Audi's Q5 is a dragon slayer

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For a start, there are about 265 different SUV models on sale in South Africa, with prices ranging from OK-ish to ouch and crippling painful.

Pity Mister Average who really only wants a pavement-parker he can show off in, that will accommodate a few cases of wine and golf bags in the back and give him a bit of comfort, safety and muscle power on the daily trip to the salt mines and back.

Gone, too, are the days of the new car buying decision being left only to He Who Thinks He Rules The House, because Her Majesty wants a classy shopping trolley-cum-taxi and The Pimply Ones are absolutely adamant that it has to be something big, fast and super-cool.

So where does that leave Mister Confused Buyer? If the finances don't quite stretch to the upper league of Porsche, Range Rover, Discovery, and the very grandest of the three German wunder-wagen manufacturers, all of whom would please all the members of the family, common sense dictates - go for a premium compact SUV.

And in this niche-within-a-niche category the choices are down to three, maybe four contenders: the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Land Rover Freelander and possibly the Volvo XC60.

Although still immensely popular the X3 is showing its age and the Volvo, although big, powerful and very capable, is still weighed down by its un-cool image. And the Freelander is, well Land Rover, although it's a smart, capable, well-specced soft-roader with the lightest price tag of the four.

And that brings us to our test vehicle, the Audi Q5 which has tremendous presence, goes like the clappers, oozes comfort and build quality but it's quite pricey, particularly when you start slapping on a few fancy optional extras.

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Our test car was the 2.0-litre TFSI Quattro S tronic which costs R463,500 out of the box, but with the addition of wanna-haves such as drive select, dynamic steering, panoramic sunroof, navigation system, CD changer and DVD player, a fancier sound system, 19-inch off-road alloy wheels, electric front seats, cellphone connectivity and Xenon headlights with headlight washers, the price leaped to R583,790.

A lot of money, but for that you get a fine and sophisticated chunk of metal that is quite a few paces ahead of anything else in this class.

Not only does the Q5 look good, it feels good as well. Quality Ingolstadt craftsmanship is everywhere. And it oozes a pleasing blend of high-rider, tough guy looks and urban chic.

Inside, its plush leather seats, good aircon, super surround sound and extraordinary large sliding panoramic roof create an elegant ambience.

Two things niggled; the steering felt strangely woody and heavy and made strange grating noises every now and then, particularly when turning sharply at low speed. The Q5 has three different set-up and steering settings (Comfort, Auto and Dynamic) and I tried them all without noticing a marked change or improvement.

I also found it difficult to find my usual driving position, almost as though the seat and pedals were not quite in line with each other. This usually happens when a vehicle is designed as a left-hand drive and then later adapted for right-hand drive.

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Many of the cabin fittings, switches and dials come straight from the A4's parts bin, not that there's anything wrong with a neat, trim, logical lay-out a-la-Audi style.

The cabin space is impressive and four Matfield-sized passengers won't feel cramped. What's more, even in standard format, before the rear seats are adjusted or folded flat, there is an abundance of loading space.

As one would expect from a vehicle of this class, it brims with lots of luxury and safety features, most of which contribute to the Q5's main attraction - the way it behaves on the road.

On the tar it has enough punch to leave a few hatches with red faces thanks to its ability to squirt from zero to 100km/h in just 7.2 seconds.

When you step on the gas there is a slight hesitation before the full force of 155kW and 350Nm kicks in, but once out of the starting blocks it gallops along in one smooth curve with the able assistance of Audi's much-lauded quick and slick 7 speed transmission.

Even with the setting in Comfort the ride is quite firm but the roadholding is excellent. In spite of its height, weight and size, the Q5 handles the corners with ease.

This time round I didn't do any dirt driving although at the launch I drove it over fairly rough and rugged stretches along roads less travelled in the Clanwilliam area and not once did it feel even a little unsettled or skittish.

What is not easy is parking the beast. It is big, the steering is heavy and the all-round visibility is not great. But that's the case with most beasts of this nature.

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Another cautionary - the doors are big, heavy and they open wide. This, plus the fact that it's quite a step up or down to get in and out of the vehicle, doesn't make tight supermarket parking spots a comfort zone, particularly if the Cape Doctor is blowing full tilt.

Premium compact SUV's are popular because they are designed to multi-task. The Q5 certainly has the comfort and convenience of a people carrier, the elegance of a luxury vehicle and the space of a station-wagon.

It's also sure-footed on dirt and gravel and it certainly has enough power to eat many hatches for breakfast.

Light-footed fuel consumption is good at 10.4l/100km (city), 7.3l/100km (high-way) and 8.5l/100km in the combined cycle.

The Q5 range offers the choice of three engines and all models have quattro permanent all-wheel drive, built-in technology for on-road and off-road conditions, a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch transmission and the Audi Drive Select driving dynamics system.

It is available in two body packages: an S-line exterior package for extra sporty looks and an off-road style package which adds more macho in the form of 19-inch wheels and a protective stone guard at the front and rear.

A one-year, unlimited mileage warranty and a five-year/100,000km freeway plan are included in the purchase price of all Q5 models.

Audi is on a war path against BMW and Mercedes-Benz and Ingolstadt is churning out new models to match the two market leaders in just about every model segment. The Q5 is another big gun in Audi's arsenal.