Text: Dhruv Behl
Images: Dhruv Behl & Audi India |
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| Q The Dust |
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If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know that we’ve said this before, but, at the risk of being repetitive, I’ll say it again – Audi have made their mark with ‘Vorsprung durch Technik,’ or advancement through technology. But you only get a sense of what that truly means if you’ve actually experienced it for yourself – Audi technology that is (or ‘technik’ I should say).
Well, earlier this year, when Audi launched its new flagship, the A8, they ensured that all the Indian journalists did just that. On hand to demonstrate the inertia defying feats that the Ingolstadt engineers can achieve with a luxury car was former racer and current Audi Driving Experience instructor, South African Mark Allison.
 Audi closed off one of the highways in the Mahindra World City, 100 kilometres from Jaipur, and set up a handful of challenges that were more befitting of a sports car let alone a massive luxury barge. Various exercises were devised by Mark to demonstrate the wizardry of Audi Drive Select, ABS, EBD, the advantage of Audi Spaceframe construction, and a lot more. But what came through in the end wasn’t simply the merits of individual bits of tech, but how it all worked together to make the whole far greater than the sum of its parts.
Well, Mark is back – and this time he has the entire Q range with him. Add to that a brilliant track that was set up, again just outside Jaipur, by Cougar Motorsport (of Desert Dash fame), and you have the recipe for another day of ‘Vorsprung’ at its best. On hand were a number of Q’s – 7’s and 5’s – in various states of trim with engine options ranging from V8s to four cylinders, sipping on both petrol and diesel.
I started out on the highway in a Q7 3.0TDI, and I have to say that the 3.0 litre, turbocharged V6, diesel engine, mated to an 8-speed transmission, is all the drivetrain that you could ever need in the real world. Yes, the Q7 is a large vehicle, but your every input translates to an immediate response – and it simply shrinks around you when on the move, which is the sign of a well sorted automobile. And while its supremely comfortable on-road, it’s off the tarmac that the Q7 surprisingly comes alive. Our first stop was the course set up by Cougar Motorsport that consisted of dips, ruts, banks, a slalom, and a couple of steep hills to really get a sense not only of Audi’s legendary Quattro, but also of the real off-road ability of these luxury SUVs.
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We started with the dips, which were really a series of pits that required you to drop one wheel into the pit to the extent that the diagonally opposing wheel would get suspended in mid air. Thereafter, it was up to the articulation of the suspension and the locking diffs to safely and comfortably transport you to your next obstacle. What surprised me wasn’t how capable the Q7 really was, or the ease with which it accomplished its task, but the comfort that it afforded its occupants while they were faced with a windshield full of sandy terra ferma one instant and vast blue sky the next. Plus, lean angles in the range of 35-degrees were easily achieved and equally impressive. On the slalom, the Q7 changed direction effortlessly on soft sand, after which it made its way up steep inclines with no complaints – and that too on 19-inch rims and on-road tires. But, what really took the cake was when Mark instructed me to turn right – and while that wouldn’t be unusual under ordinary circumstances, in this case we were on the top of a hill with what looked like a sheer drop to the side. After some trepidation, I did as I was told. Having set the safest course heading straight down, I took my feet off the pedals and allowed the hill descent control to take over and bring us safely to the bottom – Vorsprung at its best! I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the true off road ability of an SUV that you normally see only cruising high street, rather than taking the rough road. So, all you Q7 owners – you can, and should, take Audis flagship SUV cross-country, with a diversion or two off road as well.
Just to bring the point home, en route to the next destination, Mark decided to literally drive straight up, and down, a mountain that had a gradient clearly above the 60-degrees specified in the spec sheet. With four people in the car, and a mixture of soft sand and rocks, the Q7 soldiered up and down the dauntingly steep hill – albeit with very precise inputs from the driver.
The Q5, on the other hand, has a lower ride height, and restricted suspension articulation in comparison to the Q7, so it can’t achieve quite the same feats as its bigger brother. It is, nevertheless, able to conquer 90% of the same obstacles. I spent some time in the Q5 3.0 TDI in the deep sands of a riverbed, and the stiffer set up and torquey engine meant that the smaller Audi SUV was actually the perfect companion. And between Cougar and Audi, they had charted the perfect off-road course for the long drive back to Jaipur. A course that was both challenging, as well as quite tight on some occasions – at which point the relatively compact dimensions of the Q5 was a definite asset.
Off the two, I would definitely choose the Q7 for serious off-roading, which is made completely effortless from within its luxurious confines. But the Q5 is also an extremely well rounded SUV. It’s compact dimensions and on-road bias make it perfect for the city and highway, while still leaving you with the option of taking to unchartered territory if you so choose.
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But, really, what the Q Drive demonstrated once again was the unwavering confidence that Audi has in its brand and products. After all, a testament to that doesn’t come much stronger than letting 20 uninhibited journalists loose on your range of SUVs in the unforgiving sands of Rajasthan. Now, Audi just needs to encourage its owners to actually venture off road to get a sense of what their SUVs are truly capable of achieving. Any ‘Q’ owners listening? |
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