Audi Q5 2021 review: 40 TDI

A sporty aesthetic with a front featuring vertical and horizontal lines built within its smile shaped grille; a look that seems to be becoming the norm for these higher-end SUVs (somewhat mirroring the Aston Martin DBX SUV's look, for a lot less cash).

The car has rounded lines and a sleek rear profile that looks elegant and premium. Alloy wheels with a star-shaped pattern, and metallic paint complete the overall appearance.

The alloy wheels have a star-shaped pattern.

Inside the design is suitably understated. No garish bling here, just smooth lines and quality finishes.

The 10.1-inch digital touchscreen juts out from the dashboard in an abrupt way, yet it's easy to use and has decent functionality.

The 10.1-inch digital touchscreen juts out from the dashboard in an abrupt way.

As a mid-sized SUV there is plenty of space for a family of four. I had two car seats in the back, one five-point harness and one booster seat, and there was certainly room for an extra child in the middle.

The front seats are spacious and very comfortable with electric adjustments and great back support.

The middle console has two cupholders (plus extra space for bottles in the deep door pockets), and a large middle storage bin, featuring a padded top for an armrest, suitable for those with longer arms.

The door pockets are deep enough to store bottles.

In front of the storage bin is a flat, non-slip pad for your phone, with the added benefit of being a wireless charger, which can also slide away when not in use.

The back seat is reasonably sized and comfortable, too, with separate air vents and temperature controls. The middle seat is a little cramped, though, with a big hump in the centre of the floor - so best suited to little ones, or a short trip for grown-ups.

The back seat is reasonably sized and comfortable.

There are also two USB points in the back, and cupholders in the flip-down middle console, as well as in the door. The backs of the seats have net storage pockets, though I think a proper pocket would be better (crayons and the like just slip straight through the net).

Back seat passengers get cupholders in the flip-down middle console.

The boot is an impressive 520L (VDA) when the second row is in use, and a huge 1520L if the back seats are folded down.

The boot comes fitted with anchored nets to secure luggage to the floor or sides, a bit like a boot-camp obstacle course for your bags.

As mentioned, the gearshift takes some experience, but otherwise it really is effortless.

With wireless connection for Apple CarPlay (though oddly, Android Auto still requires a cord), getting the functionality from my phone onto the screen was easy via Bluetooth.

Of course, with a car of this size getting a little one in and out of the back has its pros and cons. The car seat is at a good height to buckle them in, but I did have to lift my small five-year old out. The older one was happy to unbuckle and leap out themselves.

This model comes with a space saver spare tyre under the floor of the boot.

The Q5's safety on this car is substantiated by a maximum five-star ANCAP rating (from a 2017 assessment).

There is a full suite of safety features on the Q5 with auto emergency braking (up to 85km/h, and detecting cyclists and pedestrians), lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, driver attention alert, auto high-beams, and an exit warning system.

The test car was fitted with the optional 'Assistance Package' ($1770) which includes, adaptive cruise control (with 'Stop & Go'), 'Park Assist' (self-parking), folding and auto dimming exterior mirrors (with kerb-side function on the passenger side), and 360-degree cameras (four wide angle cameras provide a virtual overhead view).

The Q5 features folding and auto dimming exterior mirrors.

With eight airbags (driver and front passenger, four sides and dual curtain) there is cover for every passenger. There are two ISOFIX points in the back seat and three top tether points for the kids seats.

The Q5 40 TDI is priced at $68,900, before on-roads (MSRP) for this diesel, or $69,600 for the 45 TFSI petrol version. 

This car is designed to be fuel efficient, though it is still a large, heavy SUV. For my week of city driving it averaged 11.2L/100km compared to the published figures (for the combined cycle) of 5.4L/100km - which is a HUGE difference. Fuel efficiencies should come into play with more freeway driving.

Audi's three year/unlimited km warranty is shaded in the premium segment by Mercedes-Benz and Genesis at five-years/unlimited km.

Service is recommended every 12 months/15,000km (whichever comes first), and Audi's 'Genuine Care Service Plans' offer two- and five-year up-front payment plans delivering worthwhile savings over pay-as-you-go.

A five-year plan for the Q5 40 TDI is set at $3350, for an annual average of $670, which is pretty competitive in this part of the market.

What isn't so competitive is Audi's three year/unlimited km warranty, now shaded in the premium segment by Mercedes-Benz and Genesis at five-years/unlimited km.