The current-generation Audi Q5 received a facelift in 2021 but it’s bones back to 2017. The tires are still nimble despite their age, at least in terms of emergency maneuvers. The 2022 model shown here – the Q5 Sportback 45 TSFI – didn’t just pass the Moose Test. It gets some extra credit.
Recent tests from km77.com saw this sleek SUV cruising easily past the benchmark speed of 77 km/h (48 mph). In fact, the Q5’s performance was so surprising that initial tests running at 75 km/h (47 mph) caught drivers off guard. We saw the Audi arrow to the left as it exits the last emergency turn, the result of the driver’s reaction to non-existent oversteer. The Q5 was fully arrayed and controlled during a series of fast lane changes, and remained that way for up to a maximum speed of 79 km/h (49 mph). This was the fastest clear bait, but only one cone was brushed at 80 km/h (50 mph).
Other than that, the Q5 Sportback never exhibits jarring behavior. A common characteristic at higher speeds is understeer, which is unappealing for enthusiastic driving, but is preferable for a stable, predictable ride. Understeer slowed down a bit during the final half of the run, but the Audi still made the final turn without hitting a cone. Its failed track at 80 km/h makes the bumper clip the first one inside the cone.
Of course, different vehicle configurations may give different results. This particular Q5 Sportback has optional air suspension, which was auto-adjusted for testing. It also rides on optional 20-inch wheels with 255/45 series Pirelli Scorpion tires, driven by a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with a mild hybrid system that produces 261 horsepower (195 kilowatts).
In the Moose Test world, the Q5 Sportback is actually a rarity. It completed tests faster than its sibling RS3 as well as the E-Tron GT, two vehicles designed with performance in mind. It also outperformed the Honda Civic’s 77 km/h run and easily beat the BMW i4’s Moose Test score of 73 km/h. Surprisingly, other SUVs and crossovers such as the BMW X3 or Hyundai Ioniq 5 had a higher speed comparable to Audi’s time in tough testing.
