Review
Audi Q5
Audi launched the second generation of the Q5 at the beginning of this year. This SUV is practical to use, versatile and just as sporty as an Audi sedan. In addition, the new Q5 also offers numerous options regarding connectivity and driver assistance systems. We were introduced to the new Q5 through a test drive with the 163 hp 2.0 TDI.
Audi Q5 Sport 2.0 TDI Quattro
The new Q5 is available in numerous engines, both diesel and petrol. In terms of drive, you can choose between front-wheel drive or quattro and in terms of transmission, you can choose a manual six-speed gearbox or an S tronic automatic transmission. For a 2.0 TDI with 136 hp you have to budget around €40,300. For a Sport 2.0 TFSI quattro S tronic will cost you at least €52,850. There is also a top-of-the-line SQ5 TFSI with 354 hp. The base price of the SQ5 is €66,200.
Our test car was an Audi Q5 “Sport” 2.0 TDI Quattro. In this case, sport does not mean a sporty motorization, but rather a sporty appearance with a number of specific styling features and options. Under the hood we found a 1,968 TDI diesel engine with a power of 163 hp and a max. torque of 400 Nm. The car feels powerful and torquey and certainly has nice power. If you want even more, you also have an option for 190 hp in the diesel range. Our test car went from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.9 seconds and the top speed is 211 km/h. The Q5 also had quattro all-wheel drive and an S tronic automatic transmission.
Stylish interior
On the outside, the Q5 does not look that spectacularly different from the previous generation. The opposite is true for the interior. The interior of the new Q5 looks very modern, stylish and elegant. It is therefore comparable to the interior of a Q7. The materials used feel very high-quality and we are very pleased with the lines of the dashboard. Personally, we would opt for the optional Audi Virtual Cockpit. You then get a fully digital dashboard where you can choose exactly which information you see where, based on a number of settings. If you wish, you can, for example, show the navigation map on the instrument panel. Also compared to the dashboard of competing brands, Audi’s dashboard stands out in terms of design.
Innovative driver assistance systems
The Audi Q5 has a lot of innovative technology. For example, the new Audi Q5, just like the Q7 and A4, has self-learning ‘Personal Route Assistance’. If you have activated the function, the navigation system learns the regularly driven routes and visited destinations and links them to the departure location and time.
The Q5 can also be equipped with numerous driver assistance systems that bring us as users one step closer to autonomous driving.
For example, the adaptive speed controller with traffic jam assistant can partially take over the steering of the SUV in a traffic jam. The Audi active lane assist ensures that the Q5 stays within its lane and the distance display warns the driver if the safety distance to vehicles in front is not respected. There is also an exit warning, an avoidance assistant and a system that helps the driver when turning. The Q5 also comes with Audi pre sense city as standard. This system warns the driver of pedestrians and vehicles and can even automatically perform emergency braking (within the limits of the system).
Conclusion
The new Audi Q5 has been thoroughly overhauled, especially on the inside. The result is an interior that looks stylish and modern. We were particularly impressed by the dashboard in combination with the optional virtual cockpit. The new Q5 is also a winner in terms of technology and driver assistance systems and brings us one step closer to autonomous driving.
Additional video interior and exterior:
Johan De Haes
Test driver
