• Beautifully made cabin
• Comfortable, if not special
• Few blind-spots; excellent visibility

How is the quality and layout?

With Audi’s wholly justified reputation for the supreme quality of its interiors, there’s no surprise that the Q5’s cabin is comfortable, well-built and easy to use. Like the exterior, the passenger compartment doesn’t stray away from Audi conventions in terms of how it looks – it feels like there’s a fusion between A4 and Q7 going on, and that’s no bad thing. Though the cabin isn’t as modern as some of its rivals, we appreciate the more traditional layout. The only potential downside is that it looks and feels rather dark inside, with very little in terms of colour options. We attempted to brighten up our long-term test car’s interior with grey Nappa upholstery, and it certainly improved things.

As a result, the Q5’s interior feels quite grown-up – it’s not particularly stylish, lacking any distinctive wow factor, but it is smart and functional. Plastics in the upper reaches of the dashboard are soft, while everything is assembled with such accuracy and to incredibly tight tolerances that it feels like it will last for years and still be as good as it was on the day it was built. We find the expensive-feeling switchgear is delightful to use and is beautifully weighted, reinforcing the Q5’s premium positioning, although we remain unconvinced about the multimedia display screen that stands proud of the dashboard – we’d like to see it fully integrated, or concealed when not in use.

Infotainment and tech

Audi isn’t the first to use a high-set touchscreen, and it cites a customer preference for having these tablet-aping displays on show all the time. Should you wish to make your Q5’s cabin feel even more special, you can push the boat out financially and opt for the excellent head-up display (HUD) that projects data onto the windscreen. However, since the 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit – a configurable screen that replaces the conventional instrument cluster – is standard on all models, we think having both displays feels like overkill.

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Even the entry-level Q5 features the Virtual Cockpit, and it also comes with a 10.1-inch MMI touchscreen with sat-nav, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, Bluetooth and Amazon Alexa integration, so you can sync commands with your home system if you have this. Audi also throws in three years of Audi Connect navigation and infotainment services, so you can make use of online information during that time.

Comfort

• Air suspension improves comfort
• Leather seats and three-zone climate control
• Rear seats are a squeeze for three adults

One aspect that the first-generation Audi Q5 majored on was comfort, and it features even more prominently the second time around. Finding a suitable driving position is easily achieved, regardless of whether or not the front seats are electrically adjustable, and the steering adjusts for distance and angle, too.

With four passengers on board, there’ll be no grumbles, with decent head- and legroom and a fine view out from the elevated seating positions. The seats themselves feel very supportive – both front chairs are heated and have electrically adjustable lumbar support, while standard leather trim makes the cabin feel a bit more special.

S line versions upwards have rear privacy glass and acoustic side windows (to limit exterior noise entering the cabin) as part of the standard package. Three-zone climate control features across the line-up, enhancing comfort, meaning those in the rear get their own temperature control and a pair of vents. You can also opt for ‘rear seat bench plus’, which allows you to recline and slide the rear seats to alter between additional comfort or boot space, though we think the Q5 should get this as standard.