To spite the cuckoo / Audi test drives

I have a firm conviction that Audi is a brand that has remained true to classic German canons. And here's why: today only Ingolstadt continues to hold on to the familiar order and correctness. While colleagues at Mercedes are drawing unexpectedly sharp and daring lines on their new models, and BMW is still dealing with the consequences of Chris Bangle's experiments and coming up with something extravagant, conservatism reigns at Audi. A sedan means a sedan. A coupe means a coupe. A crossover means a crossover. No compromises in the spirit of four-door SUV coupes or those coupes that turn out to be hatchbacks.

Take, for example, the new five-door concept — the forerunner of the A7. It was honestly named Sportback, without any fancy terms. Apparently, Audi remembers that there are still people who value the long-established classification and wince at the phrase "four-door coupe-crossover." And it seems that it is precisely such buyers that Ingolstadt is targeting, offering, in addition to traditions, excellent engines, modern transmissions, confident handling, and a luxurious interior.

For Audi, the "Q-five" is nothing more than a way to expand the model lineup. A compact crossover was vitally necessary, but its appearance, apparently, did not matter much. It is utilitarian. The Germans did not reinvent the wheel and used proven solutions from other models. The Q5 brought no design breakthroughs — the signature "checkerboard" LED headlights and sharp rear lights don't count. Before us is the same recognizable Audi, just slightly higher and more practical than sedans, but smaller and more modest than the Q7. Those very dimensions that are perfect for the city, unlike the huge Q7.

And it will be equally understandable and friendly to any driver. In everything — from the exterior to the behavior on the road. Interior? Well, there's no doubt here — this is the strong point of all modern Audis. No problems finding the right button or MMI menu item — everything is organized and logical. The perfect balance between Mercedes' minimalism and cubism. Quality is visible in every detail: leather stitched with impeccable seams, plastic that is pleasantly resilient, panels fitted perfectly, materials of the highest grade. But unification makes itself known. The feeling never leaves that the developers simply took the A4's interior, raised it above the ground, added a folding second row and a spacious trunk with an electric tailgate.

On the move, the Q5 turns out to be more comfortable than the A4 sedan. And even, perhaps, softer than the A6. It transmits small irregularities, of course, but reacts much more restrainedly to larger potholes and bumps — thanks to the special suspension tuning and 17-inch wheels with a high profile. It would seem that such "insensitivity" to the road and a higher center of gravity should have ruined the handling. But Audi apparently knows the secret of how to avoid this. Driving the crossover is just as pleasant as any other car from Ingolstadt. Of course, the Q5 is not as responsive and does not react as lightning-fast to commands as the sedans, but it doesn't cause any particular inconvenience.

The combination of an excellent two-liter turbo engine and the new seven-speed preselective S-tronic gearbox is, perhaps, one of the best tandems in the modern automotive industry. The engine is enough to accelerate the "Q-five" to 100 km/h in 7.2 seconds, and the gearbox is smart enough to always work smoothly, but taking into account the driver's wishes: when to hold a gear, and when to shift up to save fuel. Most of the time I drove in the automatic Audi Drive Select mode — I was satisfied with everything. Especially since the Comfort and Dynamic modes do not change the system settings much. The main difference is that the steering wheel becomes heavier or lighter, although this does not affect the amount of information: it is sufficient for a crossover, despite the variable gear ratio.

The constant talk about a "crossover" obliged us to check whether the Audi Q5 has any off-road potential at all, or whether quattro is just for show. And just then an opportunity came up — an improvised Audi Q5 Camp track at the Yakhroma ski resort near Moscow. This "camp" will be open until March 31, and anyone can sign up for a ride through a dealer. True, the instructors of the quattro driving school are unlikely to let you sink the "Q-five" in a swamp or churn real mud on it. And there's nowhere to do it — it's winter. But there is a short ice track where you can evaluate the operation of the all-wheel drive and the non-switchable stability control system, as well as a quarry with natural hills and artificial obstacles simulating diagonal wheel hanging and a vibration stand.

On ice, the Q5 behaves like a classic quattro-car, where the rear axle gets 60% of the traction by default. Understeer can easily be turned into oversteer — just add throttle in a corner. But ESP watches vigilantly and even in Offroad mode pulls the car up quite harshly. Moreover, it does this exactly at the moment when you have already begun to correct the trajectory yourself. In normal mode, ESP suppresses any attempts to slide, cutting off fuel supply and braking the necessary wheel.
However, the same ESP is an excellent assistant to all-wheel drive during diagonal wheel hanging. The Q5 drives on two wheels without much hesitation. The torque is redistributed very quickly, and slippery surfaces are not a problem. Honestly, I did not expect this from a soft-roader.

The geometric off-road capability is also good, and the hill descent assist system allows you to confidently maintain speed on slopes. This is more than enough for any urban obstacles and beyond — the Q5 is surprisingly capable off-road. But it is unlikely that many future owners will get to test this. And there's no need. You don't have to go into the mud to understand: the Audi Q5 gives a much greater sense of security than Audi in passenger car bodies. Already for this reason alone, the appearance of the Q5 is fully justified. And there is also the fashion for crossovers. Just look out the window to understand — it is only gaining momentum. So the designers and engineers at Audi don't care about that cuckoo from the beginning of my story — they have their own, much more accurate countdown...

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

A rare case when a concept car looked much more interesting, livelier, and more dynamic than the production version. The Audi Cross Coupe Quattro, shown at the 2007 Shanghai Auto Show, looked much sportier. The word Coupe in its name appeared for a reason — in the body of the modern Q5, there is no trace of that "coupe-ness." Naturally, the retractable fabric roof, the magnificent designer interior, and the monitor with dual-view technology also disappeared. But the Audi Drive Select system, the 7-speed S-tronic "automatic," and the turbodiesel engine planned back then are present on the Q5.