2018 Audi Q5 Review
Car Tested: 2018 Audi Q5; Road Test No. 898
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 62-68 lakhs (est.)
The new Audi Q5 has evolved in many ways and flaunts itself as a strong contender
The luxury SUV market, not only in India but worldwide, is on an absolute roll with so many new models getting launched by various automakers. It seems that every automaker is trying to outdo their rivals by providing newer technology, better engines and a crammed equipment list. Audi is not one to be left behind. While they launched the all-new Q7 in 2015, the company has now brought in the second generation of the very popular Q5 and the SUV has made its India entry to compete in a segment where choices are now galore. Does the new Q5 really have the potential to carve a good enough market share for itself? Time to find out!
Motor Quest: The first generation Audi Q5 was launched in 2009 and it was an absolute hit. The car sold in extremely good numbers worldwide and in 2014 there was a point when every third quattro car sold by Audi was a Q5. The Q5 redefined its segment thanks to its comfort, space, strong engines and off-road ability.
Audi has been giving a sharp design to its newer models
Exteriors – In terms of looks, the 2018 Audi Q5 does look like a mini Q7 from certain angles, for instance, the imposing front grille and the sculpted bonnet will remind you of the current Q7 than the older Q5 and this is where the similarities between the siblings end. The LED headlights with the LED DRLs are differently styled than the Q7 and so is the sportier-looking bumper. Changes to the side profile are in the form of the chrome window surrounds and new 18-inch five-spoke alloy wheels which we feel look a bit too ordinary. Though one can argue that the rear looks similar than the outgoing model, Audi has given a new LED pattern with dynamic turn indicators for the tail-lights and there is a small rear undertray with faux exhaust tips. Underpinning the MLB Evo platform that is shared with cars like the Bentley Bentayga, the SUV is lighter by 100 kgs than its predecessor. Overall, the car’s design isn’t revolutionary but is sharp and sophisticated.
Surprisingly, Audi hasn’t incorporated the elongated AC vent design on the dashboard of the Q5
Interiors – The second generation Audi Q5 gets a modern and well laid-out cabin while reminding you of other Audis. There is a new 3-spoke steering wheel that is shared with the new A4 and Q7, Audi’s Virtual Cockpit, 3-zone climate control system and an 8.3-inch MMI infotainment screen. Speaking of which, the screen isn’t retractable and can neither be operated via touch. However, you do have a touchpad and rotary dial for the screen’s operation. Other features on offer are a huge panoramic sunroof, 360-degree surround camera, wireless phone charging, electrically adjustable front seats, memory function for the driver’s seat, hands-free parking, powered tail-gate and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support for the MMI unit. It’s loaded, isn’t it?
The cabin is well-appointed and quite practical
Audi’s virtual cockpit is the party-trick in the cabin of the new Q5, looks cool
The front seats offer good comfort and support and are fairly large in size but miss out on the ventilation function. Move to the rear seat and you’ll be surprised at the amount of space the new Q5 has to offer. While head room and shoulder space are good, knee room is pretty much satisfactory. Under-thigh support is decent too. That said, the car is better off being a 4-seater as the transmission tunnel hump and the rear aircon vents make it quite uncomfortable for the person sitting in the centre. The rear seats recline a tad bit for more leg space. You get a Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system that churns out good quality audio. There is a 550-litres boot for your regular warehouse duties. Also, the Ingolstadt-based automaker has, like always, used splendid quality materials in the cabin with very good finesse.
Audi might start offering a petrol engine too in the coming few months
Performance – On the mechanical front, the second generation Audi Q5 will only be offered with the 2.0-litre TDI engine in India, for now. This engine is now tuned to produce 190 HP and 400 Nm, which is marginally more than what the older Q5 put out. It comes with the 35 TDI badging and boy is this nomenclature confusing. Matched to this power plant is the usual 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The engine feels very quiet now, especially inside the cabin and looks like Audi has worked on the NVH levels. There is a typical clatter heard outside the car though. The tuning on this engine is spot on and there just doesn’t seem to be any dead zone in the power delivery band. Low-end is extremely good and the car feels very tractable while driving in the city. Stomp the throttle and the DSG downshifts a gear or two and propels the Q5 to higher speeds very quickly and less hesitantly.
The driving modes and the gearbox allow you to extract the most out of the car
The Q5 gets a strong engine which delivers good performance and makes it a great car to drive around
What is pleasantly surprising is the fact that this car actually feels much quicker than the older Q5, and this can be attributed to the lighter weight. The gearbox gets the usual D and S modes and D mode is actually suited most of the times unless you really want to drive hard and make quick overtakes. Along with that, the usual driving modes like Comfort, Dynamic, Auto, Individual and Off-Road are offered which alter responses from the steering, throttle and adjust the suspension. While 0-100 km/hr comes up in a claimed 7.9 seconds, the fuel efficiency is rated at 17.01 km/l, but in real world conditions you can expect around 12-14 km/l.
While the SUV is comfortable to ride, it could’ve been more involving to drive
Driving Dynamics – The suspension of the 2018 Audi Q5 gets adaptive damping and the ride quality is pretty comfortable. On smooth tarmac, the ride is well-sorted at low as well as high speeds with negligible vertical movement of passengers. On broken roads, the ride feels a bit stiff but not really back-breaking. In Comfort mode, the suspension feels a bit softer while in Dynamic it stiffens up nicely and reduces body roll too. The steering is very direct and the Q5 is a sharp handler now. However, the wheel just lacks feedback and feels quite vague at times. It is light at city speeds though and weighs up in Dynamic mode on the highways. The brakes do a good job of bringing the car to a halt without any heart-in-the-mouth moments. The Q5 comes with Quattro as standard and the Off-Road mode comes in to be useful while, er, off-roading.
Compared to the older car, the new Q5 gets a lot of modern tech
Safety and After Sales Service – German cars are built like tanks and that in itself means safety is guaranteed. Audi has packed in quite a number of safety tech like 8-airbags, auto hold function, electromechanical parking brake, Active Lane Assist, Collision Avoidance Asist, front and rear parking sensors and blind spot warning. Moreover, the SUV has received a 5-star rating in the Euro NCAP ratings. The Ingolstadt-based carmaker has a good reach of sales and service network across India with dealerships in all major cities.
The Q5 will be brought down to India via the CKD route
Verdict – The 2018 Q5 is undoubtedly a very good SUV and the Audi brand image is definitely going to be helpful here because the car has all it takes to fetch good sales. While the pricing isn’t revealed yet, we expect it to only be marginally costlier than the older car and knowing how people prefer the Audi badge over its British and Scandinavian rivals, the Q5 is likely to be one of the highest sellers in its segment. The car itself is so much better to drive now and packs in a good amount of gadgetry and comfort too. The styling is pretty much spot on and there’s hardly any reason why Audi could go wrong with this one.
You get cool features like wireless charging
What’s Cool
* Interiors are classy and premium, feel very good
* The TDI engine has a lot of grunt and the gearbox is quick too
* Adaptive dampers work well and ride is comfy
What’s Not So Cool
* Only 1 engine option for the time being
Alternatives: Mercedes GLE, BMW X3, Volvo XC60, Range Rover Evoque, Jaguar F-Pace
The Q5 is lighter by 100 kgs compared to the old car
2018 Audi Q5 Specifications
* Engine: 1968cc, 4-Cyl, DOHC, Diesel
* Power: 190 HP @ 3800-4200 RPM
* Torque: 400 Nm @ 1750-3000 RPM
* Transmission: 7-Speed DCT
* 0-100 km/hr: 7.90 seconds (claimed)
* Top Speed: 218 km/hr
* Fuel Consumption: 12-14 km/l (Real World), 17.01 km/l (Claimed)
* Fuel Type: Diesel
* Suspension: Independent, Multi-Link, Adaptive Suspension
* Tyre Size: 235/60/18
* Brakes: Discs (Front), Discs (Rear), ABS
* Safety: Airbags, ABS, TCS, Hill Hold, TPMS, ESC
2018 Audi Q5 Dimensions
* Overall length x width x height: 4663 mm X 1898 mm X 1659 mm
* Boot Space: 550-litres
* Wheelbase: 2819 mm
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 70-litres
German vs Scandinavian – what would be your pick?
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