First Drive: 2015 Audi Q5 2.0 TDI Quattro
Story and photo by John LeBlanc
MALMO, Sweden — In the past, American new-car buyers haven’t shown the same level of affection for diesel-powered vehicles as we Canadians. But that difference between our two car-buying cultures seems to be changing, especially if vehicles like this 2015 Audi Q5 2.0 TDI Quattro become more readily available.
According to the latest stats, Americans are buying more diesel cars than ever before. While diesels still only make up 3% of all new passenger vehicles sold in the United States, that’s a significant 25% jump from the same period in 2013. And that’s encouraging news for Canadian diesel fans, many of whom have complained the U.S. market’s lack of interest in diesel-powered cars and trucks has prevented diesels being sold here in Canada. But one automaker that’s ready to offer more diesels to both Canadian and American buyers is Germany’s Audi.
In the past few years, the Volkswagen Group luxury brand has expanded its TDI turbocharged diesel engine offerings significantly, to the point where you can now get diesel power in the new-for-2015 Audi A3 compact sedan, A6 mid-size sedan, Q5 mid-size crossover, mid-sized A7 Sportback, Q7 large crossover and A8 full-size sedan.
Currently, the diesel motor in the $49,200 Q5 3.0 TDI sports six cylinders. But with BMW to offer its X3 xDrive28d four-cylinder diesel this fall, the Euro-spec Q5 2.0 TDI Quattro I drove here in the southern Swedish countryside makes a compelling value proposition for itself.
The five-passenger, four-door, all-wheel-drive Q5 crossover is Audi Canada’s best-selling model. One reason is the Audi’s vast engine menu. In addition to the 3.0 TDI, there’s the $41,900 Q5 2.0 T with its turbocharged four-cylinder gas engine, the six-cylinder gas $46,700 Q5 3.0 T and $57,900 SQ 5 versions, as well as the $57,00 gas-electric Q5 Hybrid.
Rated at 190 hp and 295 lb.-ft., the Q5 2.0 TDI’s diesel-four slides between the gas-four’s 220 hp and 258 lb.-ft. numbers and diesel-six’s 240 hp and 428 lb.-ft. ratings. Using a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, Audi claims the four-cylinder TDI Q5 will scoot from zero to 100 kilometres per hour in just 8.4 seconds. While that makes the Q5 2.0 TDI about two seconds slower than the Q5 3.0 TDI, the four-cylinder scores a combined city and highway estimate of 5.7 litres per 100 kilometres on the European cycle; a marked improvement over the six-cylinder’s 9.9 city and 6.4 highway Canadian ratings.
Beyond the improved economies of the four-cylinder diesel, the Q5 2.0 TDI delivers the same level of high-end driving experience as any other model in the Audi crossover’s lineup.
Inside, the four-cylinder diesel Q5 sports the same quality materials, excellent fit and finish, intuitive ergonomics and outstanding outward visibility as any other Q5. Compared to the Q5 gas-four, the Q5 diesel-four is equally as refined and quiet. There’s a bit of a deeper drone at idle. But there’s little of the typical tick-tick-tick diesel injector noise. The only giveaway that you’re driving a diesel is when the Q5 2.0 TDI’s standard stop/start goes about its business shutting the engine off and on at stoplights.
From the driver’s seat, the Q5 2.0 TDI Quattro feels the equal of its four-cylinder gas counterpart. To be specific: this is not a crossover pretending to be a sports wagon. The Q5 TDI’s steering is a bit too light, and it will roll a bit too much in the corners for the liking of more enthusiastic drivers. (If you count yourself in the latter category, may I suggest the sportier, 354 hp SQ 5.) But if you loosen your string back driving gloves a notch, and pilot the Audi utility vehicle at, say, 7/10s, it will reward you with no untoward moves and a creamy ride that soaks up bad pavement while minimizing dreaded float all at the same time.
The Q5 2.0 TDI Quattro four-cylinder diesel has not been confirmed for Canada. So I can’t provide you with an accurate price (somewhere between the gas-four and diesel six would put it around $46,000). And while the idea of a four-cylinder diesel in a mid-size crossover seems like a no-brainer for Audi to bring to Canada, you’ll more than likely have until the next-generation model arrives in 2016, assembled in Audi’s new Mexican plant that broke ground just last year. All the better to help all those Americans to buy more diesels.