Audi Q5 35 TDI 2022 Review

The 2022 Audi Q5 35 TDI is a neat example of the pricing shock that has hit the Australian new-vehicle market.

Here’s a bit of a history lesson to understand why.

In June 2017, when the second-generation Mexican-built Q5 five-seat SUV launched in Australia, the cheapest model was the $65,900 (plus on-road costs) Audi Q5 2.0 TDI quattro with a 140kW/400Nm turbo-diesel engine, seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and all-wheel drive.

In 2019, the range was updated and the Q5 2.0 TDI quattro became the Q5 40 TDI quattro. Commendably, the price held stable despite equipment being added.

But in early 2021 the Q5 40 TDI quattro was boosted 10kW and the price climbed to $68,900 plus ORCs. By early 2022 it had risen to $72,700 plus on-roads.

So a car that held its price for almost four years has gone up nearly $7000 in about a year.

Enter the 2022 Audi Q5 35 TDI. Available only as a wagon and not a sloped-roof Q5 Sportback, it’s priced at $68,350 plus ORCs.

For that you get a detuned 120kW/350Nm engine and the deletion of quattro. For the first time a Q5 sold in Australia is front-wheel drive only.

So Audi is now offering a Q5 with less power and torque and half the driving wheels of any previous Q5. Yet it’s significantly more expensive than the old base model was less than two years ago.

Pointing all this out is not to pick on Audi. It’s just an obvious example of how we’re paying more for less in an era of inflation, logistical challenges and materials shortages.

If you don’t like it, too bad. Price rises are universal, which means the new Q5 is competitive against its premium opposition.

In fact, it undercuts the most affordable BMW X3 by more than $6500 and it’s lineball with the cheapest Volvo XC60. Meanwhile, the worthy if mostly ignored Alfa Romeo Stelvio is significantly cheaper.

Audi says the new Q5 35 TDI is actually a limited edition, but at the same time it also makes clear it is expected to become a permanent part of the range.

For now, compared to the Q5 40 TDI, it gets some specific added features plucked from the options list – 20-inch alloy wheels (an inch bigger than the 40 TDI), privacy glass from the B-pillar back, 30-colour interior ambient lighting and heated front seats.

That’s in addition to exterior equipment shared with the 40 TDI including keyless entry and start, a power tailgate with gesture control, heated exterior mirrors and aluminium roof rails.

Inside, you’ll find powered front seats with leather-appointed trim, tri-zone climate control, an eight-speaker audio system, two USB ports up front and another two in the rear, and a new 10.1-inch touch-screen housing the latest Audi infotainment operating system that supports embedded sat-nav, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and online services such as weather and fuel prices.

The Q5 35 also gets Audi connect with emergency call and online roadside assistance (among other things). CarPlay is wireless and wired, Android Auto wired only.

The spare wheel is a collapsible space-saver and white is the only colour you won’t pay extra for.

Compared to the Q5 40 TDI quattro spec, this car misses out on a couple of equipment bits and bobs as well as the aforementioned major mechanical items.

You make do with an analogue speedo rather than a digital one (a digital readout including a speedo sits between the two dials) and there is no smartphone wireless charging.

The Q5 35 is protected by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. Service intervals are 12 months/15,000km. Audi says a five-year service plan will cost $3140.

The impact of the supply crisis triggered by the COVID pandemic also shows up in the safety equipment list of the 2022 Audi Q5 35 TDI.

Of course, in this regard it’s hardly alone as the microchip shortage has wreaked havoc on equipment levels.

Stuff that’s standard but could be missing includes lane change warning assist, exit warning, rear cross traffic assist and pre-sense rear, which attempts to mitigate rear-end collisions by doing things like flashing hazard lights at high frequency to warn surrounding traffic.

Audi says it will provide price compensation to suit if any standard equipment is not available.

Adaptive cruise control is not part of the standard equipment list, which is quite a miss at this price. It's part of an options pack that also includes high-speed autonomous emergency braking (AEB), a 360-degree camera, collision avoidance assist, turn assist and exterior mirrors with a kerb-side function on the passenger side.

Hmmm, actually most of that should be standard at this price. Mind you, the 40 TDI also misses out on this stuff so Audi’s not just picking on the 35 here.

Okay, so what do you actually get? AEB works at up to 85km/h, detecting impending collisions and reducing speeds by up to 40km/h. The system includes pedestrian detection, but there’s no mention of cyclists or what happens at night.

Other safety equipment includes eight airbags, active lane assist, a high beam assist for the LED headlights with cornering function (driving lights and tail-lights are LED too) and three child seat top tethers on the back of the rear seat.

There’s also an active bonnet to protect pedestrians, driver attention monitoring, a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors and a sensor that retunes the stability control to take into account the higher centre of gravity if a load is placed on the roof.

The Q5 35 TDI does get the same five-star ANCAP rating as the rest of the range based on 2017 protocols.

Like the rest of the range, the 2022 Audi Q5 35 TDI is based on the familiar Volkswagen Group MLBevo steel/aluminium composite monocoque architecture that’s designed for vehicles with longitudinal front-mounted engines driving the front or all four wheels.

The engine in this vehicle is a 12V mild-hybrid version of the familiar EA288 DOHC 16-valve turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine that makes 120kW from 3250-4200rpm and 370Nm at 1500-3000rpm.

Driving via a seven-speed S-tronic dual-clutch gearbox that changes automatically or manually via the lever or paddles, Audi claims a 0-100km/h time of 9.0 seconds and a 213km/h top speed.

Wheel selective torque control apportions drive to the front wheels as appropriate by squeezing the brakes individually. Hill descent control is retained even if quattro isn’t.

With automatic engine idle-stop assisting, the official claimed fuel consumption figure is 4.8L/100km. Audi says that number is the best achieved by any diesel car on sale in Australia today.

It’s also claimed to be among the cleanest diesel engines around courtesy of its twin catalytic converters with twin-dosing AdBlue system. The engine has been certified to the Euro 6d-ISC-FCM emissions standard which has a strong focus on real-world driving results.

Still, we managed to finish well above the claim, averaging 6.8L/100km over a couple of days of widely varied driving. It’s a decent number for an SUV of this size.

The behaviour of the drivetrain can be influenced via drive select, which offers Efficiency, Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Individual modes.

Steering is also affected by the modes but not the multi-link front and rear suspension, which is passive. The mechanical package is completed by electro-mechanical rack and pinion power steering and disc brakes. Michelin Latitude Sport 3 tyres were fitted to the test car.

Losing the prop shaft and rear diff helps shave 65kg off the Q5 35’s kerb weight compared to the 40 TDI, resetting it at 1815kg. Other measurements are familiar; the 35 is 4682mm long, 1893mm wide and 1637mm high. It has a 2823mm wheelbase.

That measures up a little smaller than the BMW X3 and about the same size as the Mercedes-Benz GLC, which is soon to be replaced. The Q5 is big enough to be useful, but not so big to be awkward.

The boot has a 520-litre capacity, expanding to 1520 litres when the 40/20/40-split rear seat is folded. The braked towing capacity is 2000kg.

With its low fuel consumption rate and big 70-litre fuel tank, the German car-maker reckons the 2022 Audi Q5 35 TDI is a terrific vehicle for a long, loping cross-country cruise.

With a theoretical range of 1400km, you’re not going to have range anxiety, that’s for sure.

But if I’m heading off for a long drive in a Q5, then I’d prefer something with more grunt, more luxury and more safety features.

The Q5 35 TDI actually seems more at home around town doing the urban commute, shopping and family runs and all those everyday tasks.

It’s economical, it’s nippy and easy to handle, with light steering at low speed and an attractive 11.8m turning circle. It’s also easy to see out of thanks to its sizeable glasshouse and has plenty of room to store your stuff.

The swap to front-wheel drive makes itself felt with some wheelspin on wet roads and steering wheel tug – or torque steer – when accelerating. It’s not too bad, it’s just that quattro would manage it that little bit better.

Mentioning wheelspin might suggest this engine is a bit fiery, but that’s not the case. It’s actually pretty docile.

It won’t have any drama keeping up in the trundle from traffic light to traffic light. But acceleration can feel hollow unless you’re prepared to stick the boot in, flip drive select into Dynamic or change gears manually.

Once you get up and going it cruises happily at 100km/h at just 1400rpm in seventh gear. However hard you stress it, the engine remains a distant noise rather than a clattery intrusion.

This is a pleasantly muted cabin in which to travel.

The ride quality is a bit grumbly on the 20-inch wheels, but it’s still a decent balance between comfort and handling.

The 35 doesn’t let the side down; the Q5 remains one of the more pleasant medium SUVs to drive. Not exciting, of course, but worthy.

In fact, the letdown with this car is the interior more than the drive experience. Audi has worked hard in recent times to develop its reputation for delivering great cabin ambience, but the 35 TDI misses the target.

There is just too much hard plastic that’s too obvious. The front bucket seats are uninspiring and the analogue instrument panel feels underdone, especially because we know digital dials are standard in Audis tens of thousands of dollars cheaper.

There’s some good points, of course. Storage is plentiful, the transition away from the old dial and touch-pad to touch-screen for the infotainment is a step forward in terms of simplicity and the driver should be able to get comfy given the amount of seat and steering column adjustment on offer.

The rear seat is tight for adults in terms of legroom, but there is excellent foot space and headroom. There’s also decent storage as well; those USB outlets and the adjustable air-con help passengers feel looked-after.

The 2022 Audi Q5 35 TDI is a competent mid-size SUV at a price where more than competence is traditionally expected.

But with inflation and demand pushing prices upwards, the pricing of the Q5 35 TDI is the new normal rather than an aberration.

That doesn’t stop it lacking ambience, safety features and performance. But it does deliver frugal fuel economy and a pleasant, if innocuous, driving experience.

If you really want an Audi Q5, try and stretch to the 40 TDI. It’s a better car.

If you’re more brand agnostic, shop around because there’s lots of high-quality mid-size SUVs out there these days.

How much does the 2022 Audi Q5 35 TDI Limited Edition cost?
Price: $68,350 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 120kW/350Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 4.8L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 125g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2017)