That was just
what we needed, because as the sun began creeping through the early skies, we
were heading into the twists and turns of the Amboli Ghat. The road was, as it has been for years, in the process
of being resurfaced; so we had a mix of everything from mud and sand to loose
tar and ignored potholes. None of them managed to upset the Q5, though, and it
powered on over smooth and rough alike; the well-tuned suspension soaking up
the undulations, with only some sounds filtering through to the cabin. The
brakes are equally commendable and make short work of stopping this near two-tonne crossover. Braking from 80 km/h to a dead halt takes
less than 2.5 seconds and 25 metres, as we had found
out, having to deal with a buffalo that had freed itself from its caretaker and
was running amok. The steering feel, too, is sublime for a car of its segment,
giving just the right feedback and feeling well-weighted indeed, maintaining
its composure no matter how demanding a situation comes up. We are, again,
referring to said buffalo... The paddle-shifters are there to be enjoyed, but
when the bends are joined by incompetent traffic and stray animals, they are
best saved for when the roads open up a bit more. The Q5 can pleasantly
surprise you with the way it goes about doing what it does. It may sit higher
off the ground and eat up luggage, but it behaves like a sedan. The high ground
clearance lets you take on questionable terrain while on sweeping corners; you
can push it as you would any well-handling sedan. It adheres to the definition
of ‘crossover’ in its ideals and is simply the benchmark.
The Q5 has a
way of adding even more life to a picture
As we exited
into town, we could ease off and almost relax as we carried on towards our
destination. The V6 turbo-diesel motor silently going about the job of munching
miles, something it does with aplomb too. That it took just about five hours is
one thing, but cutting short the travel time with its speed, and keeping things
comfortable with its spot-on ergonomics, means you don’t really feel like
you’ve covered all that distance.
Bi-xenon
headlamps with LED DRLs are well complemented
Even though
the Q5, in its 3.0 TDI S-line avatar, runs 19” wheels wrapped in 235/55 rubber,
they do a fine job. Ride quality was top-notch all the way, the bumps and
undulations were kept where they ought to be and road noise was always kept to
a minimum, even at speeds of over 200 km/h. another benefit was efficiency. A
big V6 with four-wheel drive was never going to win a fuel efficiency contest,
but the big Q5 doesn’t disappoint. We worked out a figure of 12 km to the litre on the highway, while in the city it drops to eight;
not bad considering the comfort level it has to offer.
Cutting-edge
common-rail TDI diesel V6 puts out 580 Nm of torque
There was one
thing which became evident as we rolled into the parking lot of our hotel: if
there ever was a car which could take on the bad without batting an eyelid and
also let you enjoy the good which comes your way, it’s the Q5. The combination
of a plush interior, high-quality material and level of fit-and-finish,
entertainment and safety system to maintain the sanity of everyone inside over
a long distance, and its ability to tackle every drive in the most effortless,
unperturbed way possible while keeping you happy and reassured: these are
reasons enough to opt for this Q. it’s not as bulky as its big brother, the Q7,
and it offers an appreciable balance of comfort, power and economy for us to
consider it a winning all-round package.
