New Zealand is an interesting market for Audi, locals here buy a high number of SUVs and sports variants per capita when compared to the rest of the world. Naturally then, the brand’s local best seller should cater to at least one of those demands, if not both. The Q5 does both so it should come as no surprise that this is the best selling Audi locally. More than 3,000 units have been delivered to customers thus far, the majority of which being Q5s (2,000 approx.) but the SQ5 is not far behind (1,500 approx.).
Success of the Q5 can be credited to many aspects but lifestyle is arguably the key driver. After all, we are a country that enjoys the outdoors in many forms, whether it’s skiing, kayaking, hiking or simply a road trip. Our “small country” actually is a huge land mass with a great big road network, a lot of which is gravel/dirt. Combine all of the above and you have the ideal home for a car like the Q5, luxurious, quick, spacious and capable off road. You may ask, where in Auckland can you find a cross section of New Zealand, Kauri Bay undoubtedly. The 500 acre working farm was a fitting backdrop for Audi to launch the third generation Q5 and SQ5 models locally.
Originally supposed to be held at a racetrack, the change in dates meant that this scenic farm was chosen as the venue instead, a more fitting home for the Q5 in my opinion. As part of the waiver process, we were curiously asked to share our jacket sizes as well, a reasonable request given the day that was in store for us.
Auckland’s famously unpredictable weather served up an absolute pearler for us today. It was the best of what winter has to offer, clear blue skies, sun and crisp air. The latter especially rung true as I was dropped off to the front door (thanks Stu) at Kauri Bay, receiving my jacket from the Audi NZ team on arrival. The Huffer Puffer was the perfect antidote for the chilly breeze that was blowing into the homestead. This wasn’t any ordinary jacket either, the item was part of a special limited release created by Huffer to mark 45 years of Quattro, it was retro cool done well. Although as good as the jacket looked, it was usurped by that view which was truly spectacular that morning.
We enjoyed the snugness of the jackets briefly before we were led back into the room for the presentations. First up was Greg Leet, Audi NZ’s GM who spoke about the Q5’s heritage, we all shared in his relief that Audi hadn’t progressed with their SUV convertible concept originally unveiled in 2007. Two successful generations had paved the way for this third generation car, a nameplate that is now a stalwart of Audi’s New Zealand presence as mentioned earlier.
From there, we had a preview of the overseas commercial from Andrew, the Marketing Manager who then let us know that a locally made version was in the works so watch this space. It was also the 45th anniversary of Audi Quattro as Andrew pointed out. From there, he handed the mic over to Michael, the Product Specialist.
Describing Q5 as “The Allrounder”, Michael highlighted the third generation car’s strengths in its versatility, customizability and more. It is also the first Audi SUV to be built on their ‘PPC’ (Premium Platform Combustion), the new A5 was the first product to come from this platform. Four variants of the Q5 are coming to New Zealand, a base S-Line, S-Line e-hybrid, SQ5 and SQ5 Sportback, the latter two also employ the V6 engine seen in the S5 Avant which Harry reviewed earlier in the year.
The host of differences continue with the new Q5 being longer (35mm), wider (7mm) but shorter (11mm) than its predecessor. Employing a “stretched bonnet” and “optically stretched side”, the car has a sportier stance as far as SUV styling goes. Matrix LEDs at the front are now standard across the range with OLED units now on the rear, the latter in particular being credit for leading Audi’s ‘Car to x’ technology. ‘Car to x’ is how the vehicle interacts with its surroundings, a vehicle driving briskly towards the rear of the Q5 will result in a flash of all the rear lights which can turn into warning triangles in certain scenarios, the indicators will also perform certain functions depending on approaching traffic, cyclists etc.
This idea of human centricity continues to the interior where the digital cluster and infotainment screen are focused around the driver, forming an arc that mimics the motion of the user’s hands. A new passenger display also comes as standard on the Q5, this has a privacy mode so the driver can’t sneak a peek at the latest episode of Tarmac Life. Speaking of which, have you heard that our TV show is premiering this week on Sky? That aside, the screens inside the Q5 are hugely improved over the previous generation car, a 60Hz refresh rate makes it nearly TV quality and the next generation heads up display also includes infotainment controls now. The list of improvements is extensive, both inside and out which warrants a review at a later date, but for now, I got a chance to take both the Q5 S-Line and SQ5 out for a decent drive for some first impressions.
The SQ5 was expectedly very good, both around the twisty backroads as well as on the brief motorway stretch I took it on, although you do need to keep an eye on that lane assist system as it can become intrusive on a spirited drive. Heated seats and steering were a treat for a day like today and with massage functions, even better! That V6 engine likes to make itself heard under duress, no complaints though as the noise is quite good. The 48V MHEV (mild-hybrid) technology has also been improved with the addition of a 1.7kWhr battery allowing for short bursts in EV mode before the engine kicks in. When used well, the new tech can deliver an improvement of up to 1L/100km!
Same goes for the Q5 S-Line which also employs the MHEV technology. This was the surprise of the day for me, the standard car with 150kW of power is extremely capable around corners as well, its ‘Frequency Selective Damping’ suspension set up proving a trick on Auckland’s unpredictable roads. The two cars also share a new progressive steering and torque vectoring set up, the latter of which has been borrowed from the new A5. They also share a commonality of needing to refuel, just like me, it must be time for lunch!
Lunch was a series of plates to share, prepared by the kitchen at Kauri Bay. The ‘roasted new potatoes’ and ‘Speckle Park rib eye’ were my picks of the bunch. Not being a huge fan of fish, the chefs had also whipped me up an amazing cauliflower dish which I also highly recommend. There was plenty more than just cauliflower as Ollie, our host had told me but being no chef, I enjoyed the sight of it for a moment before cleaning up the dish. A generously dusted tiramisu helped us cap off the meal with a sweet treat.
Although dessert was demolished quickly, there was plenty more to come for the afternoon. Next up, we would be taking the Q5 off-road, a place many of them never see but still need to be ever so capable if the instance does come up. Our task was to follow along an off road course which would take us through the forest, mud, gravel, up, down and up again. It all seemed fairly straightforward there.
And in the Q5/SQ5, this seemingly challenging off road trail became a walk in the park. A quick push of the ‘drive select’ button would set us in the correct mode (off-road) and that was it. Audi’s quattro system took care of the rest, working actively to keep power to the wheels that had grip, especially important when not all of them are on the ground! The cars climbed and descended the muddy/gravely hills with ease, remember that they were all riding on performance road tyres as well, rubber that was not designed for these tasks.
While the ground clearance and power on offer on the Q5 S-Line was plenty, there was the odd occasion where it would bottom out, being trumped by the SQ5’s ability to raise its ride height. The afternoon’s challenge proved the Q5s as more than just ‘soft roaders’ or ‘urban SUVs’, these cars are seriously capable when the road disappears.
At the end of the day, it isn’t hard to see why the Q5 is New Zealand’s favourite Audi, the mix of luxury, practicality and performance it offers being particularly potent when the S models come into the mix. The previous generation cars delivered all of these qualities while the new one does so and then some. After spending hours behind the wheel of the new car, both on and off road, first impressions predict that the Q5 will continue to occupy this position within the Audi range.
Thanks for reading! For more Audi news and reviews, visit Tarmac Life.
Thanks to Audi New Zealand for the invite, Steve Dunstan & Huffer for the puffer and our hosts at Kauri Bay.
