Audi Q5 3.0TDI

No-one could accuse Audi’s new design direction as being bland. It is just too aggressive and in your face. It seems as the though the years of being on the receiving end of jibes about being a boring, accountant’s car have set the wheels in motion that seem to be taking this German car maker beyond the others from the same country.

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The biggest hit that the others took was when Audi launched the R8. Everybody thought that Audi had no business playing in the big leagues of supercar design and expected the worst. The world sat up and took notice when they produced an absolute gem. It consistently rates higher in tests than Porsches and other more traditional supercars.

Then, after being pioneers of the Quattro concept for passenger cars, they never had a 4x4 to chuck the system into. Years after the X5 created the segment, they launched a rival. Bigger, bolder and for some, better, the Q7 once again rattled a few cages. It is a remarkable car, for its sheer size, as well as for its magnificent automatic gearbox and 3.0l diesel power plant.

So when I was invited to test the Q5, I jumped at the chance.

At first glance, it looks smaller than it really is. It easily swallows up four adults and has a plentiful supply of driver seat adjustments, including lumbar support, which for me, with a dodgey back, was superb. Steering wheel is height and rake adjustable, as one would expect. The cabin is typical Audi, which means it all works and is laid out in an easy to use manner.

The two keys to this cabin are without a doubt the excellent sat-nav images and the crystal clear B&O sound system. At volumes that would ordinarily rip out your eardrums and shred them in front of you, the sound is clearer than Swarovski crystal.

Driving the Q5 is all about ease of performance. It just gets on with the job with a minimum of fuss and no fanfare. It has a GTI beating time of 6.7secs on the 0-100 sprint, and it just keeps on pulling. Once again, the gearbox is a sublime piece of engineering that is streaks ahead of any other on cars that I have tested. While the driving position is slightly raised, you don’t get that towering, wobbly feeling that comes with some other SUVs. It really does behave and feel like a sedan when driving it.

Off road, well, on the little bit of dirt tracking that I managed to squeeze in, it felt composed, as one would expect it to with the famed Quattro system doing its thing. Unfortunately I never had the opportunity of really testing it in the rough stuff, and am keen to see if it holds its own. When testing big brother, the Q7, it surprised me when I had it on a 4x4 trail in the Karoo with its ability and poise. Once I had learned to trust the hill descent controls, it was a surefooted, calm descent that was executed with minimal input from me, except pointing it in the right direction. I like to think that the Q5 would be a little better due to its size.

All in all, this car is a delight which will be well received by the polo set and private school run brigade.