Off-road Test - Audi Q5 2.0 TFSI

Recently, we were in Malaysia to sample Audi's latest fare - the Audi Q5, a performance SUV of sorts. And before we delve into definitions about the "performance SUV", let's look at the facts and figures.

Audi's Q5 is being marketed as a sports sedan trapped in an SUV's body. It sits on a chassis similar to the A4, but with a body that's 4.63 metres long, 1.88 metres wide and 1.65 metres tall. Nothing too sporty, yet, until you get to the engine.

Audi redesigned the famous 2.0-litre TFSI engine to produce 211 hp and an exciting 350 Newton metres worth of torque. And, very importantly, that torque is available from a low 1,500 rpm all the way to 4,200 rpm, translating into a tractable powerplant that doesn't require you to rev it sky high. Mated to a seven-speed S tronic gearbox, you not only get a good spread of ratios very suitable for local roads, it's resulted in a commendable fuel consumption of 11.7 km/l.

With those power figures, the Q5 sprints from 0-100 km/h in just 7.2 seconds - just 0.3 seconds slower than the hot-hatch Golf GTI. Performance SUV? You bet.

But we weren't there to pit it against sports cars. Audi first wanted to demonstrate the Q5's terrain-bashing capabilities, so off we went to the Sepang-Silverstone Off-Road Park.

There, the Q5 faced obstacles ranging from side-inclines to steep slopes. And you know that they're steep when even people have difficulty climbing or descending from them.

Fitted with its standard road-going tyres, the Q5 (with two passengers) was climbed up gradients 31 degrees-steep with ease. Descending from them, though, was more dramatic - for its passengers, at least.

I can't remember the last time, or any time at all when I was in the driver's seat, with absolutely no view of the ground in front of me. And to move off from such a point seems™ a bit suicidal, to say the least.

A Germany lady guide at the top of the hill waved me on. I nodded, released my foot off the brakes and took in a deep breath - the same kind you take when you're right at the top of a roller-coaster, knowing it's going to plunge in the next second.

But in the Q5, instead of rolling freely down the slope, its electronic stabilisation programme (ESP) took over and carefully guided the car to ground level, calmly and accurately as a trained parachutist would to make a perfect landing. The electronics cleverly managed its wheels, preventing any lock-up and unwanted sliding about, while allowing the driver to maintain control over its steering.
Having such abilities on its own is impressive, but taking into account that the car was doing all these without the aid of any off-road tyres made it more remarkable.

The luxurious SUV also has a ground clearance of 20 cm and a wading depth of up to 50 cm, which sadly, we didn't get to test out and throw it in properly sticky situations. Then again, in the real world, Q5 owners here probably wouldn't want to put their $167,000 babies through such tests.

Nevertheless, it's always good to know that your car can do a lot more than you normally require of it. Which also brings us to our next point - its handling characteristics.

We were led to a big, empty patch of asphalt in Putrajaya, littered with cones, where more Audi representatives greeted us. Seeing those cones lined up in the way they were could only mean one thing - a slalom course.

The thought of planting our foot hard on the throttle and swerving left and right never fails to get our adrenaline pumping. But not when we were in a 1.65-metre tall SUV. Especially when we reminded ourselves of their high centre-of-gravity and that they're more prone to overturning than a regular saloon. As dynamic as they may be, driving an SUV in this manner would be a definite no-go for most drivers, let alone their manufacturers.

But after a quick demonstration by the Audi instructors to show that their cars would be perfectly safe and stable around the course, they told us to hop in. Now, if a German tells you not to worry and do it, it would be prudent not to ask them for explanations and just get on with it - it would be less painful to just crash than to sit through a three-hour presentation with all sorts of diagrams and technical jargon. So, we wasted no time and jumped into the first group of Q5s, fitted with its most powerful engine - the 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6.
With 240 hp and a whopping 500 Nm of torque waiting to be unleashed, I floored the Q5 3.0 TDI's throttle. Even though the typical lag and surge of torque of turbo-diesels was present, in this, it came in a rather gradual manner - more like riding a huge, rapidly rising wave instead of a quick, hard punch in the chest - brilliant for safety as it won't catch drivers unaware.

Placing every ounce of confidence I had in its chassis, and the Audi engineers who developed the Q5, I yanked the wheel and made the first turn, followed by the next while maintaining a good amount of throttle. Violently throwing its weight distribution from one side to the other, the Q5 was thoroughly worked through every single cone. Meanwhile, the quattro system responded perfectly, making sure every steering instruction was met with the adequate amount of drive applied to the correct wheels.

All of a sudden, apart from the seat height, it stopped feeling like a high-riding off-roader. It gave the same sensation one would usually get from a saloon geared up for sporty driving. Body-roll was beautifully controlled and there was no wobbly-nonsense you'd get from some other SUVs.

With the lighter 2.0 TFSI engine, the Q5 was even more agile and easier to control, while the Audi drive select in "Dynamic" mode injected the car with a healthy dose of sporty DNA and clearly brought out the best of this German machine.

The Q5 had proven its performance credentials and, dare I say, probably handles the best in its class.

Against the Q

Rivalling other makes like the BMW X3, Volvo XC60 and the Land Rover Freelander 2, the S$167,400 2.0-litre Q5 might have the smallest engine, but it hardly loses out to the German and English when it comes to power. And, you won't have to spend unnecessarily on road tax.

Apart from the turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine, a S$195,600 3.2-litre V6 (with 270 hp and 330 Nm) will also be available in Singapore.

It doesn't disappoint in its practical aspect either, boasting a 540-litre luggage capacity and the ability to store four golf bags. Folding its seats down gives up to 1,560-litres of space - sufficient for more golf bags and whatever sporting equipment you might want to carry.

There's no doubt that the Q5 is a brilliant car. But it's such a pity that it has entered the market at a bad time, which will undoubtedly affect sales figures.

And while buyers of Audi's latest will probably never want to take it off-road, it's always good to know that they've got something that can handle such challenges.