2018 Audi Q5 Review
Long Story Brief
The brand fresh Q5 isn`t fairly a sports car in a crossover`s figure, but it’s rapid, treats well and the (kind of) fresh Quattro Ultra technology is seamless.
Long Story
In September of this year, Audi AG opened its $1.Three billion plant in the San Jose region of Mexico, specifically to manufacture the Q5. So what better place to preview the crossover for journalists a few months ahead of its release. At very first glance the 2nd generation Q5 may not look like vastly different but it does boasts a ton of exterior, interior and tech upgrades from its predecessor.
I had the chance to take the two thousand eighteen Q5 – which was very first introduced at the two thousand sixteen Paris Auto Display – on a very first drive through various Baja terrain. Audi`s latest crossover was astounding on windy mountainous roads, unpaved mud paths and in normal city/highway driving. Granted, there isn`t much traffic around San Jose (which is how most US drivers will utilize the Q5), but when it’s time to put it through the paces in more strenuous situations, Q5 drivers will not be disappointed.
The most notable addition to the Q5 lineup is the fresh Quattro Ultra All-Wheel drive system. Originally only available in America on the A4 Allroad, the Quattro Ultra is not a reactive all-wheel drive – It’s designed to anticipate road conditions before they happen. According to Audi engineers, Ultra uses up to fifteen indicators to predict what the tires will need to do five hundred milliseconds before the activity takes place.
In normal highway driving this won’t make much difference, as that kind of driving is almost always done in front-wheel drive. But when spectacle is key, Ultra wins with seamless transitions inbetween all-wheel and front-wheel operation. For a portion of the drive we fastened an iPad to the Q5 to determine when the vehicle switched inbetween four and two-wheel drives, and the transition is not noticeable at all.
A drawback that some two thousand seventeen Q5 drivers may find is the steering a little looser in the two thousand eighteen iteration. Gratefully Audi Drive Select is standard on all Q5`s and the dynamic mode provides stiffer steering for those who want a more performance-type feel.
The two thousand eighteen Q5 is thicker yet lighter and more powerful as well, boasting 0-60 in Five.9 seconds, more torque and thirty eight more horsepower than its older brother. There is absolutely no lag when hitting the pedal. The fresh TFSI Two.0 inline four-cylinder is anything but light, and it moves the Q5 quickly and with urgency. When testing straight-line speed and road driving, the Q5 does feels more like a car than a crossover.
The exterior of the Q5 is visibly more striking, the front fascia has switched, the wheelbase is longer and 20-inch rims on all-season tires are standard.
As always, Audi shoved the envelope with technology, suggesting their incredible adaptive cruise control package and traffic jam assist, which is about as close as most drivers will get to autonomous driving right now. It’s also well worth it to spring for the MMI Navigation package, which boasts an 8.3-inch display, Google Earth, Google Street View, Audi connect and for the very first time in the U.S., Audi phone box technology.
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Will potential customers disregard the brand`s diesel drama and give the fresh Q5 a shot?
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