More power, more torque and more equipment - that’s the new Audi Q5 3.0 TDI in a nutshell.

Due to arrive in Australia in September to act as an indirect replacement for the previous-generation diesel-powered SQ5 now that the hero flagship has a petrol twin-turbo V6 engine, Drive sampled the new machine in Europe this week and came away thoroughly impressed.

The current 2.0-litre petrol and diesel Q5 options are nice enough but the company acknowledges some customers want even more performance, so the new model, powered by a 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel, arrives to fill that need.

Packing 210kW of power and 620Nm of torque - marginally lower outputs than the superceded SQ5 - the 3.0 TDI adds serious performance to the SUV. How serious? During our test drive across Germany we were able to hit a top speed of 243km/h on the Autobahn, and do it with easy thanks to a rich torque curve that begins at just 1500rpm.

Of course, you’ll never hit that kind of figure in Australia but it demonstrates just how capable the new model is. For those who need to tow, the Q5 3.0 TDI will be more than up to the task.

More than just power, it’s also a refined engine with a smooth soundtrack for a diesel. Even at cold start it doesn’t sound like an old rattler.

Paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, the 3.0 TDI returns a very impressive claimed 6.3-litres per 100km. While we didn’t hit that figure we did see a return of 9.5L/100km after more than 1000km of high-speed autobahn cruising; that’s a very good return under the circumstances.

Audi Australia has started taking orders for the new model this week, announcing a starting price of $83,900 (plus on-road costs). It also announced key specifications that include 20-inch alloys, adaptive LED headlights, keyless entry and ignition, hands-free power tailgate, leather upholstery, tri-zone airconditioning and a 10-speaker sound system

Also featured as standard is Audi’s 12.3-inch ‘Virtual Cockpit’ digital instrument cluster and an 8.3-inch infotainment screen that incorporates Audi’s MMI navigation plus, MMI touch pad and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It will also come with Audi Connect, which allows for a 4G LTE wireless connection via a SIM card and accesses Google Search and Google Earth for easier, more accurate navigation.

There’s also a comprehensive safety package included as well. Autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, active lane keeping assist, rear cross traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, exit warning (which can detect an oncoming cyclist as you open the door) and Audi’s mild-autonomous Traffic Jam Assist are all standard.

Our German test cars were equipped in a similar manner to what Australia will get and it certainly felt like a proper flagship model for the mainstream Q5 range.

Given Australia’s continued desire for more SUVs, the Q5 3.0 TDI will be a welcome addition to the range and it offers more than enough extra performance to satisfy anyone looking for a potent but efficient family-friendly SUV.

2018 Audi Q5 3.0 TDI price and specifications

On sale: September

Price: From $83,900 plus on-road costs

Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel

Power: 210kW

Torque: 620Nm

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, four-wheel drive

Fuel use: 6.3L/100km

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