Life & Style | Motoring
A delight to drive
The Audi Q5 is very roomy, rich in features and comes at a reasonable price to qualify as a great family car, says Philip Shane.
- By Philip Shane, Dubai-based motoring enthusiast
- Published: 23:01 June 25, 2009
- Image Credit:
The Audi Q5 is very roomy, rich in features and comes at a reasonable price to qualify as a great family car, says Philip Shane.
The roads seem to be crowded with crossover vehicles. Every other person you run into either owns a crossover SUV or is on the lookout for one.
But do all of them really need an off-roader? Maybe it would make sense for them to get a road-going SUV?
The Audi Q7 was an amazing car. It still is... for the way it looks, feels and handles. It was Audi's answer to the SUV. The Quattro system was already present and all they needed was a great exterior andcool interiors.
Does the Q5 compare?
The SUV war is heating up and there are quite a few players out there. Also, in most cases, it's more of a gadget war than a performance and style war.
The automobile industry is going through a phase where pretty soon, only the best will remain – the public will ensure that.
Today, consumers wield a great deal of power. And they're not easy to please. If they're not happy about something, they're sure to make their voices heard. Little wonder then that every car company out there is offering better value for money than ever before. The car industry is now completely egalitarian. That said, the Q5 is interesting to drive.
Its turbocharged 2.0-litre engine is quite capable of handling the weight and dimensions of this small monster.
I did not get a chance to try out the 3.2-litre naturally aspirated version, but somehow I felt that the turbo 2 litre was good enough and made more sense given the range of applications this car would be used for.
The handling, as with all the Quattro Audis, is quite pleasant and precise.
It gives the driver a refined feel when manoeuvring corners with its permanent all wheel drive – 40:60 asymmetric/dynamic torque split and the driver adjustable ‘drive select' feature which changes a pre-programmed list of settings.
These are a few things you usually don't find on a Japanese SUV in this price range. The 2.0-litre turbo
Q5 does a 0-100 km/h sprint in around 7.6 seconds, which is not bad. The 3.2 version however claims to be able to do it in 6.9 seconds.
The performance figures don't really justify the need for two versions within the same segment. The price difference does.
The Q5 buyer would probably stick to the basic package if value for money is the intention. But if you're an Audi enthusiast...
Audi claims the Q5 also has the longest wheel base in its segment – 2.81 metres allowing for optimum distribution of axle loads, better directional stability, higher comfort levels and improved dynamics.
The Q5's interiors aren't as flashy as the Q7's but they are well-built and quite functional and the dashboard controls are laid out well.
It also has a decent Bang & Olufsen sound system which is iPod compatible and is integrated with a TV tuner, a DVD drive, an intelligent speech recognition device.
Other features include an additional roof load sensor that allows the ESP (electronic stabilisation programme) to adjust to the higher centre of gravity caused by roof loads, a side assist function which aids in lane changes and an adaptive cruise control which helps maintain a certain distance to the vehicle in front.
On the whole, the Q5 makes sense for anyone considering a car in this segment. It offers a lot of features which are quite common in the present upper segment coupled with a reasonable price tag.
This, combined with the fact that the Q5 like all other Audis, is a great car to drive, makes it even more tempting to buy. It's spacious, feature-rich and adequate price to appeal as a great family car.
Specifications:
- Make/Model: Audi Q5
- Engine: 2.0 litre, Turbocharged; 4 cylinders
- Power: 211 hp @ 4,300 - 6,000rpm
- Torque: 350 Nm @ 1,500 - 4,200rpm
- Transmission: 7 speed S-tronic
- Acceleration: 0-100 kmph: 7.6 secs
- Top speed: 222 km / h
- Price starts at Dh165,000
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