diesel lives, the fight continues

Diesel, 204 HP and ECO sticker.

Aberration for some. Heavenly music for others. Audi maintains in its range one of those cars that is a safe bet for fans of the brand. But, above all, for those who travel long and hard on the road, those who want a car with comfortable and safe reactions and, incidentally, get an ECO label that gives it certain advantages when entering big cities.

He Audi Q5 It is the reminder that there are not many of them anymore but yes, diesel is still a good alternative for a very specific driver profile. The company has also renewed one of its best-selling SUVs with a technological arsenal that may include a screen for the co-pilot.

Audi Q5 technical sheet

Diesel, why not?

Only 5.6% of all cars bought in Spain They have been diesel between January and October 2026. The image is radically different from that of a few years. In 2010more than 70% of the cars purchased in Spain used this mechanism. It didn’t matter if the car was going to be used on long stretches on the highway or in an urban environment and its ring roads.

Over the years, European regulations have put a stop to this fuel, less expensive than gasoline under similar conditions and cleaner if we talk about CO2 emissions but much more polluting if we focus on NOx emissions or in fine particles.

This has led us to AdBluethe particle filters and their painful breakdowns. A technology that discourages short, repetitive journeys in which the engine does not reach the optimal temperature to burn polluting particles, forcing forced regeneration which, when not completed, ends up leading to breakdowns.

But like everything in this life, not everything is black or white. Firstly, because there are those who not only still like the diesel formula, they also still like it for maintaining that push from very low down. And second because this 204 HP Audi Q5 TDI does not add up in the category of diesel car. The company has here a mild hybrid which accesses the ECO sticker, a purchase value that is almost essential in a car worth more than 60,000 euros.

That ECO sticker is achieved by a soft hybridization system that continues to impact less on consumption and emissions than a “Toyota-style” electric hybrid but it is more capable than most alternatives on the market. And the electrical system, which consists of a 1.7 kWh capacity battery and a 24 HP motor, allows the car to move by itself and not only support the combustion engine.

It does this for a few meters or during parking maneuvers and is especially comfortable in the latter case when the engine is turned off and parking becomes more pleasant. It can also turn off the combustion engine while it is running when the foot is lifted from the accelerator to drive at full speed and save a few tenths in final consumption.

This is where the Audi Q5 shines the most. On the open road is where it achieves its best results because its dynamics have everything we can expect from the brand: a comfortable car, with direct steering and very noble reactions. Especially with the pneumatic suspension that we have tested, which slightly reduces the height with the sport mode activated, improving the possible roll of the body that becomes almost non-existent unless we intend to go faster than we have to on a secondary road.

It is also its best side because that is where the combustion engine becomes less present. And at low speeds or when we put pressure on the accelerator pedal to get out of trouble, the combustion engine can be heard and felt. This diesel is less refined than, for example, the six-cylinder inline of the Mazda CX-60which is a delight. We are not talking about a car that feels noisy, but its presence is noticeable during acceleration or in the city where the lowest speeds do not cover the sound of the engine.

They are details that leave us wanting more. The same thing happens inside with some lights and shadows although it is the first that shines above the second.

And the fit of all the interior materials is good. Soft materials are used in most places where our hands reach, but as we go down to the ground, hard plastics are more present, which reduces the sensation. premium that we should have in a car that starts at over 60,000 euros. Added to this is the absence of physical controls for the air conditioning and the replacement of controls that were once made of aluminum with plastic parts finished in piano black that are difficult to keep clean.

Beyond the ergonomics of having direct access to raise or lower the temperature or select the lights (which are located in the door collected in a single piece of plastic), these are decisions that lower the perception of the general quality of a vehicle and that, without you knowing very well why, do not generate the good harmony of a few years ago. Of course, Audi is not the only one that has chosen this path and it is common to find similar interiors (in terms of perception of quality) in cars from mercedes either bmw.

What I like the most is the layout of the screens. I think that the design that Audi has taken is correct, with a more conservative aesthetic than BMW or Mercedes but offering a modern image the same time. In addition, a lot of work has been done to take great care of the double OLED screen (11.9 for the instrument panel and 14.5 inches for the central one) that feel twin and have an extraordinary resolution. The quality of the panel is very high and can be read perfectly in any situation. The passenger one is LCD but it extends to 10.9 inches.

The infotainment system is comfortable for me. It is easy to navigate the menus and it does not have a battery of applications that overwhelm the driver during the first days. The steering wheel controls require some adaptation but it is easy to get used to them and remember the commands.

In addition, it has a “favorites” button that acts as a quick shortcut if, for example, we want to eliminate the notification. speeding warning. This driving aids panel is also very easy to reach once you start the car. With a single touch we can access it to deactivate what we consider necessary.

The central screen has other advantages. Press detection is very good and is accompanied by a small audible “click” that helps maintain that old-fashioned button feeling. Added to the fact that the air conditioning is located in the lower area, we can overcome most of the situations that we usually face while driving without resorting to multiple touches on the screen. In addition, the navigator is very comfortable and replicates the indications on the instrument panel or the Head-Up Display, very clear in this case. Furthermore, these indications are also replicated when we use Android Auto either Apple CarPlay.

I have more doubts about the screen for the co-pilot and I would even advise against its incorporation. It is evident that its quality is not as good as the central one, it provides few functions that the passenger cannot easily reach from his position on the adjacent panel and, in addition, we have suffered constant heating when it has been on for a long time. We have already suffered this heating in other cars of the brand, so it is a problem that has been recurring in the latest releases.

Xataka’s conclusion

In summary, the 204 HP Audi Q5 TDI is a conservative car, perfect for those who are clear that they still want a diesel car and enjoy it. Have the ECO sticker It is an incentive that is by no means minor because if you need to enter a city like MadridFor example, you should not think about where you can drive or whether it is essential that you park your car in an underground parking lot. To this we must add the parking discounts that are also proposed in some municipalities.

Inside, the Audi Q5 is a correct car for its price. It does not dazzle but, precisely for this reason, its arrangement of the screens and its handling can convince customers who are jumping from a car that has been on the market for more than seven or eight years and who are looking for alternatives. premium Germans have encountered more risky or complex propositions in BMW or Mercedes cars. Added to that the quality of the panels, their resolution, fluidity and touch is excellent.

Having said all this, I reaffirm that the electric Audi Q6 It is a better car. I would only recommend the diesel version over the electric version to those who do many kilometers daily at a high pace and with very short stops.

Even for those who are habitual long haul fast road tripsthe electric version may seem like a better investment to me considering that its autonomy on the highway at legal speed goes up to over 400 kilometers and that thanks to its charging power of 225 kW it can recover 80% of the battery (that is, it would have another run of more than 300 kilometers ahead) in 21 minutes from 10%.

Although a little larger, the Audi Q6 is more agile and the customer forgets about the certain care that must be taken with a modern diesel engine if it is to be used repeatedly on short trips. All in all, this combustion option is still a great option for those who do not feel like thinking about chargers or charging powers when spending more than 60,000 euros on a car.

Yes, diesel lives and the fight continues.

At least, for that type of client.

At least for now.

Photos | Xataka

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