MALLORCA, Spain-- Not much more than the width of an oxcart, the narrow road wound its way up the mountainside, flanked on one side by thickets of holm-oak and juniper, on the other by yellow stone walls.
Some of these roads date back to the 12th century—most have been resurfaced, of course, but here and there are the remains of primitive crumbling tracks, disappearing up into hillsides rich with lemon and olive fincas.
In a strange juxtaposition of ancient history and futuristic engineering, we watched the timeless landscape unfold from inside the latest in hybrid vehicle technology.
Unfortunately, hybrids have come to be synonymous with "boring". Trust the Germans—the folks responsible for the autobahn, Nürburgring and the best damned corner-carvers on the planet—to come up with one that's actually fun to drive.
Audi's no latecomer to the hybrid party. Way back in 1989, they produced the Audi Duo, a plug-in, parallel hybrid version of the Audi 100 Avant quattro. The front wheels were driven by a 136-hp, 2.3L 5-cylinder, while driving the rears was a 9.4-kW electric motor. Problem was that all that electric running gear was heavy, which greatly compromised the Duo's efficiency while running on gasoline alone, and only ten were ever produced.
Instead of piously trundling along, with numb steering and a rubber-band gearbox, the acceptable trade-off for a scant few miles of joyless but emissions-free travel, Audi's new Q5 Hybrid offers extended electric driving at higher speeds with all the responsive sportiness of the regular gasoline-driven variant.
The first hybrid in the premium compact SUV segment, the Q5 Hybrid can, under ideal conditions, travel up to three kilometres on electric power alone at speeds of up to 100 km/h.
Outwardly, there are only a few discreet cues identifying the Q5 Hybrid: a glossy black grille, subtle badging, optional "Arctic Silver" paint with 19-inch, drag-reducing turbine wheels and chrome-trimmed tailpipes.
Some of these roads date back to the 12th century—most have been resurfaced, of course, but here and there are the remains of primitive crumbling tracks, disappearing up into hillsides rich with lemon and olive fincas.
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| Audi's new Q5 Hybrid offers extended electric driving at higher speeds with all the responsive sportiness of the regular gasoline-driven variant. (photo: Lesley Wimbush/Auto123.com) |
In a strange juxtaposition of ancient history and futuristic engineering, we watched the timeless landscape unfold from inside the latest in hybrid vehicle technology.
Unfortunately, hybrids have come to be synonymous with "boring". Trust the Germans—the folks responsible for the autobahn, Nürburgring and the best damned corner-carvers on the planet—to come up with one that's actually fun to drive.
Audi's no latecomer to the hybrid party. Way back in 1989, they produced the Audi Duo, a plug-in, parallel hybrid version of the Audi 100 Avant quattro. The front wheels were driven by a 136-hp, 2.3L 5-cylinder, while driving the rears was a 9.4-kW electric motor. Problem was that all that electric running gear was heavy, which greatly compromised the Duo's efficiency while running on gasoline alone, and only ten were ever produced.
Instead of piously trundling along, with numb steering and a rubber-band gearbox, the acceptable trade-off for a scant few miles of joyless but emissions-free travel, Audi's new Q5 Hybrid offers extended electric driving at higher speeds with all the responsive sportiness of the regular gasoline-driven variant.
The first hybrid in the premium compact SUV segment, the Q5 Hybrid can, under ideal conditions, travel up to three kilometres on electric power alone at speeds of up to 100 km/h.
Outwardly, there are only a few discreet cues identifying the Q5 Hybrid: a glossy black grille, subtle badging, optional "Arctic Silver" paint with 19-inch, drag-reducing turbine wheels and chrome-trimmed tailpipes.
 |
| The Q5 Hybrid can, under ideal conditions, travel up to three kilometres on electric power alone. (photo: Lesley Wimbush/Auto123.com) |