Click to see the contenders: Audi RS Q3 | Audi SQ5 | BMW X5 M | Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT | Lexus NX200t F-Sport | Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG | Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG |
Check out the test summary here (click). Find the drag results here (click). The final verdict is here (click).
In a nutshell – quarter-mile drag results
BMW X5 M 12,42sec/182,7km/h
RGM Jeep SRT8 12,77sec/174,6km/h
Subaru Impreza STi 13,52sec/159,0km/h
Audi RS Q3 13,54sec/158,2km/h
Mercedes G63 AMG 13,79sec/166,1km/h
Audi SQ5 14,12sec/157,1km/h
Jeep SRT8 14,26sec/156,1km/h
Mercedes GLA45 AMG 15,24sec/154,6km/h
Lexus NX200t F-Sport 15,68sec/142,7km/h
Is that a mooooose in the road?
Time to get down to the real business of this test.
Going fast in a straight line is one thing, but being fast in a straight line and offering excellent handling and stopping and feedback and smile-a-minute dynamics – that’s a whole different kettle of SUV.
So we devised a 3km long track for our three professional drivers: Hannes Grobler, Duncan Vos and Daniel Barbosa.
We included a high speed (160km/h) emergency lane change test (or moose test) and the track also included some high-speed sections, an emergency brake test and a tight and slippery gymkhana.
We did not time any laps. The idea was rather for our star drivers to experiment with electronic control systems and braking points and so on over three laps, in each vehicle.
They drove all the vehicles back-to-back, in the same conditions. Unlike in other comparisons, we did not ask them to complete intricate and detailed score sheets about ventilation vent effectiveness or affordability, or the finish of the paint. We simply asked them to rate the vehicles in order of pure driving pleasure, from the best to the worst. In other words, if they were sent on an errand to the 24-hour shop at 2am to get a can of bully beef, which vehicle would make them run to the garage, jump in with a smile, and even take a 10km detour to the shop?
For once we didn’t care about price, or about practicality, or any such matters.
The points work the same way as in Formula One: 25 points for a “victory”, 18 points for second, and so on. In the event of a tie, the results of the quarter-mile sprint would decide the final rankings.
So without further ado, let’s get this section started… and we kick it off with a short introduction to our three drivers.
Hannes Grobler – the legend returns!
After spending some time in hospital in 2014, legendary racer Hannes Grobler returned to the race track for this feature. His pedigree is a coveted one, and he still is the only SA driver to have won the national rally and off-road championships in the same year. Grobler also competed in the African edition of the Dakar Rally Raid in a Renault racing truck. Other accolades include numerous circuit racing titles as well as many national off-road victories and titles. Grobler retired from the national racing scene in 2012, but he clearly has not lost any speed, judging by the way he attacked the gymkhana course.
Duncan Vos – the champ rides again!
Vos won the SA Formula GTi championship in 1993, and between 1997 and 2000 he and team-mate Giniel de Villiers ruled the SA Touring Car championsip in their all-conquering 220 kW Nissan Primeras. After Nissan pulled out of circuit racing, Vos moved with the team to off-road racing, and after many wins in Nissan Navaras, he and team boss Glyn Hall joined Toyota when Nissan pulled out of motorsport.
In 2012, Vos won the SA off-road championship in a Class SP Toyota Hilux, and the same year he competed in the South American Dakar Rally, finishing 10th overall.
Vos retired from the national off-road scene in 2013, but he keeps his racing sword sharp by competing in the sports car class in the Africa Endurance Series.
Daniel Barbosa – the young gun!
Although he has no racing titles behind his name, petrolhead Daniel Barbosa can boast a decade worth of advanced driving instruction on his resume. Daniel has instructed thousands of motorists on how to drive, be that sideways, fast or slow. That includes a stint of rally driving instruction.
Nowadays Barbosa is a corporate animal in the land of tyres at Bridgestone SA, so his opinion in this test not only represents that of a highly advanced driver but also of a young corporate executive (with a family) who may be in the market for a hot-blooded SUV or crossover.
And the winners are…
After tallying up all the scores, and interviewing each driver after each drive (and learning a few car dynamic terms along the way!), we can announce the results of the inaugural Performance feature:
7 – Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG
18 points
Crikey! The big Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG did not impress our star drivers in the least! Although they seemed to enjoy the 400 kW in a straight line, they found the rest of the performance package lacking.
We still reckon the G6 AMG put on the best “wow” display when it came to sound effects and drama… pity about the corners.
The verdicts
“It still feels like an old Gelandewagen. It’s cramped on the inside. It has nice power, but it didn’t impress me. A poser’s performance SUV.” – Hannes Grobler.
“My right arm must have a roasty from scraping on the tar! It has so much body lean in the corners!” – Daniel Barbosa.
“It’s got so much power! But it can’t back that up in the corners or under braking.” – Duncan Vos.
6 – Lexus NX200t F-Sport
31 points
The Lexus may have less than half the horses of the G63, but it still managed to beat the big Benz in the points race – and it finished just four points adrift of the RS Q3. It proved to be one of the best all-rounders in the chassis department, providing a supple and comfy ride when not pressing on, and pretty good handling when you put the hammer down in the corners. Considering the competition, the Lexus did pretty well.
The verdicts
“Not as powerful as the rest, but the comfort and handling make it a very nice package.” – Duncan Vos.
“It’s very quiet and refined, but it obviously doesn’t have the power of the others.” – Hannes Grobler.
“Very refined and fast enough for most requirements, but not the kind of performance vehicle that leaves me with sweaty palms.” – Daniel Barbosa.
5 – Audi RS Q3
35 points
With that beautiful five-cylinder banshee wail, and the traction offered by the quattro four-wheel drive system, the RS Q3 clearly put a smile on most of our drivers’ faces. Handling and power were highlights, but there were a few chinks in the RS’s armour. Most notable was the turbo lag on the tight gymkhana course, which was all the more apparent when it was driven to the limit by the expert drivers. Overall, though, the little Audi earned enough points to clinch fifth position.
The verdicts
“Now I understand why Sarel van der Merwe was always so fast in his quattro… this thing is quick, and that engine sounds awesome! It’s a nice toy…” – Hannes Grobler.
“It feels more like a car to me. I’m very impressed.” – Duncan Vos.
“The handling was phenomenal. The engine sound is spectacular. But if you want an immediate response, you have to use it in manual mode” – Daniel Barbosa.
4 – Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT
43 points
The naturally aspirated Jeep SRT seemed to polarise opinions. Some drivers loved it while others thought it was just so-so. All three agreed that the handling was a surprise, and we will remember for a long time how they managed to make the 2,2-ton Grand “dance” that gymkhana course, flicking it around like a Golf GTi. And the sound of that high-revving 6,4-litre V8 Hemi impressed everyone, too.
The verdicts
“I couldn’t believe the Jeep handled so well considering how much it weighs. The power is unbelievable. The traction control is also very good.” – Hannes Grobler.
“Immediate performance, awesome braking and it gives you that awe inspiring feeling. I’ll probably say this a thousand times – it’s the best sounding car here today.” – Daniel Barbosa.
“Fast in a straight line, and surprisingly nimble in the corners, too” – Duncan Vos.
3 – Audi SQ5
45 points
When we tallied the points, we re-counted the Audi SQ5’s score – three times. Surely it couldn’t be this good? A turbodiesel SUV beating a hairy-chested Jeep, a thundering 400 kW G-wagon and a very brisk Audi RS Q3? Indeed!
The 230 kW Audi’s performance surprised everyone, not least our star drivers, who raved about all the torque that is available just above idling speeds. We thought of the SQ5 as a fast and powerful long distance machine, but our drivers (with their racing caps on) jabbered on about the Audi’s blasting power out of the slow, tight corners. The refinement and feel of the SQ5 also impressed them.
So there you have it: the diesel Audi SQ5 managed to kick some sand in the eyes of pretty serious and awesome petrol hardware.
The verdicts
“The complete package; fast, great handling and refined. In most of these cars you have to use the manual override to keep the car in the gear you want, but you can leave the SQ5 in drive and it’s always in the right gear. Very responsive.” – Daniel Barbosa.
“It’s really surprisingly fast, and it hardly sounds like a diesel at all!” – Duncan Vos.
“The torque is impressive. The slow and tight corners on the gymkhana course only highlighted how fast the SQ5 is out of the blocks, with the quattro drive and all that torque.” – Hannes Grobler.
2 – Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG
55 points
And here’s another surprise! The hatch that became a crossover that became a hatch impressed our professional drivers no end on the 3km track, with especially the handling and the bags of power from the two-litre engine ticking a lot of “right” boxes.
In Sport mode, the twin exhausts snap, crackle and pop during changes, and if you keep the engine on the boil with the paddle shifters, it really offers the most authentic “race car” driving experience in this line-up. The Benz may be flawed in many other areas (such as interior space, practicality and actual crossover application on dirt roads), but seen as a driver’s car where nothing else matters, the GLA45 AMG had enough firepower to impress our tough-to-please drivers.
The verdicts:
“Fantastic package. Handling, power, comfort and looks.” – Duncan Vos.
“Of all the small cars it’s the best as far as handling is concerned. It makes a delightful crackling sound when shifting up or down. It’s one of the best cars I’ve driven today.” – Hannes Grobler.
“One of the best handling cars in the test. Slight delay in power (turbo lag), but the steering is very direct.” – Daniel Barbosa.
1 – BMW X5 M
55 points
We have a points tie for first place! But thanks to its blistering performance on the quarter-mile drag, the BMW X5 M is our number one performance SUV for 2015.
With 423 kW on tap, it was always going to be fast in a straight line. However, it was way faster than we could have imagined, obliterating the time of the 520 kW RGMotorsport Jeep Grand Cherokee.
That 12,4sec, by way of comparison, is in the same league as a Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale, a Porsche 911 GT3, a BMW M6 and a Dodge Viper V10. It has moved the goalposts in straight line speed ability in the SUV class. Comprehensively.
But then our drivers took the wheel on our 3km track, and they couldn’t stop singing the praises of the handling, the brakes, the torque, the gearbox, the steering, the sound of the thing, and the comfort.
It is very much the most complete performance SUV in this test. By far.