Audi Q5 2.0 TFSI 2013 Review

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory & delivery charges): $62,900
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Metallic paint $1850; Technik package (MMI navigation plus, three-zone climate control; reversing camera) $4950; Luggage rail system with load securing set $450
Crash rating: Five-star ANCAP
Fuel: 98 RON PULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 7.9
CO2 emissions (g/km): 184
Also consider: BMW X3 (from $59,500); Land Rover Evoque (from $49,995); Land Rover Freelander 2 (from $42,300); Volvo XC60 (from $55,490).

Audi’s Q5 is leader of the pack -- not only for Audi sales nationally, but within the mid-size luxury SUV segment. Not short of strong competition, it goes head-to-head with the handsome Range Rover Evoque, the BMW X3, the Land Rover Freelander 2 and the Volvo XC60.

So is it ready to rest on its laurels? Hardly -- the latest update sees changes in styling, infotainment systems, assistance systems and new engines -- and yet the pricing is unchanged. Take that!

The Q5 has a strong athletic look, while maintaining a nice air of pomp, too. Its well-proportioned body sits on 18-inch aluminium wheels, standard. The nicely sculptured exterior is seamless.

Its interior makes you feel welcome, comfortable and just slightly spoilt. High gloss blacks, carbon-fibre reinforced plastics, chrome, wood and leather finishes are tastefully combined to create a luxurious finish.

Driver and front passenger seats are comfortable and offer good adjustability, including lumbar support. Headroom and leg room are both good. The second row seating also offers a good level of space and comfort. With two child seats fitted, there was ample room for loading and unloading the kids.

Both of our test vehicles (we also sampled the Q5 2.0 TDI) were fitted with the Technik package that includes the MMI navigation plus, tri-zone auto air-conditioning and a reversing camera -- at an additional cost of $4950.

The revised Q5 is available in four engine variants; two TDI engines and two TFSI engines -- offering a 2.0 (four-cylinder) and 3.0-litre (V6) option for each. A seven-speed S tronic transmission is standard on the TDI engines, and an eight-speed tiptronic is standard for the TFSI engines. All four models are equipped with idle stop-start technology.

We tested the 2.0-litre models in both turbo-petrol (TFSI) and (turbo-diesel) TDI guise. The diesel engine develops 130kW at 4200rpm and 380Nm from 1750rpm, with the petrol engine delivering 165kW at 4500rpm and 350Nm from 1500rpm.

My hands-down favourite is the 2.0-litre TFSI. This engine seemed more obedient and generally more willing, able and eager to please.

The TFSI turbo-petrol boasts seamless delivery of power at every opportunity. Put your foot down and the call to power is immediate, fast. The engine is happy to rev and gear ratios sort you through the eight gears with great composure. Or manage the progression yourself through manual gear select, for more control over your ride.

At higher speeds, the TFSI is happy to drop down a gear to gain some additional pace; it felt like teamwork.

Pace is an obvious differentiator for these two vehicles. Official acceleration figures highlight this, with the 2.0 TDI climbing 0-100km/h in 9.0 seconds, whereas the 2.0-TFSI takes just 7.1 seconds. Mind you, I felt no need to pump the Q5 from standstill under normal driving circumstances; it served as my family car.

Measuring over 4500mm in length and just over 1800mm wide, the Q5 manouvres like something half its size. I was impressed by just how quickly I adapted to using the Q5 as my everyday car. Negotiating my narrow, car-filled street was no problem for the Q5. The turning circle, precise steering and reversing camera made light work of parking in a tight street with unforgiving bluestone gutters.

In normal driving conditions however, the Q5 posed some significant visibility problems for me. The steep slope of the front pillar, combined with seriously large wing mirrors resulted in a massive blind-spot. In my narrow street, it also would have been great to be able to retract the wing mirrors (Ed: available as an option).

The Q5s steering is light, precise and offers good feedback at higher speeds. The steering wheel feels solid and comfortable in hand. Add to this a well-balanced chassis, and the Q5 delivered a very comfortable ride with reassuring grip and great composure in cornering.

The comfort, safety, performance and flexible cabin configuration make the Q5 the kind of car I would consider for my family car.

The Q5s in-cabin storage (multiple cupholders and storage holes) is top notch but it was the 40:20:40 split-fold seats that stole my heart. This is a wonderful configuration when, like me, you have two child seats in the rear. The ability to fold each seat separately makes for a hugely versatile load space.

When all three seats are folded flat, the load capacity grows from 540 to 1560-litres.

Our vehicle was also optioned with the luggage rail system with load securing set that costs $450. And having used this, I dare say, I would pay $450 for the convenience. It was a simple option I really appreciated and used with great enthusiasm, every day. The automatic tailgate also eased my everyday comings and goings.

The Audi Q5 earns a five-star ANCAP rating and has eight airbags. Intelligent safety features include adaptive cruise control, active lane assist and side assist. The adaptive cruise control is clever, to say the least. From speeds of 30-200km/h, it monitors the gap between objects in front and takes braking action when it deems the gap too small.

The MMI navigation plus offers a 7.0-inch monitor with clear display. The satellite navigation system was easy to use and offered excellent visual guidance via the main screen and in the centre of the instrumentation panel. The audible guidance is timely and the visual display can be adjusted to your desire zoom level. 

The Q5's audio and Bluetooth systems also both worked without fault. Technology was well integrated and easy to use, accessed by the centre console control or via the steering-wheel mounted controls.

For a predominantly city-based test, the 2.0 TFSI Q5 consistently delivered fuel consumption figures at around 11.0L/100km.

The updated Audi Q5 is a handsome and versatile vehicle that continues to take the challenge to its competitors. And while this latest update to the Q5 is all good news, the competitors are creeping up and line between leader and follower is closing.

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