Off Roading at the Audi Q Drive
According to the general norm, a four-wheeler is driven on all four wheels. Isn’t that how it is meant to be? Think again.
Sit behind the steering wheel of an Audi Q5 or Q7 and you are all set to defy such existing beliefs. To put it simply, these mean machines are not cars, they are beasts. What is present beneath the hood in them should not be referred to as an engine but a monster. And dare I say this- it is not exaggeration by any stretch of imagination.
Audi Q drive, an initiative by the company along with its dealer network, focuses on showcasing the herculean abilities of these intimidating vehicles. Organized in a systematic manner with a briefing of the vehicles and the arena to kick start the proceedings. Once you get to the site you see their men positioned at various critical points to guide you through during your drive. Their experts come up with just the right kind of a track which might as well give an all terrain vehicle a run for its money that comprises of stones as big as rocks, sludgy patches similar to quicksand, vertical slopes if it can be put that way and the scariest of them all was a diagonal speed breaker over a steep slope which almost makes the vehicle run on just a couple of wheels. It is a task to deconstruct this track by even imagining it in the head if one hasn’t witnessed it. Spare a moment and think how it would be if you were driving on a track like this. Sounds insane? But put all your worries aside if you are driving an Audi Q series SUV. These just sail over all of these hurdles with minimal fuss.
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I would be lying if I said I was oblivious to any sort of skepticism before taking off the blocks. Knowing of the capabilities of an Audi Q series very well, I still had my doubts. Hence I had to put the monster to test. Once the wheels started to roll getting past every obstacle with startling ease it dawned upon me that one should simply put all the ifs’ and buts’ in the boot and just drive. The car will take care of the rest and so it did.
Starting off with a horrifying descent it felt as if the car might just topple from the rear but it was as smooth as a knife through a brick of butter. Maneuvering the vehicle through pits happened with utmost comfort. Q7’s 3 liter power house aided by Audi’s Quattro technology makes all of this seem like a cakewalk to the ones seated inside. Q5’s 2liter 4cylinder engine doesn’t fall short in clearing this track in any way whatsoever either. It is only when you notice all this standing outside do you tend to realize the sheer power this German machine exhibits. Suspensions are such that you may not even be able to gauge the severity and difficulty of the terrain if blindfolded. You are left awestruck trying to fathom how a car could pull off something as phenomenal as this.
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Talk of the specifications and you will be left gaping seeing the mind boggling numbers-Q5 with its 2liter 4cylinder turbocharged engine delivers 220 hp @4450rpm and a net torque of 258Nm @1500 rpm. The car is loaded with safety features like brake assist, ESC, daytime running lights, integrated turn signal mirrors, traction control and what not.
Q7 is deadlier when it comes to technical specifications. With a 3liter V6 engine emitting 245PS power and generating 440Nm torque the vehicle is well equipped to scale almost any track in its way. A formidable SUV which is capable of providing an engaging and pleasurable driving experience is what a Q7 is.
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Audi vehicles are always high on the electrical gadgetry quotient and these SUV’s are marquees on that front. Interiors are well laid out and the instrument panel is a neat spread. Flashy but charming might just be the right way to put things in perspective when talking about the interiors. Both the vehicles are distinctively different in almost every aspect. I would love to talk more about the inner artistry of the car but the Q drive experience just forces me to get back to the power and traction of this well crafted machinery. Need I say more?
If you’ve not been an Audi admirer, holding them in high regard until now then a drive like this would precisely be what the doctor ordered for to change your perceptions forever. This piece of magnificence oozes class and raw power in every drop of fuel it consumes. Get your hands on this piece of perfection. Drive it to feel it. Enough said.
Written by- Arjun Kalia
Photography- Adhithyan Karunakaran
