The Audi off-roading experience

|THE DEN|

Audi recently held an off-road event to show the prowess of their Q vehicles off the tarmac. We had the pleasure of driving the Audi Q2, Q5, Q8 and the Audi E-tron. Read more to find the perfect Audi SUV for your family and see if they are actually capable of kicking up some dust.

Audi E-tron

The Audi e-tron is an electric automobile designed for those who wish to keep their EV choice hidden while still enjoying the typical benefits of a big interior and a large cargo. As a result, it's a competitor to the Mercedes EQC and Jaguar I-Pace. Costing over 1 Cr this is the car for you if you love driving, occasionally even off-road.

Two electric motors, one at the front axle and the other at the rear, are hidden beneath the e-deeply tron's wrinkled bodywork. They work together to offer electronic all-wheel drive, but the rear motor is in charge of the majority of the work. They produce a combined 355 horsepower and 540Nm of torque in normal driving conditions.

The track that went off-roading on had 8-9 obstacles that test the car’s performance off-road. The car went through chicken holes with ease and barely any vibrations coming through. Although if you take this obstacle at a higher speed, then you might hear suspension thuds creeping through. The car is stable on the road but this means that taking bad roads at higher speeds will make things uncomfortable.

The E-tron might not be Audi’s flagship but it does get all the features that you might need off-road. There are specific off- road modes that adjust the suspension, steering and the Quattro system according to the roads.

The car fairs extremely well in suspension articulation and crossed those obstacles without breaking a sweat. The well equipped cabin keeps you isolated from all road noise and the leather seats hug you well as the car moves around.

The Audi E-tron also fairs very well on steep inclines and declines, the car has enough power coming from both the motors that it can climb the steepest of inclines. The hill descent control also aids you as you begin the decline. The slew of electronics and the tons of power make sure you can go everywhere your approach and departure angle allow you to.

The E-tron’s systems are its most striking technology, but the five-seat crossover also offers a cutting-edge and practical cabin. Audi's digital gauge cluster, dubbed Virtual Cockpit, and two flush-mounted touchscreens in the centre are among the dashboard's several high-resolution screens.

Of course, expensive features like a heads-up display and massaging front seats are available to fill out the E-tron’s cabin, which benefits from a level floor thanks to the battery pack's neatly packaged underfloor storage.

Audi Q2

This baby Audi might not look like it can do much off-road but this car did not disappoint us one bit when it came to the Audi Quattro Drives’ track. The car handled everything like a champ and we were left impressed by this baby Audi’s Quattro system.

The car wasn’t too big on power figures and you could feel that on steep inclines. It might have an all-wheel drive system but this is still a crossover more than it is an SUV.

The new Audi Q2 is powered by a 2.0-litre TFSI petrol engine that delivers 187 horsepower and 320 Nm of torque. The famous Quattro all-wheel-drive system transfers power to all four wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission. This Audi SUV can accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometres per hour in 6.5 seconds.

With a three-spoke multi-functional flat-bottom steering control with paddle shifters, the Audi Q2 has access to Audi's virtual cockpit. Finely contoured sport seats with insert inlays and a 10-color ambient lighting system are available. The air conditioners are circular, with rotational and twist controls.

This car wobbled its way over the chicken holes and the suspension really begged for mercy as we raced through the obstacle. You won’t really feel unsafe in this little tank but yes you also won’t feel like you can take this car everywhere.

The ground clearance, approach and departure angles are all just adequate and it made through most of the obstacles but just barely. This is a car that can go off-road but it won’t like doing it, and you won’t like doing that to it either.

When it came to the suspension articulation and the tilt we knew exactly what to expect from the car and as we feathered the throttle, it completed the course with no major difficulty. Although there was one such obstacle that even Audi had cordoned off for this SUV because even they know that might be a a little too extreme for it.

Don’t expect this car to overly impress you but if you want a car that does it all and quite well. Then you can consider this baby Audi as it will even take you off-road if you need to and you can purchase this without breaking your bank.

Audi Q5

The Q5 might be the sweet spot in the Audi SUV lineup. It is decently capable, not extremely gigantic so it is manageable in the city, and it is also not the most expensive when it comes to luxury SUVs.

You might not fall in love with design but when you get the driving feel of this car, there’s not much that can really compete with it. Now it might not be a proper off-road SUV and it is also not a typical luxury SUV. What it is, is the perfect mix between both those cars and does not disappoint you in any sense.

Price between 59-64 lakhs ex-showroom, this Audi might actually be value for money if you see it for what it really is, a capable SUV that has decent road presence and tons of legroom. All the passengers are spoiled in this Audi by the extremely comfortable seats that hug you as you put the pedal to the floor.

The off-road experience in this SUV felt like a breeze, the most proper SUV in the Audi lineup. This car felt like it could take on absolutely anything you throw at it. Although rivals such as the Land Rover Discovery Sport have stronger off-road capabilities, the Q5 can handle most scenarios encountered in India.

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder TFSI petrol engine in the facelifted Audi Q5 delivers 245bhp and 370Nm of torque. The Quattro all- wheel-drive system sends power to all four wheels via a seven- speed automatic transmission.

Hill descent control is another helpful feature, and when adaptive air suspension or damper control is enabled, a tilt angle indicator is included. On the screen, the indication displays the car's pitch and roll angles. This function was quite useful throughout the articulation because we were able to see precisely what was going on with the car and it handled all obstacles with ease.

The handbrake is not manual, but rather electric. So the Audi Q5 isn't actually capable of doing genuine donuts, despite our best efforts. The car was also rather comfortable throughout the experience, with neither the driver nor the passenger ever feeling as if we were off the road.

The Q5 is a capable on-road SUV, but it also offers all the equipment and support systems you'll need to get off the beaten path securely and confidently. If you want a car that can take you to work every day but also to the hills on weekends, this is the car for you.

Audi Q8

The last car that we drove in our off-road experience was the Audi Q8 and it was the most impressive. We didn’t expect it to be good off-road but it proved us wrong. Even after the stunning coupe like design this car is a proper SUV.

It's stunning because it successfully combines the appearance of a sports sedan with the shape of an SUV. It boasts smooth lines, sharp angles, and the perfect look for on and off the road. It's comfortable on the inside, albeit it's a little smaller than the name says.

Audi has created a stylish and durable environment inside the Q8 in typical Audi way. The panels are expertly matched and the materials are of the highest quality. While the entry model lacks upscale options like four-zone climate control and a leather dashboard with contrast stitching, it does come with heated front seats and a panoramic sunroof as standard.

The 2022 Audi Q8 is the company's flagship SUV, a flashier alternative to the three-row Q7, with dramatic dimensions and only two rows of seating. The new Audi Q8 is powered by a 3.0- litre V6 petrol engine that produces 335bhp and 500Nm of torque. This car didn’t once feel underpowered on the course and the engine took even the steepest incline in its stride.

The virtual cockpit did help throughout the off-road experience and the crisp display is a delight to look at. The overall feel of this car is excellent and it is built to last. There was no creaking and barely any sound crept in the cabin.

This car handled the articulation in its own comfortable way, but we could make out thet the suspension struggled a bit during the obstacle. This might not be the best car for proper off-roading.

Now, if you need the sleekest and the best looking Audi SUV then this is the car for you. Audi designed the Q8 as a versatile utility vehicle with multiple driving modes, including Dynamic, which purportedly modifies the transmission reaction and lowers the vehicle. The Q8 lifts a few inches when you select Off Road or All Road, giving you more ground clearance.

This entire event was a beautiful experience and we understood a lot about Audi and its approach towards off-road cars. All the 4 cars at the event were capable off-road, some more than others. Now if off-roading is your passion then you can look somewhere else. But, if you love driving and need a good all-rounder. Audi has got you!