Audi Q5 2.0 TFSI Quattro Review: Worth the Q-ueue

What we like:

Class-leading build quality and handsome exterior should go well with most. Sedan-like driveability and strong brakes should appeal the enthusiastic driver.

What we dislike:

2.0-litre powerplant has the pulling power but lacks the urgency. Wind noise intrudes at three-figure speeds.

The off-road course was designed to showcase the Q5's off-road prowess. And show off the Q5 did - from climbing 31-degree gradients to driving along 25-degree angled embankments, and even fording through water, the Q5 managed it all with relative ease.

Most unfortunate for the 2.0-liter variant then, as the 3.0 liter TDI sibling is the real star in the Q5 lineup. Yes, the diesel is a better choice. There's barely any clatter, and it's so smooth that most folks won't even suspect that it's a diesel. Packing 240bhp and a mountain-conquering 500Nm of torque from just 1,500rpm onwards, this variant made even shorter work of the obstacles we threw in its path. Driving ourselves back to the hotel for lunch, the 2.0 TSFI Q5 we were in struggled to keep pace with the instructors, who were in the TDIs.

My only peeve with the Q5 was its insanely light steering. We drove both variants through a slalom course later that same afternoon, and I must say, this is the one characteristic which lets it down. I'd really have preferred a more weighted helm for this kind of "dynamic" driving. This effortlessness at the wheel just doesn't suit the Q5's supposed sporting character.

I haven't had as much time with the car as I'd like, but from the initial looks of it, Audi seems to have been able to engineer a car with a good combination of both on and off road capabilities.

Credits: Story & pictures by Azfar Hashim and Jeremy R. Chua, reporting from Putrajaya, Malaysia.