The next best thing to being a human parent to my pets is driving.
Whenever the opportunity to get into the driver’s seat with my fur baby seated at the back comes along, happiness fills my heart.
So, when the chance to be at the wheel of the new and sportier-designed Audi Q5 came along, seated in the cockpit I was.
The Audi Q5 is available in S Line TFSI with a gasoline engine and in the diesel-powered S Line TDI is also equipped with features that make the premium SUV even safer, more luxurious, and fuel-efficient.
How do I love the Audi Q5? Let me count the ways.
1 It’s top rated. The new Audi Q5 boasts of the highest honor from US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) — a Top Safety Pick+ award. This means the Audi Q5 has scored “Good” ratings in all six of IIHS’s crashworthiness evaluations, and “Superior” and “Advanced,” respectively, in vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention. Plus, its headlights have also been considered “Good” across all its trims and packages.
2 Cool looks — I couldn’t take my eyes off the LED headlamps of the Audi Q5. Immediately it struck me how much thought went into the dynamic headlight design, as well as the turn signals. Add to that the rear lights, which are one of the key elements that make the latest model unmistakably Audi.
For me, more than just a unique light signature, the headlamps’ intelligent and adaptable high beams give the Audi not just a unique look, they are also designed not just for safety and convenience but also not to “blind” other road users.
3 Comfortable cabin — As I step into the cabin, I am aware that the Audi Q5’s interior is fitted with plenty of technologies, like the new, freestanding MMI (multimedia interface) touch display, as well as the Audi virtual cockpit, plus the MMI navigation, plus the MMI touch response.
The Audi MMI system streamlines controls for audio, vehicle settings, and navigation under a common interface, reducing the number of control buttons for you. Audi models are also equipped with Audi Smart Phone Interface for Apple Car Plane and Android Auto.
It also boasts of a front seat massager (for the S Line TFSI); a Bang & Olufsen Premium Sound System with 3D Sound; front leather sport seats; sport contour, flat-bottom leather steering wheel with multifunction plus controls and three-zone climate control system, among other items.
4 Sharp and functional design that’s comfy for pets, too. From the outside the Audi Q5 has a wider octagonal Singleframe grille and taller side air intakes in front, and a new trim element between the light clusters, as well as a new diffusor insert with a horizontal fin and an S Line roof spoiler in the rear.
Besides sharpening the styling of the latest Audi Q5, the design changes are also functional, like the new sill inserts that actually raise the SUV’s ground clearance.
Of course, Boris was my companion on the test drive as we drove to his fave spot in Cavite. As an added bonus we used the Audi harness, which we got at the accessory Audi pet store — making his ride smooth, comfy and super-safe.
A happy Boris means a peaceful drive.
5 Fuel efficiency — The 2.0-liter TFSI and TDI engines of the Audi Q5 both feature a mild hybrid system, contributing to their low fuel consumption and cleaner emissions. Low fuel consumption is a must for the times. There is also a belt-driven starter/generator incorporating a compact lithium-ion battery that recuperates braking energy, then stores this in the battery. The mild hybrid system enables the vehicle to coast with the engine off, and allows for start-stop mode at speeds below 22 km/h.
As the world continues on the road to recovery from the pandemic years, one of the ways I have found to help me ease into the “new normal” is drive out into the countryside and breathe. Pets included — that’s a must.
Drive on.