Test drive Audi SQ5 3.0 TDI quattro: Specialist
The SQ5 definitely has a lot to offer for sports utility vehicle fans.
If you are a fan of the power of big diesel engines with huge torque, then the Audi SQ5 TDI is definitely one of the cars that will make you happy. When it hit the market, the SQ5 TDI was the first Audi S model to feature a self-igniting engine. Diesel, and what! The three-liter V6 engine is equipped with two turbochargers and the latest generation common rail direct injection system, which operates at pressures up to 2000 bar. The performance of the drive unit looks quite respectable - the power reaches 313 horsepower, and the maximum torque is monstrous 650 Nm, which are achieved at 1450 rpm.
And if these values are serious even on paper, then in reality the Audi SQ5 is even more impressive - thanks to the quattro permanent double transmission system, the entire drive potential is transferred without loss to all four wheels - traction is absolutely uncompromising, and traction during acceleration is simply brutal. Since the engine torque is too high for the dual clutch capabilities of the DSG, when
The Audi SQ5 TDI uses the well-known eight-speed torque converter automatic transmission. It fits very well with the sporty character of the model and works adequately in a more dynamic driving style, while in all other situations it prefers to do its job efficiently, discreetly and unnoticed by the driver and his comrades. With the help of loudspeakers in the exhaust system, the sound of the engine changes beyond recognition - most of the time in the cockpit it is completely impossible to guess that a diesel engine is really running under the hood, and not a gasoline one.
Good in everything
Although the car weighs almost two tons, the Audi SQ5 TDI is surprisingly agile in almost any situation. Acceleration times as well as intermediate acceleration take into account values that twenty years ago were achievable only for racing sports models of the highest level. The chassis of the SQ5 TDI has been reduced by 30 millimeters compared to other Q5 variants, and its set-up is strongly sporty. Lateral body roll is kept to a minimum, cornering resistance is almost amazing for an off-road vehicle, and dual-clutch traction ensures the highest level of active safety on any tarmac. As a general rule for an Audi, handling is light, precise and easily predictable – with this car you can move at an enviable speed without much effort.
It is equally important to note that along with its serious sporting talents (5,1 seconds from standstill to 100 km / h would have been the pride of the 911 Turbo lately), the Audi SQ5 TDI no longer offers. -A less impressive set of purely practical qualities. The luggage compartment holds up to 1560 liters of cargo, and if necessary, the machine is able to tow an attached cargo weighing up to 2,4 tons. There is plenty of space in the cabin, and the qualities of the seats are especially pronounced when you are in the car for a long time - they provide not only reliable lateral support, but also really good comfort.
The Audi SQ5 TDI manages to make a good impression in urban environments. Yes, it's true that 20-inch wheels don't always provide optimal low-speed bump handling, but the high seating position, excellent visibility from the driver's seat, the twin-turbo engine's whirlwind acceleration and agility make for a comfortable and nimble ride. in a dense stream. And about the painstaking quality of workmanship, which can be seen even in the smallest details, or the extravagance of serial equipment? It may not have been necessary, simply because the Audi SQ5 TDI is one of the few cars that can do just about everything perfectly.
CONCLUSION
The Audi SQ5 TDI is a versatile talent that, even a year before the end of its modeling life, continues to work more than adequately. With impeccable traction, agility, dynamism, a powerful engine with incredible traction, high quality workmanship and impressive functionality, this car excels in almost everything.
Text: Bozhan Boshnakov
Photo: Miroslav Nikolov
