We get behind the wheel of the Audi Q5, their best-selling SUV that was given a makeover recently
Why fix it when it ain’t broken? That is generally the norm when you look at most manufacturers.
However, at Audi they don’t know the meaning of this phrase as they want to be a step ahead of the competition. The Q5 is the best-selling SUV in India and mid-size SUV in Europe and they have given it a major reworking to improve it even further.
Normally, a facelift means a new headlamp and grille at the front and a set of new tail-lamps at the rear. At Audi, however, a facelift means giving the whole car a makeover – right from reworking the engine, suspension, interior and exterior of the car.
The sporty design of the Q5 with its flat roof-arch has now been revised and it appears to be sharper. The single-frame grille has chamfered top corners and its vertical chrome struts and Audi rings have a sculptural look. The bumpers, air inlets and fog lights are new. The Xenon headlights get a continuous strip of LED daytime running lights around the edge, similar to the tail-lights at the rear.
All Audi cars are known for their interior, which sets a benchmark for the rest of the industry and the new Q5’s interior has been further upgraded and taken to another level. The re-worked seats give excellent support and one can spend hours in the car without any fatigue whatsoever.
Thanks to the engine refinement, now it is impossible to make out the difference between the petrol and diesel engine cars unless you take a close look at the RPM meter and see the lower red-line compared to the petrol engine. The 2.0 TDI engine produces 177 BHP and 380 Nm of torque. The combination of this power and torque along with the seven-speed S tronic gearbox gives the Q5 exceptional drive ability with added bonus of 15 per cent gain in fuel efficiency.
The reduction in unsprung weight can be felt as the SUV has become even more nimble and agile around corners and the reworked spring and shock-absorber improves the ride quality. The new electro-mechanical steering is light at low speed and weighs up nicely at high speed.
The Q5 has improved in all the departments right from performance, fuel efficiency, refinement and the NVH level is lower than that in its predecessor. To sum it up, the best just got better.
Normally, a facelift means a new headlamp and grille at the front and a set of new tail-lamps at the rear. At Audi, however, a facelift means giving the whole car a makeover
Story: Aspi Bhathena
Photography: Audi
