the Bucket: Bucket Seat: Audi Q5 40 TDI Quattro S Line

When it comes to the SUV market, the influx of late has been a lot to take in, apart from the various new segments being introduced especially in the compact market, the new brands coming in are making a once relatively sparse segment flooded with options for the consumer. One of the long standing models being the medium sized SUV still remains to be a big favourite for larger families as it offers a spacious cabin, powerful engines and great versatility for whatever the task at hand. One of the long runners in the market for this has been the Audi Q5, with stiff competition coming from either one of its German rivals, the Q5 has always managed to hold its own in the market and provided a handy alternative for many at a slightly cheaper price than its rivals. With Audi's TDI engines stealing the limelight in the past decade, this was always a major draw card with the Q5 and there after advancements in the TFSI petrol engines also sparked interest with the consumer and as we usher in a new era with electric powered vehicles in Audi's e-tron stable, the Q5 still remains an integral part of the Audi family until they go full electric. I spent some time with the revised Audi Q5 40 TDI recently and here are my thoughts on the car.

DESIGN

With the introduction of the Q5 Sportback, one would think the appeal for the regular one would lessen but credit to Audi, while most of the changes on this revised model does mirror on to the Sportback model, this one still looks great. The new headlights featuring Audi's new LED matrix lights give it quite that modern futuristic look. The grille has seen some cosmetic changes as well with having a more edgy outline and thicker border finished in brushed aluminum, the hatches in the inside are bigger and add to the bolder presence. This particular model was in the S Line guise which featured a front mud guard finished in brushed aluminum and C shaped clusters to house the side fog lamps. Side profile of the car is much the same of the previous mode but with the S Line trim you get a side step and side sill finished in aluminum too. The new 20-inch, 5-spoke Flax style rims in the Black Matte finish are from the options list and gave the car that extra sporty look. Moving to the back, the lights also received the new matrix LED treatment and had the welcome sequence like the front when unlocking and locking the car. The interior is pretty much the same in terms of design to the old with the only major difference being the larger infotainment screen.

PERFORMANCE

As mentioned, the TDI engine from Audi was quite a popular engine on the market, apart from its solid performance and fuel efficient figures, the reliability on them was second to none. It's no different with the latest versions as well, the Audi A5 is offered in the 40TDI variant only with only a choice of trims for the car that differentiate it. Power output on this 2.0L Turbo-Diesel engine is 140kW with total Torque of 400Nm with the claimed fuel consumption of 5.5L per 100km. So still a pretty strong showing for fuel economy and while my time with the car saw my driving be a bit rash for most periods, I still managed to average around 8.1L which pretty impressive for a car this size and the distance I covered. The road handling on the car is impressive, given that is has four-wheel drive with Quattro, it managed to navigate its way around quite well and seeing that I happened to have this car over the flooding period in KZN, it made going to site quite entertaining, while it isn't a fully-fledged off-roader, the Q5 managed its own in some tricky situations.

COMFORT

Whoever spec'd this car deserves a high-five, Brilliant Black on the outside with a crispy white interior that is contrasted well by high-gloss black finishes with silver trimmings adorned the cabin. The Q5 comes with a three-zone climate control system that has dual zones for front passenger and driver with the rear occupants getting their own controls for them. The larger infotainment screen features Audi's latest MMI interface and Audi Connect services to provide live traffic updates, weather reports on your location and various other Audi services. The car like other models has built-in mobile apps and can be operated wirelessly. There is an optional wireless mobile phone charging tray and the Q5 does come with USB B charging ports for front and rear passengers. The seats are very comfortable and support you well while driving, there are optional electric adjustable and have two memory settings. The virtual cockpit instrument cluster negates the need for a heads-up display but it still is listed in the options list should you prefer it. What I like about the navigation view, is that it offers satellite imagery from Google Earth as an overlay which is pretty cool. There are various views you can switch to while driving displaying relevant information. The ride quality and comfort is great and with little road noise in the cabin, that can be easily drowned out by the 755 watts, 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen Premium Sound System which is a R15,500 extra that I would tick when ordering one.

VERDICT

While the Audi Q5 Sportback might be more appealing in the visual sense, when looking at practicality and functionality, the normal Q5 still comes out trumps. The extra space and comfort experienced in this great and with the offerings in the cabin, it just makes better sense for a large family to get into one of these. While the options list can go on, the right ones are well worth the extra money, even me a person who isn't too fond of sunroofs loved have the large panoramic glass sunroof, it allows so much natural light into the cabin with the curtain open that it makes you want to keep on driving. The safety features and driver assists on the Q5 are quite helpful, it would have been nice to have the option of having a surround camera system like many of their competitors as the Q5 only comes with a reverse cam with front and rear PDC's. Overall, a well put together car that is bound to keep the loyalist happy.

SPECIFICATIONS