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Audi Q5: sports car in SUV mould
By Moses Akaigwe (igwemos@sunnewsonline)
Friday, August 1, 2008
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| Photo:
Sun News Publishing |
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Audi is maintaining its successful efficiency strategy: the
new Audi Q5, the sport car in the SUV category, is its latest
model to combine high performance with low consumption. This
progress is underpinned by an extensive package of hi-tech
solutions ranging from energy recuperation to engine downsizing.
It could not be ascertained at press time when Audi Centre,
a division of Stallion Motors which markets the German brand
in Nigeria, plans to bring the new car to Nigeria, but it
was learnt that this would be as soon as the vehicle makes
its premiere.
Audi is bringing the new Q5 into the market equipped with
three powerful, sporty engines – one turbo FSI gasoline
version and two TDIs, all of which are state-of-the-art units
featuring turbocharging and direct fuel injection. The perfect
interplay of the two technologies paves the way for downsizing,
which involves using supercharging as a means of trimming
engine capacity. This enables the Q5 to achieve CO2 emissions
of less than 200 grams per kilometer (321.87 g/mile).
The new 2.0 TFSI, the successor to the engine that was voted
"Engine of the Year" four times in a row, is an
object lesson in efficiency. The performance of this four-cylinder
engine, which develops 155 kW (211 hp) and 350 Nm (258.15
lb-ft) of torque, puts it in the same league as conventional
six-cylinder engines. Yet its fuel consumption averages only
8.5 liters per 100 kilometers (27.67 US mpg) – giving
it a clear advantage over its competitors.
Audi has again made huge advances in gasoline direct injection,
which it supplies badged as FSI. The Audi valvelift system
(AVS) regulates the valve lift in two stages, gives torque
an extra boost and improves fuel efficiency by around five
percent. The 2.0 TFSI has featured the technology ever since
being launched.
The TDI – the most successful efficiency technology
in the world Audi put the TDI principle into passenger car
production almost 20 years ago, at a time when it was a landmark
development for the entire automotive industry. The TDI has
long since become established as the most successful efficiency
technology in the world, and Audi has gradually extended its
lead in this field.
The TDI engines fit in with Audi's downsizing strategy. The
four-cylinder diesel develops an impressive 125 kW (170 hp)
from its two-liter engine. It delivers 350 Nm (258.15 lb-ft)
of torque and covers 100 kilometers on an average of just
6.7 liters of fuel (35.11 US mpg) in the Audi Q5. The top
diesel in the Q5 is the 3.0 TDI, a V6 with an output of 176
kW (240 hp) and a massive 500 Nm (368.78 lb-ft) of torque.
Its average consumption over 100 kilometers is just 7.5 liters
(31.36 US mpg).
The high torque values at low revs have allowed the engineers
to select slightly higher transmission ratios without undermining
dynamic performance. The peak torque is achieved at a very
early point on all engines in the Audi Q5 – the 2.0
TFSI, for instance, already achieves its 350 Nm (258.15 lb-ft)
at 1,500 rpm, barely above idle speed. The Q5 thus handles
supremely well at low revs – with correspondingly good
fuel efficiency.
The modular efficiency platform
Audi uses a whole raft of new technologies that are referred
to by the umbrella term of "modular efficiency platform"
both in the Q5 and in a number of other models. A new vane
pump for the power steering delivers only as much oil as is
necessary at any given operating point. The automatic air
conditioning's cooling circuit, too, operates extremely economically.
The oil pump is regulated by the volumetric flow and, therefore,
always operates on demand. Systematic fine-tuning has reduced
the internal friction of all engines.
Temperature management is another new technology. Part of
the coolant circuit is isolated during the warm-up phase,
helping the engine to reach its operating temperature faster
– this, too, boosts efficiency. The saving in everyday
driving is considerable because this form of use involves
a high proportion of short trips.
All versions of the Q5 – as well as all engine versions
of the A4 Sedan and A4 Avant – recover energy, while
coasting, in other words during braking and freewheeling.
The alternator is then able to convert the kinetic energy
into electrical energy that is stored in the battery. The
battery releases the energy when the car accelerates, reducing
the engine's workload.
Each of these measures from the modular efficiency platform
boosts fuel efficiency by between one and four tenths of a
liter over 100 kilometers. The combined effect of these measures
is to improve overall fuel efficiency by around 15 percent,
or about 30 grams of CO2 per kilometer (48.28 g/mile).
Audi is forging ahead with its efficiency strategy in every
area of the vehicle. The Audi Q5 2.0 TFSI, which comes with
a six-speed manual transmission as standard, features a shift
indicator in the driving area; this recommends the most economical
gear to the driver. The new, refined navigation system also
promotes efficient driving. The MMI navigation plus system
can work out the most fuel-efficient route for the driver.
Audi fits the new seven-speed S tronic – a state-of-the-art
dual-clutch transmission – on the three most powerful
engine versions. With its lightning-fast, ultra-convenient
gearshifts it is extremely sporty in response but also highly
effective, with a broad spread of ratios from the lowest to
the highest gear. The seven-speed dual-clutch transmission
is currently the most efficient transmission technology.
The Audi Q5, the sports model in the SUV category, also redefines
the benchmark for handling. The new reduced rolling resistance
tires play a major part in its dynamic handling. They are
virtually indistinguishable from conventional tires when it
comes to lateral stability and stopping distance, but significantly
reduce rolling resistance and, therefore, fuel consumption.
The exterior is another decisive factor. The basic version
of the new Audi Q5 achieves a drag coefficient of just 0.33
– the best in its field of competitors. This is due
not only to its basic aerodynamic form but also to technical
features such as the underbody panel. The frontal area measures
just 2.65 m2 (28.52 ft2), owing to the relatively low body;
this, too, promotes a favorable airflow around the car. Although
this is scarcely noticeable in consumption figures calculated
on the test rig, it has a major effect when driving down the
freeway.
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