Audi Q5 (2008) unveiled

By Tim Pollard

First Official Pictures

19 April 2008 12:00

A decade after rival BMW, Audi is finally joining the mid-sized SUV party. The new Q5, unveiled at this weekend's Beijing motor show, is Ingolstadt's answer to its hometown rival the X3, and is based on the oily bits from the A4. Which speaks volumes about its intent.

Unsurprisingly, that means it's aimed squarely at on-road performance, where it will shuttle five occupants around in - you'd imagine - saloon car comfort. It also means it's not really supposed to go off-road. But then you knew that already.

The Audi Q5 must still be a quattro, surely?

Oh yes. Every model is four-wheel drive; there's no namby-pamby FWD sop here. And as the Q5 uses the latest A4 underpinnings, that means that 60 percent of torque is sent to the rear wheels. Hell, it might even handle.

Naturally, most buyers will plump for one of the popular diesel engines. The 170bhp 2.0 TDI will sell best and with a stout 258lb ft of twist, it can hit 62mph in 9.5sec yet still average 35.1mpg. You probably won't need the 3.0 TDI, unless you insist on showing off at the traffic light grand prix with a 6.5sec sprint to the benchmark.

Few will pick the Golf GTI's 2.0-litre TFSI,  but it's there for anyone with a derv aversion. It produces 211bhp in the Q5, suggesting the VW hot hatch could be in for a power upgrade soon.

Click 'Next' for more on the Q5

Come back to CAR Online next week for a full report from Beijing

By Tim Pollard