When Audi (finally) decided to build its first SUV it didn't pull any punches with the large and luxurious seven-seater Q7.
For sheer size and spectacle it impresses the neighbours no end, but its bulk can become quite a handful if you're not an A-student in parallel parking.
The five-seater Audi Q5 launched in South Africa earlier this year offers a slimmed-down, easier-to-manoeuvre SUV that feels more like a car. Though smaller in dimensions, it's still a big gun in terms of spec, with permanent all-wheel drive, hill-descent control, roof rails, mega luxury and loads of cabin and boot space for its five passengers.
The 3.2-litre V6 petrol version it also has fairly large-calibre firepower.
In the Q5's four-model range the two-litre turbocharged petrol and diesel derivatives probably make the most money sense with their blend of thrust and thrift but owners of the more powerful 3.2 will be able to tilt their noses ever so slightly higher.
At altitude the normally-aspirated 3.2 probably won't have much of a performance advantage over the two-litre turbos (if any) but it's the creamy smooth way that the engine flexes its muscles - both in character and acoustics - that gives this six-cylinder version that special air.
It has linear power delivery, no lags or spikes as it wafts along as smoothly as a silk hanky being stroked across Jessica Alba's thigh. It's quiet, too, with decibels that only start announcing themselves when you're revving into the red zone. Even then it's a raised whisper that never sounds strained. It's so hypnotically serene that when you do provoke the throttle you're almost surprised by the forceful acceleration.
Though considerably smaller than the Q7, the Q5's still a large vehicle that tips the scales at a hefty 1.8 tons so that V6 needed to pack decent firepower to move it along in any kind of hurry. It succeeds and the 199kW and 330Nm outputs deliver both a brisk pulloff and effortless long-legged cruising power.
The 3.2's also not as thirsty as we expected :12.8 litres/100km is not much higher than the 11.1 of the two-litre turbodiesel we tested a few months back.
Audi Drive Select was fitted to the test car was, a system first introduced on the A4 sedan to allow the driver to adjust the suspension, throttle and steering settings from comfortable to sporty.
MORE ASSERTIVE
Playing with the system became a very transient novelty because the difference between modes wasn't major. I was disappointed that the suspension still felt firm and jittery off-road when switched to 'Comfort', confirming that the Q5 wasn't primarily made for getting its wheels dirty.
In the sportiest mode the car feels a little more assertive through traffic by holding lower gears for brisker acceleration but downshifts by the seven-speed S-tronic dual-clutch transmission occur so quickly and smoothly that we mostly left Drive Select in its default mode.
It was for the same reason the manual paddle shifters on the steering wheel stayed mostly unplayed-with.
The dual-clutch gearbox is a beauty and as smooth as strawberries and cream.
Audi calls the Q5 an SUV with the genes of a sports car, and for a change this over-quoted industry claim isn't wide of the mark. The Q5 handles well for a tall and bulky vehicle; despite its generous 200mm ground clearance, the firm suspension prevents the car from handling like a beached sea lion and it carves through tight turns with a supple feel.
COUPE-LIKE ROOFLINE
Jolling in the dirt isn't the Q5's primary mission but the elevated ground clearance at least makes you feel more comfortable driving through the 2010 construction sites that used to be SA's roads. When the turf turns slippery the ESP and ABS systems also switch to specially mapped programmes for off-road driving.
The Q5's a handsome vehicle with a coupé-like roofline and Audi's signature daytime running lights - standard on the 3.2 V6 - as its styling highlights. With the Q5 and similarly smart-looking XC60 arriving on the scene, the BMW X3 has suddenly aged quite a lot.
If you're willing to spend more money, the Q5 offers enough optionals to impress James Bond, including a mutlimedia interface and satnav with hard and DVD drives a Bluetooth phone, a TV tuner, a speech control system, digital radio reception, a plug for an iPod or MP3 player, a high-end sound system from Danish specialist Bang & Olufsen and a hard drive which can store music files.
The test car had Audi's new top-of-the-range navigation system with a very lifelike three-dimensional display that showed the contours of the land.
Audi's usual problem is its aircon, which allows only a partial override by the user. You can set the air direction wherever you want but if you wish to choose your own fan speed - not the gale force that the computer often defaults to - sorry for you.
VERDICT
Unless you need to schlep seven people, the five-seater Q5 offers all that its bigger cousin does: luxury with refinement, \pace with grace. And it's a lot easier to park.
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine:
3197cc V6 fed by direct petrol injection.
Max power/torque:
199kW at 6500rpm / 330Nm from 3000-5000rpm. Carbon emissions: 218 g/km
Transmission::
Seven-speed S-Tronic auto.
Suspension:
Five-link, upper and lower wishbones with anti-roll bar at the front, independent trapezoidal link and anti-roll bar at the rear.
Steering:
Power-assisted rack-and-pinion with height and reach adjustment for the steering column.
Brakes:
Front: Vented discs front, solid discs rear with anti-lock.
Wheels/Tyres:
18" alloy rims shod with 235/60 tyres.
Dimensions:
Length 4629mm, width 1880mm, height 1653mm. Mass: 1795kg.
Fuel tank:
75 litres.
Payload/boot:
540-1560 litres.
Performance (at Gauteng altitude using Acelogic Vbox):
Top speed 234km/h. acceleration 0-100km/h 9.3sec.
Standard items:
Three-zone auto aircon; power windows and mirrors, remote-controlled central locking, radio/CD, leather, power adjustment for driving seat, cruise control; electro-mechanical parking brake, aluminium roof rails; xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, front and rear parking sensors, colour driving information system, light and rain sensors, adjustable rear seat.
Safety:
Electronic stability control with hill descent control, six crash bags.
Warranty:
One year unlimited distance, five-year or 100 000km Freeway Plan with roadside assistance.
Fuel consumption:
12.8 litres/100km.
Service intervals:
Determined by the car's computer.
Price:
R519 780.
Rivals
BMW X3 xDrive 30i Steptronic (200kW/315Nm) - R521 000
Chevrolet Captiva 3.2 LTZ auto (169kW/297Nm) - R405 510
Dodge Nitro 3.7 R/T auto (151kW/314Nm) - R369 900
Volvo XC60 3.0T Geartronic (210kW/400Nm) - R515 000
Land Rover Freelander 3.2 i6 HSE Commandshift (171kW/317Nm) -R459 000
Kia Sorento 3.8 V6 4x4 auto (198kW/360Nm) - 378 995
Mazda CX-7 2.3 Activematic (175kW/350Nm) - R429 600.