Even with a cursory glance through squinting eyes, it’s obvious the Q5 takes its design cues from the cumbersome Audi Q7. But in this smaller package, the looks totally work.
And sitting snug beneath the Q5’s shapely bonnet is a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel rocket (there are three other engines to choose from), offering a lusty 176kW and 500Nm from just off idle. This gets the Q5 to the legal limit in just 6.5 seconds and onto a top whack of 225km/h.
It’s also the quietest and smoothest diesel engine I’ve ever driven.
But as good as the engine is, it’s nothing without Audi’s new seven-speed S-tronic gearbox. In either full-auto or manual-shift mode this transmission is an absolute treat.
The way the Q5 drives is similarly smooth too. Based on the A4, the Q5 is an infinitely better vehicle. And the way it steers and rides is impressive too.
But before you rush out and buy one, it’s worth mentioning that all of the Q5s available at the launch were fitted with Audi’s excellent (cost-optional) Drive Select with adaptive dampers and dynamic steering ($5215). This package allows you to choose, on the fly, from three settings: Comfort; Auto and Dynamic. Why you’d select Comfort is beyond me as the other modes offer a perfect blend of rut-smothering softness and bodyroll-cancelling stiffness.
As handy as the Q5 is on a twisting road, it ain’t half bad when the going gets a little, well, dirty. No, it’s no rock-hopper, but it handled the particularly gnarly fire trail we drove down with ease, and its hill-descent mode is top-notch. It works through the ABS system and so even operates in reverse, and neutral too – don’t ask.
So the Q5 doesn’t really put a foot wrong; it rides and handles like a car, and a good one at that, and it’s got an impressive interior, too. The driving position is good, the controls are easy to follow and fall easily to hand, and the build quality and materials used are first rate.
Until recently, the BMW X3 sat all alone in this compact luxury SUV segment, but now it has two new playmates in the Audi Q5 and Volvo XC60. Both are better cars. Game on.
Very safe and sociable
The best people-mover of the past decade has been fine-tuned but now costs significantly more, says Tim Pomroy
Other people movers carry seven or eight passengers but none do so with as much style as the Honda Odyssey. And this new, fourth-generation model adds improved safety features, better use of interior space, a more potent engine and better fuel consumption to its repertoire.
Dimensions are little changed and the overall look has been tweaked so that the grille is more pronounced and there’s a more defined line running along the waistline to a new tailgate design. The use of high-strength steels means that the sharply raked A-pillars are slimmer, aiding driver visibility. The side door aperture size has increased and there is now 320mm of second-row seat travel, making it easier to climb in and out of the folding third row seats. And the tailgate opening is also larger, improving access to the luggage space.
Even adults find the third row a very comfortable place to sit, because the floor is now flatter, foot space under the second row is better and the second row seat-backs have been slimmed down for extra leg space. There are individual ventilation outlets for all three rows.
The third-generation Odyssey’s nicely sculpted dash and control layout with its 3D instruments have been carried over, but the choice of materials seems to be a step back in terms of quality, look and feel. Take the audio system, for example, which now looks like a ‘plug-in’ unit. It’s a stretch to change audio functions but thankfully controls are set on the steering wheel.
Up front is a quiet 2.4-litre engine producing 12 per cent more power at higher rpm and offering a flatter torque curve for better driveability. Despite extra performance, fuel consumption has dipped by 0.5L/100km. Some credit should go to the revised five-speed auto. Steering assistance has changed to an electric hydraulic system, for improved feel and response, and a tighter 5.4m turning circle is a byproduct of this.
Safety is improved in a number of key areas. Honda’s VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist) is now standard on both models and the outdated lap-only second-row centre seat belt has at last been replaced by a lap-sash belt. Front, side and full-length side curtain airbags are all standard.
A varied driving route showed that the Odyssey’s car-like qualities. Steering feel and directness seem to have improved, but the Odyssey’s body control wasn’t so good, as the revised springs and dampers didn’t seem to have as much rebound control with only two on board, and the ride became bouncy on some secondary roads.
Prices are up over $4000, with the top-spec Luxury model now priced at $49,990.
Hot cross fun
Dubbed ‘Crossover Wagon’, the i30 CW load-lugger might be the best Hyundai yet, says Byron Mathioudakis
With only the Holden Astra, Skoda Octavia and Peugeot 308 wagons to contend with, Hyundai is set to make hay with its keenly priced i30 CW. Kicking off at $20,830, the ‘Crossover Wagon’ aims to lure lifestyle-focused customers who may never have previously considered a Hyundai. To that end, the good-looking i30 CW was designed and engineered in Germany to be a wagon from the outset.
The tape measure reveals a body that is 230mm longer and 40mm taller than the hatch, while a 2700mm wheelbase represents a 50mm stretch, increasing rear legroom.
Business owners are more likely to appreciate the 415L cargo area that is 22 per cent up on the hatch courtesy of a 180mm rear-overhang extension. Folding the rear seats lifts this to 1395L, compared to the i30 hatch’s 1250L.
At the other end is a choice of a pair of four-cylinder engines – a gutsy though not especially quiet 2.0-litre petrol, or the modern, responsive and surprisingly refined 1.6-litre common-rail CRDi that has already converted a growing number of Australians to diesel power.
Both are mated to either an agreeably light five-speed manual or smooth four-speed automatic transmission, but as the 2.0L can feel coarse under load with the auto, we recommend the clean and green diesel.
The i30 has proven to be a class-competitive driving machine, with nimble handling and a well-planted ride, thanks to light yet accurate steering and a sophisticated independent multi-link rear suspension system honed for our conditions.
The front-drive CW follows suit, and two of the three models on offer (base SX and mid-level SLX) ride well too, but the 2.0L-only Sportwagon range-topper trades ride comfort for improved roadholding and a hunkered-down stance.
Inside, the i30 CW scores points with an attractive and tactile dash, super-clear instrumentation, and easy-to-use controls. And the seats are firm but comfortable, with space aplenty for four adults and a child.
Standard features include stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes, dual front airbags, active head restraints for the front seats, tilt and telescopic steering, air-conditioning, power windows, CD/MP3/WMA audio, and a full-sized spare wheel.
Side and curtain airbags cost $700 extra on the SX, but are standard on the other models. Wagon-specific features include roof rails, an extendable cargo cover and mesh barrier, and a rear 12-volt power socket.
As the best car it has ever offered in Australia, we think Hyundai will have no trouble achieving forecast sales of 200 i30 CWs each month.
