Audi's 650Nm SQ5 TDI reaches SA

Published Feb 10, 2014

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Audi entered the 'hot crossover' ring two weeks back with its RS Q3 and now that's being joined by the bigger and slightly tamer SQ5 TDI.

The devilish diesel beneath its bonnet is a twin-turbo 3-litre TDI unit that produces 230kW and a heady 650Nm of torque between 1450 and 2800rpm.

This highly modified version of Audi's 3-litre common rail oil burner develops as much as 2000 bar of pressure and injects as many as eight shots of diesel into the cylinders per cycle.

What this means, out on the mean streets, is a sprint from 0-100km/h in just 5.1 seconds, according to Audi, although the usual 250km/h electronically limited top end remains.

Audi claims a fuel consumption cost of just 6.8 litres per 100km, although real world consumption is likely to be somewhat higher.

Power is shifted through all four wheels via an eight-speed tiptronic gearbox and Audi's quattro permanent all-wheel drive with torque vectoring. Its road-hugging ability is further enhanced by a sports suspension that lowers the body by 30mm and chunky 20-inch alloy wheels.

Other measures to set it apart on the street include unique front and rear bumpers, a Platinum Grey single-frame grille, aluminium-look exterior mirrors and a roof spoiler.

Numerous 'S' motifs mark out the interior, as do the power-adjustable sports seats upholstered in Alcantara leather. That's standard, along with MMI 3G Navigation Plus, S-design flat-bottom steering wheel and an exhaust sound actuator.

The bill? SQ5 lands in the showrooms at R794 500.

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