleman’s supercar.

 

Thanks to Audi Centre Cape Town for the use of their R8 V10. If you’re in Cape Town, why not visit them and take a look at the car for yourself.