Jaguar F-Pace

Premium family SUVs compared: Audi Q5 45 TFSI Quattro vs Genesis GV70 2.5T AWD vs Jaguar F-Pace P250

If you want to get ahead in a South Korean car company, speak German. In the last decade, Kia and its parent company Hyundai – encompassing sub-brands Ioniq, N and Genesis – have seemingly lived by an unofficial mantra of ‘if you can’t beat them, or join them, or buy them – hire them’. Senior designers and engineers from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen Group have flocked to the world’s third-biggest auto manufacturing group, and it’s paying – and has paid – huge dividends.

For example, dismiss the build quality of a base model, brand-new Hyundai these days and you’ll be quickly corrected by most people. The South Korean motoring giant has raised its own bar, but also that of most segments it’s entered.

Hit after hit, like a rock band burning up the ARIA charts, the Hyundai Motor Group has put the automotive world on notice. Some choice examples would be the i30 N – Hyundai’s effectively error-free first attempt at a hot hatch – and more recently, the new 800-volt platform electric Ioniq 5 and closely related Kia EV6. And you can be sure there’s at least a handful of those getting dissected in engineering departments of rival car companies as you read this.

The same is true, although to a lesser extent, of the group’s still-infant luxury brand, Genesis. While it hasn’t shaken up the luxury world like the i30 N did that of hot hatches, or Ioniq is for EVs, you’d be foolish to underestimate it. Indeed, a slew of all-new, luxury Genesis models is on the way in the next few years.

One of them is already here, and from a sales perspective could be to Genesis what the Cayenne was for Porsche: the GV70. As a mid-size SUV – Australia’s favourite type of vehicle behind only the dual-cab ute – the GV70 is the brand’s second SUV after the larger GV80 went into production in 2020. Based on the same platform as the G70 sedan, the GV70 is offered in Australia with a choice of three engines, a petrol 2.5-litre turbo four-cylinder, a turbo-diesel 2.2-litre four-cylinder or a thumping 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6.

The base 2.5-litre turbo can be had in rear-drive, but it’s the pricier all-wheel drive version we’ve got today. It’s often the lower-run variants where you get the true measure of a new model, and so we’ve grabbed this one to see how it compares against a benchmark rival – the Audi Q5 45 TFSI – and a bit of a wildcard, Jaguar’s F-Pace R-Dynamic S P250.

Fresh from a recent-ish facelift, the second-generation Audi Q5, launched in 2017, is by a large margin the best seller of our three contenders here. For most buyers, it’s the safe bet.

Built in Mexico on Audi’s long-serving MLB Evo platform, the Q5 45 TFSI uses a turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder mounted north-south, sending 183kW and 370Nm to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and on-demand all-wheel drive (being front-drive until it’s not, to save fuel). Touted as a ‘mild hybrid’, the Q5 uses an integrated starter generator to recharge a small lithium-ion battery. Audi claims it can do 8.0L/100km on the combined cycle.

While it has been hammered by events of the last two years, Jaguar continues to lean heavily on its best-selling model, the F-Pace SUV made in the UK. Refreshed and restyled last year with a new, consolidated model line-up in Australia, all models now get the R-Dynamic package and Pivi Pro infotainment.

Our P250 tester wedges in a north-south configuration of JLR’s favoured 2.0-litre turbo Ingenium four-cylinder packing 184kW and 365Nm. There’s a ZF eight-speed torque-converter auto and all-wheel drive sending 90 percent of power to the rear wheels during normal daily driving.

Initially, it seems a bit of an unfair fight considering the catalyst for our comparison, the GV70, packs a potent 224kW and 422Nm from its 2.5-litre turbo four. But those outputs are blunted somewhat by it needing to lay off the kimchi, its 1973kg a bit porkier than the Audi’s 1825kg and the aluminium-rich Jag’s 1897kg.

That said, the power-packed Genesis still wins in the power-to-weight stakes at 113kW/tonne, versus the Audi’s 100kW/tonne and the Jag’s 97kW/tonne. The GV70 sends its grunt through HMG’s own eight-speed lock-up torque-converter auto to on-demand all-wheel drive powering, in normal circumstances, the rear wheels.

We’ll let your eyeballs decide which looks best, but I think the Jag, with its power-bulging bonnet, high belt-line and narrowing, coupe-like glasshouse, makes the biggest visual statement. The Audi looks smart on its 20-inch wheels and the new OLED tail-lights are cool, but in any upper-middle-class suburb it’s just another wealthy person’s RAV4.

The GV70, especially this one with the optional Sports Line Pack, intrigues with its split head-lights and tail-lights and cannon-sized exhaust tips. But I do really like the front of it, its gaping lower side openings adding aggression and, well, you can do worse than adopt a general Bentley-meets-Aston-Martin vibe, as it has.

No surprises, then, that Genesis design is headed by ex-Bentley stylist Luc Donckerwolke. The GV70 is one of the few cars that can make a 19-inch wheel look small, but you can get 21-inchers as part of an optional package. And you should.

In the standard equipment stakes, it’s the Genesis that packs in the most gear for its $82,084 drive-away tag. We’ll spare you from listing out the brochure, save to say if you like features and toys, the GV70 is the car that entertains the most while stationary.

Our tester came with the $3546 Sport Line pack which adds more aggressive front and rear bumpers, those bigger tailpipes, a bit of dark chrome but most importantly larger four-pot front brakes measuring 360mm in front disc diameter (up from 345mm). The rears grow from 325mm to 345mm. It’s a must-get for any Wheels reader, also granting a Sport Plus driving mode for when the horns come out.

Our Jaguar test vehicle wears $7789 of options including a Technology Pack which gives wireless charging and head-up display. The 20-inch wheels are also optional; as is a 400W Meridian sound system. It comes in at $83,909 (before on-road costs) making it the priciest car here.

The Audi, meanwhile, is $78,590 as-tested (before on-road costs), its only option metallic paint. It’s got plenty of standard kit, but one option we wished it had was the variable-height air suspension, which has won acclaim from fellow Wheels road-testers.

Hitting the road, we motor west through Melbourne’s ever-sprawling suburbia, and it’s the Jaguar that is least impressive for the everyday driving experience. That’s not to say it’s bad, it’s just not as good as the Audi or Genesis. While the interior talks luxury, the engine is loud and tinny at idle; and in 2022 the stop-start system is one of the most unpleasant we’ve tested.

While it feels to be the most softly sprung of our trio – making for a plush primary ride – if the road is a bit choppy, you’ll absolutely know it. For a luxury car it can also let in unbecoming levels of road noise.

It’s all made especially stark jumping into the Audi which makes a lasting first impression, being the nicest car here to daily drive. While the suspension can thud loudly over some bumps, the general ride quality is lovely. If effortless transport was all you wanted, you aren’t going wrong with the Audi. It also has the best control feels at urban speeds of our trio, making it even more of a delight.

The Genesis, meanwhile, is everything you’d want from a luxury car – smooth, great ride quality and terrific sound insulation. It doesn’t put a foot wrong, but while the Audi’s luxury credentials are immediately apparent, the GV70 quietly charms you the more time you spend in it. (The opposite is sadly true of the Jaguar.)

For fuel use, all take 95RON minimum. Over about 230km of testing kilometres – which we wouldn’t call representative of normal use – the Audi used the least amount of fuel (11.1L/100km), followed by the GV70 (12.0L) then the Jaguar whose 14.5L/100km was a startling 30 percent more than the Q5. At 83 litres, it at least has the biggest fuel tank.

The order is similar again when it comes to straight-line performance. Out of the blocks, the grunty Genesis claims an eager 6.1sec 0-100km/h with launch control. When activated, it holds the engine against the torque converter at about 2000rpm, and it’s as easy as lifting off the brake and catapulting away.

Timing your getaway for just as revs reach 2100rpm yields a best effort of 6.43sec to 100km/h, making it the drag racer’s choice of our three. Both torque and power are spread linearly across the rev range, the engine pulling solidly to its 6000rpm redline, and there’s a little kick through the car as it angrily changes up gears. First and second gears are short and quickly dispersed, even if there’s a bit of a noticeable gap to third.

In the sportier drive modes, artificial engine noise also floods through the front speakers over the top of what is a bit of a thrashy-sounding four-cylinder – the thought of a windows-down tunnel blast is unlikely to ever enter your mind – but it’s not terrible.

Taking advantage of its dual-clutch transmission, the unassuming Audi – claimed to hit 100km/h from rest in 6.3sec – is the most ‘exciting’ to launch. To activate launch control – which feels a bit naughty in this car – you activate Dynamic Mode, bump the shift lever across to manual mode and turn off ESC. The computer pins the revs at a high-ish 3500rpm, at which point you simply side-step the brake and hold on. There’s a wee bit of violence as the clutches jolt and slip, the revs racing cleanly to 6800rpm, gears changing rapidly for a best effort of 6.74sec.

Obviously we’re not talking supercar acceleration here, but even still you’ll be checking a drag chute hasn’t caught around a side mirror of the F-Pace. From the outset Jaguar only claims 7.3sec 0-100km/h, but with no launch program, the best we could manage from its torque converter auto set-up was 8.23sec. It felt slow, too.

As for the noise it makes in the process, the Jaguar has the loudest exhaust with a proper mechanical note, even if it’s a bit curiously tinny. At least it sounds natural. (The Audi’s sound is neither enjoyable or offensive, but certainly forgettable.)

Having bolted along arrow-straight roads, we arrive at our bit of testing bitumen somewhere west of Melbourne near Meredith, snaking down a pastoral valley as wind turbines eerily turn in the distance. And it’s the Jaguar that redeems itself somewhat with initial dynamics that invite you to get in and drive it hard. That could be thanks in part to its trick double-wishbone front suspension, where the Audi uses a multi-link arrangement and the GV70, a more classic MacPherson strut.

Yet push on and the Jaguar starts to feel excessively heavy and high – no surprises there – and tends to roll over its front tyres excessively. It reaches a point where you don’t want to drive it any harder and that’s about the same time as the downchanges from the eight-speed auto become lurchier and lurchier. Not great.

With its responsive powertrain and razor-sharp paddleshift dual-clutch, the Audi relishes carving up a twisty road. There’s plenty of grip; bodyroll is acceptable and you edge up to what feels like an obviously engineered-in, clean and tidy understeer. But it’s a safe limit and one that’s easily approached. Bonus points for an ESC system which, well, doesn’t completely freak out.

Where the Jaguar and Audi feel like they can turn on the handling ability if asked, the Genesis straight-up insists. It’s got the most exciting handling by a long way. Straight off the bat it feels soft, heavy and high, but with a very fast front-end. In fact, the steering is so sharp the body needs a moment to settle after your initial input; and it feels to pivot around its middle almost like it has rear-wheel steering.

It’s much more neutral than the Audi and Jaguar, to the point you feel a bit cautious activating Sport Plus mode because supposedly it also fully deactivates the ESC.

On an unsealed road, which we found ourselves on in the GV70 at one point, it turns out the ESC doesn’t go fully off, but a very soft rear-end means the GV70 is same way Hyundai has garnered a new legion of fans for its N brand, it’d be easy to become a fan of Genesis. They’re having fun, and we like what they’re doing. By way of a random example, want your GV70 in matte black? They’ll do it for you from the factory, for just $2K. Certainly, and more broadly, anyone who buys the GV70 2.5T is unlikely to be disappointed.

However, it’s not to be for the Genesis brand today. It’s a very close call, but the engineering talent just runs that little bit deeper in the Audi.

While it feels like competent luxury transport compared to the seductive Jag and flamboyant GV70, it redeems by scoring As across its report card, B-pluses at worst. The dual-clutch transmission – smooth yet responsive – feels like it was made by Breitling or Tag Heuer. The whole car bristles with impressions like this.

Also worth noting, is that Audi upgraded its warranty from three years to five years earlier in 2022 (leaving BMW and Porsche as the only premium German brands still selling with a three-year warranty).

(EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story reported that Audi offers only a three-year warranty. Wheels regrets the error.)

We suspect the Q5 will also come out ahead of the Genesis and Jaguar in the resale stakes. But mostly, it’s just a beautiful everyday SUV that’s difficult to fault – yet still gratifying to punt hard.

Genesis would do well to hire those who made it. And, to be fair, they probably already have.

Cabin Fever

1. GENESIS GV70

Much like the sun, it’s best not to look directly at the GV70’s Sevilla Red trim. Beside it being loud, there’s an almost Art Deco vibe with leather stretched over most surfaces broken up by textured, brushed aluminium.

You also sit much more ‘in’ the GV70’s interior rather than ‘on’ it like the Audi, and the seats are more snug. At the top of the dash sits a slim 14.5-inch touchscreen with the most attractive and responsive infotainment system here. An intriguing place to sit.

2. AUDI Q5

The most conventional SUV interior of the three, its Rock Grey upholstery helps make things feel light and airy. While it feels a little dated in places, Audi has done well to keep the cabin feeling fresh and contemporary, and build quality feels bulletproof. Its 10.1-inch touchscreen is the smallest of the lot (not that it really bothers), but it’s an overall safe, bordering on anodyne vibe. Like it would be happy to do your taxes.

3. JAGUAR F-PACE

The sexiest cabin of our trio, like you just bought it from a Prada store. While the price for that sculpted exterior is the smallest and most compact interior here, the packaging is good and it doesn’t feel cramped or tight, just cosy.

Jaguar, like Audi, has done well to keep its ageing SUV’s cabin feeling modern with its 11.4-inch centre touchscreen. The chink of actual metal shift paddles under fingernails is also a nice touch, and it’s in the Jag you sit highest of our three.

SOMETHING HOTTER?

All three of our contenders come in much spicier iterations which we are duty-bound to recommend. For another $15K, the GV70 can be had with a twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6 packing a fire-breathing 279kW and 530Nm, good for 0-100km/h in a claimed 5.1sec.

The Audi meanwhile comes in evergreen SQ5 guise with 251kW/700Nm from a single-turbo diesel 3.0-litre V6. Think 0-100km/h in 5.1sec again, but now with 7.1L/100km claimed consumption thanks in part to a 48v mild-hybrid set-up, all yours for $110K.

But we’d personally be getting the 5.0-litre blown V8 F-Pace SVR with 405kW/700Nm, snarling to 100km/h in just 4.0sec. A pinch at just $142K. Wowsers.

SCORING

Audi Q5 45 TFSI Quattro

VERDICT: 7.5/10

Genesis GV70 2.5T AWD

VERDICT: 7.5/10

Jaguar F-Pace P250

VERDICT: 7.0/10