- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.0DT, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
140kW, 400Nm
- Fuel
Diesel 5.3L/100KM
- Manufacturer
4WD
- Transmission
Auto (DCT)
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2017)
2018 Audi Q5 2.0 TDI new car review
In the world of luxury cars, what you see often isn’t what you get.
Manufacturers will often promote an attention-grabbing price before using heavily-optioned premium models in media and advertising campaigns to present cars in the best-possible light - for a much higher cost.
We’ve seen test examples near-double their standard price with optional features, but this week’s test car bucks the trend, showcasing the new Audi Q5 in its most basic form.
What do you get?
Few cars are more important to Audi than the new Q5, the successor to a car that helped forge the medium-size luxury SUV segment with more than 1.6 million examples produced since 2008. Frequently the best-selling car in its class around the world, the new Q5 arrives as premium SUVs have crystallised in Australia as the luxury car of choice – last month, the most popular models sold by Audi, BMW, Lexus and Volvo were SUVs. Only Mercedes breaks the trend.
Built in a new factory in Mexico, the new Q5 is available locally in three trims – “Design”, “Sport” and the range-topping SQ5 performance model.
Priced from $65,900 plus on-road costs in Design form, the new Q5 features a 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine with a new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and Quattro all-wheel-drive system as standard.
The base Q5 features 18-inch wheels with chubby tyres, leather trim, a powered tailgate, reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors and Xenon headlamps. Infotainment is taken care of through a 7-inch touch screen with sat nav, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, digital radio and in-car Wi-Fi.
A comprehensive standard safety suite features eight airbags, autonomous emergency braking and more, including an exit warning system that keeps an eye out for cyclists before you open a door to get out of the car.
Buyers who want a little more can step up to the Q5 Sport trim for an extra $4800, gaining Audi’s impressive 12.3-inch fully digital dashboard, 20-inch wheels, painted lower bumpers, adaptive cruise control, high-speed emergency braking, a better stereo and more. That’s probably worth the spend.
Optional extras for the Q5 Design include metallic paint ($1420), 19-inch wheels ($1600), a panoramic sunroof ($2462) and a comfort package with a driver’s memory function for the steering column, mirrors and driver’s seat along with a sliding rear bench ($2200).
Audi backs the car with a three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, offering a capped price servicing plan as an optional package when you buy the car.
What’s inside?
The Q5’s cabin takes inspiration from the latest Q7, combining spacious dimensions with a clean design, tech focus and attention to detail that won the brand plenty of fans in recent years.
This is a professional space where black leather meets bright aluminium trim and cool white ambient lighting – if Apple built a car, it might feel something like this.
Impressive in isolation, some customers might find Audi’s approach a little clinical in the face of competition. Other brands offer more overt displays of luxury, with Mercedes-Benz in particular doing a better job with its first impressions. At a glance, there’s little to separate the Audi from increasingly luxurious machines offered by sister machines built by Volkswagen and Skoda.
Though comfortable and competent, there’s little wow factor to Audi’s entry-level Q5, which uses a small 7-inch entertainment display, eight-speaker stereo and analogue driver’s instrumentation augmented by a clear and concise central readout.
Premium versions lift the bar with a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display while replacing the standard stereo with an 8.3-inch infotainment screen and 19-speaker Bang and Olufsen arrangement that does a much better job of impressing occupants in 2017.
Whichever way you go, Audi’s multimedia system is one of the best on the road, combining a logically laid-out menu structure and a remote rotary dial near the gear selector to make for intuitive and fuss-free access to its many features.
A multifunction steering wheel with shift paddles adds to the experience, as does an excellent driving position with an impressively broad range of adjustment.
The Q5 offers a decent amount of room in the rear, helped by a large boot that offers 550 litres of cargo space with the back seats in place, or 1550 litres with the seats folded flat. An optional load area rail system ($350) helps keep groceries under control.
Under the bonnet
The Q5 is fitted as standard with a 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine – though you could be forgiven for thinking it is a petrol motor, such is the power plant’s refinement.
Offering 140kW of power and a solid 400Nm of torque from as little as 1750rpm, the smooth and quiet diesel motor has plenty of pulling power on the open road – few drivers will feel short-changed when overtaking.
The motor is a little less impressive away from the traffic lights, where a stop-start fuel saving system and new seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission can be caught napping. We experienced the odd hiccup from the driveline at low speeds, a noticeable thump and rumble when manoeuvring in car parks and slow-moving traffic that doesn’t belong in a luxury car.
Audi’s new SUV features a revised all-wheel-drive system as standard, ditching the Haldex Quattro arrangement of its predecessor in favour of a more efficient on-demand system that shunts torque rearward as required. Audi says the system offers the best of both worlds – the fuel efficiency of a front-wheel-drive car and the confidence of a four-wheel-drive model, responding to slippery conditions in a fraction of a second. Enthusiasts can pop the car in sports mode to make more use of the rear axle when driving, while frugal-minded motorists will appreciate its ability to free-wheel in some circumstances, automatically coasting to save fuel.
Able to reach 100km/h in 7.9 seconds, the combination consumes an impressive 5.3L/100km of fuel in standardised tests – factor on 7L/100km or more in the real world.
How it drives
Given that the new Q5 shares its underpinnings with Audi’s impressive A4, we were not surprised to find it offers a refined and car-like driving experience.
The mid-sizer’s precise, quick-witted steering combines with a standard suspension setup that offers an impressively comfortable ride with well-controlled body movements.
Our entry-level model misses out on adaptive suspension and air suspension available on more expensive models. Even so, it soaks up bumps better than steel-sprung versions of Mercedes’ rival GLC range, winning fans at Drive with its quiet cabin and polished behaviour.
Part of that is down to a weight-reduction regime that saw the larger new model shed 90 kilograms thanks to a new body structure and a bonnet and boot made from lightweight aluminium.
Audi claims 208mm of ground clearance for the model. We didn’t put its off-road abilities to the test – few owners will.
Verdict
The entry-level Audi Q5 is all the luxury SUV you need.
It’s a competent, polished and well-specified car that represents the sensible option in Audi’s latest SUV range.
Then again, no-one really needs a car like this, and whether it’s the car you want is another matter. The slightly more expensive Q5 Sport does a better job of tapping into Audi’s design and tech-driven brand values – for many customers, it will be the one to have.
2018 Audi Q5 2.0TDI pricing and specifications
Price: From $65,900 plus on-road costs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel
Power: 140kW at 3800-4200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1750-3000rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic, all-wheel-drive
Fuel use: 5.3L/100km
Key rivals:
Mercedes-Benz GLC 250
Price: From $67,900 plus on-road costs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol
Power: 155kW at 5500rpm
Torque: 350Nm at 1200-1400rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Fuel use: 7.2L/100km
Rating: 7/10
Volvo XC60 D4 Inscription
Price: From $66,990 plus on-road costs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel
Power: 140kW at 4250rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1750-2500tpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto, all-wheel-drive
Fuel use: 5.2L/100km
Rating: Not yet rated.
Lexus NX 300h
Price: From $63,190 plus on-road costs
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol hybrid
Power: 147kW at 5700rpm
Torque: 210Nm at 4200-4400rpm
Transmission: CVT auto, AWD
Fuel consumption: 5.7L/100km
Rating: 6/10