Audi Q5 35TDI Vs Volvo XC60

Introduction

After spending a day with the XC60 back in December 2017, it was evident that finding flaws in this highly accomplished Volvo was a task in itself. But soon after Volvo launched its XC60 in December, Audi was quick to respond with its new Q5 in January 2018. While we picked the Audi Q5 35TDI Technology variant for this test, the Volvo XC60 is only available in one fully loaded Inscription version. Although both cars offer a long list of features, a powerful 2.0-litre diesel motor and a spacious cabin, we decided to pull out our magnifying lens to pick a winner among the two.

Eye-Catchers

When viewed from the front, the Audi Q5 looks quite familiar to its larger sibling, the Q7. What’s common is the large grille that’s extravagantly highlighted in silver trim, along with the sleek LED headlamps. Even the rear section is strikingly similar due to the slim tail lights with snazzy graphics and the busy bumper area which holds the twin tastefully crafted exhausts. However, in profile though, it is the strong crease that runs across the shoulder line which curves around the wheel arches that sets its character apart. The large five-spoke alloys may look unexciting in these pictures, but they definitely lend it great appeal in reality.

If the Audi was sedate in its design flair, then it is undoubtedly the XC60 that will stir some excitement within you. The face especially, with those sensational looking Thor’s Hammer LED head lamps and the elegantly appointed chrome-tipped grille sets your pulse racing. Unique design bits get apparent when you turn to the profile section. Here, one will appreciate the long straight bonnet which meets the aggressively angled A-pillar and the black-chrome alloys. Even the sharply angled quarter-glass that’s heavily highlighted in chrome, along with the prominent shoulder-line which ends at the tall tail lamps lend the Volvo a great deal of presence. At the rear, the towering tail lamps are split apart by an obvious bulge on the boot, and those twin chrome-tipped exhausts look like they mean business.

We certainly developed an affinity for the Volvo XC60 when it comes to looks since it has a great combination of sophistication and sportiness which isn’t present in the Audi Q5.

Plush Cabins

If you’re going to be driving most of the time, you will appreciate an attractive dash. In terms of pure design and unique detailing, we’d undoubtedly prefer the Volvo with fewer buttons to operate and a tall touchscreen. However, when it comes to functionality, the Q5 has an edge thanks to a more intuitive and easy to use (on the go) MMI system with conventional air-con controls. Although the Volvo’s interface is undoubtedly flashier, even basic things like toggling through the air-con controls require you to take your eyes off the road for too long.

Even the drive-mode button is tricky to use with its roll-and-push functionality. Now, even if you get familiar with the Volvo’s touch screen functionality, Audi’s fantastic Virtual Cockpit with its striking graphics that throws data in front of you along with the ease of use, is simply just too tempting to resist. That said, both cars score well when it comes to stashing belongings on the centre console and under-arm storage. Even the front door pads on both cars have large enclosures which can accommodate 1-litre bottles.

This brings us to the front seats. The Q5 has better knee room, head room, shoulder room and ingress than the XC60. The only advantage with the XC60’s front seats are that they are larger with more contours. But in terms of adjustment, while the Q5 only gets lumbar adjust, the Volvo benefits from cooled/heated seats, and electrically adjustable thigh support, massage, lumbar and lateral support! Speaking of the rear seats, the Volvo XC60 has more knee room, the cabin is wider with more shoulder room, back support is better, there’s marginally more headroom, and it also gets a heating option!

What the Q5 offers is slightly better thigh support, the ability to recline and better ingress. Plus, the Audi also benefits from a 40:20:40 split-folding option (XC60 has 60:40) which, coupled with the rear back-forth sliding seats, increases the useable boot space. Although, the Q5’s boot swallows 550-litres, which is 45 litres more than the XC60, both can accommodate at least four medium-sized suitcases with a few soft bags. But the Volvo’s loading height can be conveniently lowered via buttons, which makes loading baggage onto it easier than the Audi.

Feature-Rich

Both contenders get kit such as rear view camera with parking aid plus (front and rear), adaptive LED headlamps, electric front seats with memory function, regular cruise control, an electric tailgate and a sunroof. They also get safety features like ESP with ABS and eight airbags. However, the Q5 makes do with only a three-zone air-con and 18-inch alloys. But on the flipside, it gets the brilliant ‘Virtual Cockpit’ instrument cluster.

On the other hand, the Volvo comes loaded with a four-zone air-con, larger 19-inch alloys with an air-suspension, a scintillating Bowers and Wilkins audio player, Nappa leather upholstery with massage feature for the front, heated/cooled seats at the front, heated rear seats and a 360 degree camera. Being a Volvo means that there’s a host of safety features that include blind-spot information system, lane-keeping aid, pilot-assist, collision mitigation support (front and rear), adaptive cruise control and park assist pilot, to name a few. Our vote goes for the Volvo which is easily the better-equipped of the two.

Life On The Road

Hit the engine start button on both luxury crossovers and their 2.0-litre turbo diesel motors will spring to life with the kind of clatter that we’ve come to expect of diesel mills. However, the Q5’s motor sounds much more refined in comparison. Having said that, superior cabin insulation in both cars keep external noises at bay. At least on paper, the XC60’s 235bhp/480Nm looks more attractive than the Audi Q5’s 192bhp/400Nm.

But interestingly, the Q5’s power delivery off the mark and in the lower mid-range are more aggressive compared to the Volvo which has a more sedate power output. What helps the Audi’s cause is that it is 90kg lighter than the Volvo. Plus, its motor coupled with the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (with paddle shifts) has been optimised to offer a more sprightly power output in the lower to mid rev-range.

In comparison, the XC60’s eight-speed automatic transmission (with paddle shifts) offers a more relaxed power output and at no point, feels snappy in its power delivery. There’s a nice surge that picks up post 1500rpm which races all the way to the 4000rpm limiter. Our VBox equipment eventually confirmed our assumption by registering the Audi’s 0-100kmph run in a swifter 8.29 seconds while the Volvo took all of 8.64 seconds. However, the 20-80 and 40-100kmph drivability tests were quite similar, which meant that they performed in more-or-less the same manner in kick-down situations such as a quick overtake.

We also noticed that unlike the Q5’s accurate gearshift lever, the XC60’s stubby shift lever was a bit tricky to use, especially while actuated in a hurry. Now, to derive the best out of its motors, both crossovers get five pre-set drive modes that alter the engine/gearbox/steering characteristics. However, what sets them apart is that the Audi gets an Auto mode while the Volvo gets an Eco mode. The rest of the modes are common, so there’s an Off-road, Comfort, Dynamic and Individual which works in a similar manner.

‘Comfort’ mode offers a relaxed but quick enough output for most situations, and ‘Dynamic’ gives a more spirited driving experience as the transmission clings on to lower gears for better response. As a result though, it can get jerky in this mode on both cars. That said, ‘Individual’ allows the driver to toggle between modes to alter the steering and powertrain responses. This brings us to Audi’s ‘Auto’ mode which gets the system to read the user’s driving pattern and adapts to their driving style. On the other hand, the Volvo’s ‘Eco’ mode offers the best possible efficiency since upshifts are quicker with the engine running smoothly at any given time.

Road Etiquette

The Volvo XC60 undoubtedly shines when it comes to ride quality. Thanks to a well-engineered air-suspension, the ride is not only plush, but you will not even hear the vehicle’s suspension overcoming the harsher bumps. This is quite unlike the Q5’s stiffer suspension setup (in comparison) ,where even shocks from mild bumps are transmitted into the cabin at slow speeds. The manners don’t really change even while going over bumps at higher speeds, and what makes things worse (in comparison) is that the Audi’s suspension noise is also audible from within the cabin.

As far as the steering is concerned, the XC60 felt right on the money. Its steering felt more connected thanks to more feedback of what’s happening at the wheels. The Q5, on the other hand, felt lifeless especially in Comfort, a trait that just got slightly better in Dynamic mode by offering some extra artificial heft. But in terms of pure grip and high speed stability, the XC60 has a slight edge over the Q5 thanks to the combination of the well-tuned air-suspension that has larger wheels with lower profile tyres, wider track and a longer wheelbase. However, being high riders there’s a fair bit of roll in both but if we had to pick the better, it would tilt towards the Audi Q5 which was tidier around corners thanks to its Quattro permanent all-wheel drive.

Conclusion

I’m guessing you’d have already chosen a winner for this comparison, but for old times’ sake let’s just put two and two together for you. What works for the Audi Q5 is better outright performance, cabin space in the front, ease of functionality of features on the go, rear seat versatility and the fact that it rolls less around bends when you push it hard. On the flipside, the Q5 is more expensive by Rs 1.10 lakhs (Rs 74.19 lakhs on-road Mumbai), the steering could have lent better feedback and its bland understated looks isn’t anything to write home about.

Having said that, the Volvo XC60 starts off by making a strong case for itself by costing Rs 73.03 lakhs on-road Mumbai (Rs 1.10 lakhs cheaper than the Audi). And for that money you get more sophisticated looks, large front seats with more adjustments for comfort, more rear space with bigger seats, and a loading bay that lowers for easy access. You even get more comfort features, a number of safety features, a more sorted steering feedback and a brilliant ride. The only things that really mark the XC60 down are the in-screen functions that tend to get your eyes off the road (which you get used to over time) and the rather sedate mid-range punch from the motor. And, as things stand today, we don’t believe any of these are truly deal breakers and the Volvo XC60 is our pick for now!