In the
world of cars, there can never be too fast. Speed is the new sex. It sells.
Each new model is faster than its previous one. And some how,
things can get a little carried away.
I mean, who
would have thought that the “sports” in Sports Utility Vehicle, would one day
refer to their sprinting prowess? Just look at full-sized SUVs from BMW M or
Mercedes-AMG. Yup. Who would have thought?
Now, the
things are heating up in the midsized SUV segment as well. Audi has just
launched a souped-up version of the Q5. It’s called the SQ5. But
doesn’t include the Singapore Girls. (Ed: enough of the corny references
already).
Theres no doubt the SQ5 fulfils its brief
as a fast and focused diesel SUV
For the
uninitiated, S is Audi’s top of the line model for each range of vehicles. Of
course, there’s the RS versions, but those are made by
Quattro GmbH. In typical S fashion, the standard cars are fitted with S Line
body kits, as well as go-faster bits.
In the case
of the SQ5, this comes in the form of a 3-litre supercharged petrol engine.
Interestingly, Singapore is one of only four English-speaking countries to get
the petrol version and the only one apart from South Africa to have a
right-hand drive version. Europe and Oceania gets the turbo diesel one.
Wait,
didn’t the Q5 already have a 3-litre variant as well? Sure, but this is Audi’s
famed block that is also used in the S4 and S5. But unlike those other two
models, this powerplant has been tuned to put out 354
bhp – 21 more to be precise – making it the most
powerful 3.0 TFSI engine.
The SQ5's cabin can be
considered outstanding in its quality, richness and space
In comparison,
this is a whole 82 bhp more than the “regular”
3-litre Q5. Torque-wise, the SQ5 produces 470 Nm of twist, compared with 400 Nm
from the garden-variety one.
With the
increased output, the SQ5 takes half a second less to hit triple-digit speeds
from a standstill at 5.4 seconds. While that doesn’t sound like much in terms
of improvement, one has to remember that this is a mid-sized SUV with a drag
co-efficient of 0.35.
To be
honest, it is hard to fathom why would anyone need a
SUV that goes at this kind of pace. Of course, everyone wants the speed, but do
we really need it? Well, after you’ve been in the SQ5, you probably would.
Although the SQ5's
brake calipers proudly display the car's name, there is no discernible increase
in stopping power
Not only is
this thing fast, it sounds the part too. There’s an interesting feature called
“Exhaust Sound” in the customisable menu of the Audi
Drive Select screen. This is a new feature that’s seen for the first time. When
you put it in Dynamic mode, the engine note sounds deeper, throatier and
louder. We swear that the sound boost comes from the rear, but Audi says
there’s no exhaust flap or “speaker” system seen on the European diesel-powered
SQ5. So, that leaves us with a “baffling” question, but who cares?
Under hard
acceleration, the exhaust lets out a muscular growl that makes the SQ5 sound
larger than it looks. It doesn’t sound much like a V6. Imagine a large-block
V8, but just without the rumble and scruff. With each upshift on the smooth
eight-speed ZF gearbox, the SQ5 gives off a brief overrun, quite like the one
heard on other S models fitted with the dual-clutch S-Tronic. On downshifts,
you hear the pops and deep burble of the exhaust.
