The All New Audi Q5

22 December 2008

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Is This The Ultimate Yummy-Mummy Mobile?

Recession? What recession?, as far as Audi are concerned. Not only have they launched this brand new Q5 SUV, sure to send ripples of jealousy through the sea of waiting parents at the school gates, they have announced ambitious plans to launch ten, yes ten, new cars in 2009!

Dubbed the new BMW, Audi are on a roll. Let us just hope that customers deserting the sinking ship to swim to the buoyant Audi fleet do not take with them the anti-social driving skills often associated with the aforesaid manufacturers.

So what is all the fuss about in this Q5? Well this is Audi’s contribution to the street cred sector of the SUV market. However, being Audi, they have gone one step further and this Q5 effectively combines the rugged 4X4 characteristics with saloon status and comfort.

Being a five-seater, the Q5 is smaller than its rather overpowering sibling the Q7 that, even for the die-hard yummy-mummies, was possibly a tad too pretentious at the school gates.

However, the Q5 is, in fact, not aimed at these delicious yummy-mummies, but at the doting dads. As if they really have any influence in the buying department! But according to Audi, the Q5 is appealing to men in their late forties, married, with a couple of children, a good job that pays well, a pre-requisite if you see the list of optional extras, and into every conceivable extreme sport.

So the Q5 has to tick many boxes in order to fulfil its role and win-over the doting dads. For instance, it has to look the business in case the doting dad decides to do the school run once a year to check out the new mums.

It has to be laden with on-board gadgets as we all know what boys and their toys are like. Preferably these gadgets have to be as complicated as possible so the doting dads can demonstrate their wizardry at mastering new technology.

It has to be comfortable to appease their wallet, yet rough and ready on a Sunday morning so they can take the children to the rugby pitch without the embarrassment of getting stuck in the mud.

But most of all it has to be powerful so they can burn off their pent up stresses of the week with more horsepower and torque than they could muster up in their wildest dreams.

A tall order? No, not really. For the Audi Q5 ticks all the boxes and is a car that goes beyond the call of duty.

Whizzing their way to the UK showrooms any day now, the Q5 comes in three trims, S, SE and S line mated to either a petrol, a 2.0 litre TFSI quattro, or two diesel engines, a 2.0 litre TDI quattro or a 3.0 TDI quattro, but the latter is not available on the S trim. Prices start from £27,650 rising to £37,540 that will not see the doting dad bolt at the first hurdle – yet.

South of Spain was the chosen location to launch the Q5 with driving roads to dream of, both on- and off-road, bringing out the attributes of the Q5. All models we drove came on the SE trim with the bulk of the optional extras on board.

Starting off in the 2.0 litre diesel 6-speed manual, the engine was man enough for the job in hand with a top speed of 126 mph and reaching 62mph from zero in a moderate 9.5 seconds. A good speed for a quick get-away from the school gates. Fuel consumption is a very healthy 42.1-mpg on a combined cycle, with CO2 emissions a remarkable 175g/km; money saved could be wisely spent on, say, the off-road styling pack at £3,000.

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