Review of the new Audi Q5 Range

Audi's understated Q5 forgoes the excesses of the premium compact SUV market in favour of car-like driving dynamics. Its low-slung stance sets it apart but SUV fans shouldn't be deterred. There's a strong engine range, loads of advanced technology and a practical interior crafted in Audi's own inimitable style.

Once 4x4 vehicles were for driving off-road. Then it became trendy to drive them to work, on the school run, to the supermarket and round to your mother's at the weekend. Today, it's not at all easy to pinpoint what 4x4s are actually for but a conservative estimate would be, well, everything. The basic 4x4 blueprint is available in a multitude of shapes, sizes and price ranges so that virtually everyone will find a variant on the theme that suits them. Audi's latest effort is the Q5 and it's taking a sporty approach with the manufacturer positioning it as "the performance SUV for all seasons and all surfaces".

Audi entered the 4x4 sector proper with the Q7 luxury 4x4 in 2006 but it's no secret that this is a brand that has pioneered all-wheel-drive in road cars for many years prior to that. It all boded rather well. Audi's classy brand image and quattro 4x4 technology made it appear the perfect parent for a high-end SUV. Sure enough, the imposing Q7 did the job very nicely and the Q5 is the follow-up. It's a smaller, more affordable vehicle that's noticeably less ostentatious than its big brother.

The Q5 is the beneficiary of three of Audi's star engines. The 2.0-litre TFSI petrol unit is the entry level option, a powerplant that we've seen and been impressed by before in numerous racy VW Group products. In the Q5, it actually generates 208bhp and, crucially, a torque output that you'd be more inclined to expect from a big six-cylinder diesel engine. 350Nm from 1,500rpm to 4,200rpm is a whole lot of shove and it helps the Q5 to 62mph in 7.2s. Many 4x4s claim to be 'sporty' but the Q5 appears intent on delivering. The other options are both diesels. First is an economical 168bhp 2.0-litre TDI which also has a strong 350Nm but over a much narrower rev band. Then there's the 237bhp 3.0-litre TDI with a huge 500Nm available between 1,500rpm and 3,000rpm. It can hit 62mph in only 6.5s.

"Audi has brought its winning formula to the compact SUV market, a sector where it probably should have been from the word go..."

The task of marshalling the power and torque from those advanced engines falls upon the standard six-speed manual gearbox but Audi also makes its S-Tronic seven-speed dual clutch gearbox available with the Q5. This transmission is teetering on the cutting edge of gearbox technology with its twin clutch system and clever electronics predicting the next gear and engaging it prior to the driver selecting it with the wheel-mounted paddle shifters. It makes for a lightening fast and buttery-smooth transition between ratios whether you're flipping the paddles in manual mode or letting the gearbox take care of the whole process. As well as the greater security of four driven wheels, the Q5 also uses an advanced ESP stability control system that senses when a roof rack is fitted and compensates for the vehicle's higher centre of gravity by intervening earlier.

The Q5 rides on a lightweight suspension system predominately built of aluminium. The multi-link design front and rear promises composure and a sporty feel on the road as do the Q5's dimensions which are markedly un-SUV. The vehicle is 4,630mm long but only 1,650mm tall, giving it a sleek, ground-hugging stance and bringing the centre of gravity closer to terra firma than in the majority of the Q5's rivals. This low profile look is evidenced by a drag coefficient of just 0.33cd.

The Q5 might be as bold or brash externally as we've come to expect in the SUV sector but inside, it aims to replicate the interior versatility of its most sizable rivals. Audi's cabin design and build quality remains tough to fault and the Q5 also includes some clever features that make the whole thing more practical to use on a daily basis. The rear seat backs can be reclined to increase comfort and the whole of the back bench can be folded into the floor at a stroke by means of a lever in the boot. Luggage space is 540 litres but once those seats are stowed, 1,560 litres is opened up.

The Q5 kicks off at around the £25,000 mark and is offered with a decent haul of standard equipment and a bulging options list giving buyers the opportunity to inflate that asking price at will. Of particular interest will be the exterior trim options. An S-Line package emphasises the car's sporty side with styling accessories or there's an off-road package that adds under body protection to help avoid costly accidents when driving in rough terrain.

The Q5 goes head to head with the likes of Land Rover's Freelander and BMW's X3 at the plush end of the compact SUV market. It's the BMW that the Q5's focus on driving dynamics and on-road performance will put it in direct competition with, while the Freelander will probably remain the default choice for buyers actually intending to undertake off-road trips.

The Q5 makes a reasonable stab at avoiding the kind of profligacy that's associated with larger premium-badge SUVs. The 2.0-litre TDI engine can do over 42mpg on the combined cycle but the higher performance of the 2.0 TFSI and the 3.0-litre TDI mean they can only return 33.2mpg and 36.6mpg respectively. Audi's traditionally buoyant residual values should apply to the Q5 and buyers are unlikely to catch a cold when the moment comes to sell their vehicles on.

If any premium brand should have a range of SUVs on its books, it's Audi. The marque has been inextricably linked to 4x4 technology over the years so the only surprise where the Q5 is concerned is that it took the marque so long to come up with the goods in the volume part of the 4x4 sector. The vehicle's emphasis on road-going performance and sharp driving characteristics will appeal to typical buyers in this market who are unlikely to take their vehicles off-road. The Q5 is more than a jacked-up A4 Avant, however, with some nice practical features that make it well suited to family life.

The Q5's interior is predictably well executed and the engine range resolutely high tech. With an options list brimming with choice extras and Audi's classy brand values oozing from every shut line, it's hard to see the Q5 failing. Audi has brought its winning formula to the compact SUV market, a sector where it probably should have been from the word go.

TOP 5 AUDI DEALS

The results below show the top AUDI deals on buyacar

Audi Q5 2.0 TDI Quattro S Line 5dr S Tronic Diesel Estate
Price £31,840 Click for a Q5 Review	Save £2,020
Audi Q5 2.0 TDI Quattro SE 5dr S Tronic Diesel Estate
Price £29,841 Click for a Q5 Review	Save £1,869
Audi Q5 2.0 TDI Quattro 5dr Diesel Estate
Price £26,353 Click for a Q5 Review	Save £1,607
Audi Q5 3.0 TDI Quattro S Line 5dr S Tronic Diesel Estate
Price £35,554 Click for a Q5 Review	Save £2,296
Audi Q5 2.0 TDI Quattro SE 5dr Diesel Estate
Price £28,492 Click for a Q5 Review	Save £1,768