Audi SQ5 review

Over the years, the Audi SQ5 has borne witness to the automotive equivalent of the Hokey Cokey. Or, more specifically, its engine bay has.

You see, when this performance version of the Audi Q5 family SUV was first introduced in 2012, its USP was the fact it used a diesel engine so that it could be frugal as well as fast. But then when the second-generation SQ5 arrived in 2017, diesel power was out and petrol was in.

By 2019, the petrol was gone and a diesel was back under the bonnet. And now for the latest car, Audi has once again shaken things all about and gone with a petrol unit – a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6.

In an effort to ensure you still get the efficiency that was key to the appeal of diesel SQ5s, the new engine features mild hybrid electrical assistance – with the added bonus that this lifts the maximum power output to a healthy 362bhp.

Meanwhile, the appeal of the SQ5 is further boosted by the fact you can order it with a conventional SUV body or as a Sportback model with a swooping, coupé-like roofline.

So, does all this help to make it a better buy than rivals such as the BMW X3 M50, Mercedes GLC AMG 43 and Porsche Macan GTS?

There isn’t a lot between the Audi SQ5 and its key rivals when it comes to straight-line pace. It can blast from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds, whereas the BMW X3 M50 requires 4.6 seconds and the Mercedes GLC AMG 43 needs 4.9 seconds. Meanwhile, the Porsche Macan GTS is fractionally quicker than all of them, with a time of 4.3 seconds.

What’s at least as important, though, is the way in which the SQ5 delivers its performance. Its mild hybrid technology isn’t actually that mild at all, thanks to a comparatively large 1.7kWh battery, so if you’re gentle with the accelerator you’ll barely need to trouble the V6 in stop-start traffic.

When the engine does chime in, it does so smoothly, too. And then when the road opens up and you put your foot down, the SQ5 responds pretty much instantly, aided by a seven-speed automatic gearbox that feels notably snappier than the eight-speeder in the old SQ5.

To add drama, upshifts thunk home when you’re accelerating hard with the gearbox in its sportier modes. And while some sports SUVs have more intoxicating engine notes, the SQ5 still emits a pleasing burble.

It’s a car that will make you smile when you’re speeding up then, but your passengers might end up frowning when it’s time to slow down, because the initial brake response is very abrupt. This can lead to jerkiness if you’re not careful, although once the brake pedal is through its first centimetre or so of travel, the SQ5’s pulls up as dependably as you’d hope.

The SQ5 also feels very eager to turn into bends, and body lean is tightly controlled – particularly when the standard air suspension is in Dynamic mode. However, while there’s also huge grip, placing the front wheels exactly where you want them isn’t as easy as it is in an X3 or a Macan because the SQ5’s steering isn’t as consistent.

Add in the fact that the Macan has a more rear-biased four-wheel-drive set-up, and it’s definitely the more engaging drive. But if you’re just as concerned with comfort, the SQ5 hits back, because its ride is superb – and not just by sports SUV standards.

It deals with bumps and patchwork surfaces remarkably well. And when you add into the equation the SQ5's whisper-quiet levels of wind and road noise, it makes for a hugely relaxing car to cover big miles in.

“So that it can top up its battery on the move, the SQ5 combines its regular friction brakes with regenerative braking, and I suspect the transition between the two explains the inconsistency in the braking response.” – Steve Huntingford, Editor

The Audi SQ5 comes with luxurious diamond-stitched Napa leather seats, while ambient lighting – with a choice of 30 colours – illuminates the various contours and surfaces of the interior, adding to its showroom appeal.

Closer examination, however, reveals that quality is good rather than great. There’s some pleasing Alcantara trim, but also quite a few hard plastics. In short, the previous SQ5 was better built, even though it perhaps had less ‘wow’ factor.

More positively, the latest car’s driving position is brimming with adjustability, including a powered driver’s seat, which includes four-way lumbar adjustment. The seat lines up neatly with the pedals and steering wheel, too, although some will find that the top corners of the digital driver's display are partly obscured by the wheel if it’s set low.

Fortunately, there’s no chance of you not being able to see your speed, because this is projected onto the windscreen via the standard head-up display.

As with the regular Audi Q5, visibility is excellent. You’re positioned higher than you are in a petrol Porsche Macan. Plus, the chunky windscreen pillars are angled in a way that makes it easy to look around them at junctions, and the large side windows provide a clear over-the-shoulder view.

As a bonus, you get front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree camera, while the standard matrix LED headlights allow you to remain on full beam at night without dazzling oncoming traffic.

It’s a pity Audi has ditched the physical climate controls that featured in the previous SQ5, because you now have to press small icons on the main infotainment touchscreen (or use the voice-control function) to adjust the interior temperature. This is also the case in the BMW X3 M50 and Mercedes GLC AMG 43, but the Macan has proper switches which are less distracting.

On the subject of the SQ5’s touchscreen, it measures 14.5in and is curved towards the driver to make it easier to see and reach. It also responds quickly when you prod it, although there are a few too many small icons that are difficult to aim for while driving.

At the moment, the SQ5 only comes in Edition 1 spec, which includes an additional (10.9in) touchscreen on the passenger side of the dashboard. This allows whoever is sitting there to play DJ, or watch Netflix or YouTube. And thanks to clever polarising tech, the driver can't see and be distracted by what's on that second screen.

“The foglight controls are positioned on the driver’s door rather than the dashboard. But while this is unusual, I found it actually works well.” – Darren Moss, Deputy Editor

The SQ5 is just as roomy inside as any other Audi Q5, which means there’s no shortage of head and leg room up front. Meanwhile, storage includes a good-sized glovebox, a pair of cupholders, front door bins that are wide enough to each take a drinks bottle, and a large centre cubby with a padded lid that doubles as an armrest.

There’s also enough knee room in the back for two six-footers, even when similarly tall folk are sitting in front of them. And while the sleeker Sportback version of the car has less head room than the regular SQ5, it’s still pretty generous.

It’s worth noting, though, that fitting three adults in the back of the SQ5 is a bit of a squeeze, with the person in the middle having to straddle a chunky hump in the floor. But then again, it’s the same story in the BMW X3 M50, Mercedes GLC AMG 43 and petrol versions of the Porsche Macan.

On the other hand, unlike the X3 and GLC, the SQ5 allows you to slide its rear seats forward to trade some knee room for a larger boot. And while the Macan is also available with this feature, adults will be very cramped when its seats are in their forward position, whereas in the SQ5 there’s still an adequate amount of knee room for an adult to sit comfortably on a short journey.

Even with the SQ5’s rear seats slid back as far as they can go, it has a useful 520 litres of boot space. That is 50 litres less than the X3 offers and 100 litres short of the GLC’s total, but the Macan makes do with 488 litres.

Despite its sleeker shape, the Sportback has just five litres less boot space than the regular SQ5 below the load cover, but there is significantly less room above it. Still, in both cars the rear seats can be folded down in a 40/20/40 split, and both come with a hands-free powered tailgate.

“I’m just over 6ft tall and, even in the Sportback version, found rear head room absolutely fine” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

You’ll pay several thousand pounds more for an Audi SQ5 than you would a BMW X3 M50. However, the SQ5 is priced in line with the Mercedes GLC AMG 43 and Porsche Macan GTS.

Similarly, the X3 M50 is likely to prove most efficient, because it officially averages up to 36.7mpg. The SQ5 is next best here, with it officially capable of up to 34.1mpg, while the GLC AMG 43 averages 27.2mpg and the Macan GTS just 25.2mpg.

The SQ5 comes only in the Q5’s range-topping Edition 1 spec, so you get a lot of standard equipment. For example, the seats are heated in both the front and the rear, while the front ones also feature a massage function and are ventilated.

Other spec highlights include a heated steering wheel, three-zone climate control, a Bang & Olufsen premium sound system, a panoramic glass sunroof and adaptive cruise control.

Meanwhile, the long list of standard safety features includes automatic emergency braking (AEB), traffic-sign recognition, front and rear cross traffic assistance, lane-keeping and lane-change assistance, and blind-spot monitoring.

More of a concern is reliability, because Audi finished a disappointing 24th out of 31 car makers in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey – behind Mercedes (22nd), Porsche (21st) and BMW (8th).

“I think it’s disappointing that the three-year warranty provided by Audi has a 60,000-mile cap, given that BMW, Mercedes and Porsche all provide three-year, unlimited mileage warranties.” – Claire Evans, Consumer Editor

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