The original Audi Q5 SUV was a huge success for dealers and brand bosses here in the UK. More than 60,000 found homes in Britain between 2008 and 2016, but perhaps surprisingly, since launching in 2013, the fiery SQ5 accounted for as many as one in five of those sales – despite its hefty price and high running costs.
Now in its second generation, Audi has turned the hot Q5 formula on its head by revealing its range-topper with a turbocharged petrol engine instead of a tried and tested diesel. A TDI version will join the range later in the year, but it’s the 349bhp TSFI model we’re trying here for the first time.
From the outside, there are a few tell-tale signs that this is no ordinary Q5. The body is covered in S-specific details like the revised air inlets, bespoke diffuser and honeycomb grille, while subtle V6 T badges on the wings further hint at this car’s extraordinary talents.
Inside the cabin it’s typically classy, with plenty of soft-touch materials and a level of perceived quality unmatched by rivals from Jaguar or even Mercedes. All cars get Nappa leather-covered sports seats, three-zone climate control, a 10-speaker stereo and Audi’s excellent Virtual Cockpit dials. An 8.3-inch display with MMI Navigation Plus is also included.
But as important as the aesthetics are, a beautifully built interior comes part and parcel with modern day Audi ownership. How the car drives will be of significant importance to many prospective SQ5 buyers – but has the switch the petrol dented this car’s super-SUV appeal?
In a word, yes. The old SQ5 TDI continually shocked and stunned with its seemingly endless wave of torque, but the more frantic petrol engine in the second-generation car needs to be worked much harder for the same returns. It revs higher, and the engine is more responsive if you flick the drive control switch to Dynamic, but the long gearing means you’re left wanting when preparing for a quick overtake or when exiting a sweeping bend.
The 0-62mph dash takes 5.4 seconds, and like all S-badged Audis, the top-spec Q5 will hit its electronic limiter at 155mph. The old car posted the same top speed, but sprinted to 62mph three tenths faster. It was more economical, too.
But that’s comparing apples with pears, especially when you consider a potent TDI is on the way to satisfy the diesel die-hards. It makes more sense to compare the SQ5 to more natural competitors – cars like the Porsche Macan GTS, Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 and Jaguar F-Pace V6 S.
Body control is good for an SUV – thanks in part to the lower ride height, which has been dropped by 30mm over the standard Q5. It can’t defy the laws of physics like a Macan, nor does it have the character of an AMG, but there’s loads of grip from the rear-biased Quattro all-wheel drive system and our car’s sport differential gave even greater control in the corners.
The optional Dynamic steering didn’t offer much feel, however. In fact, even the entry-level four-cylinder F-Pace is more entertaining to drive on twisty tarmac. But we suspect the beauty of Audi’s latest SQ5 will come in the winter months, when the nights draw in and the compromised conditions show the quattro system in a better light.
Our SQ5’s exemplary motorway manners only emphasised this. Like the basic Q5, the hot version is incredibly refined, and even travelling at 120mph on the German autobahn, there’s was little more than a murmur from beneath the bonnet. There’s a tiny amount of wind whistle around the door mirrors, but it does little to disrupt the Audi’s hushed cabin. If anything, we wish there was an option to dial in some more exhaust or engine noise, which even in the sportiest settings don’t offer much theatre.
Of course, the SQ5 benefits from the same spacious and practical interior as the normal car, with an excellent 610-litre boot that expands to 1,550 litres with the rear seats folded flat. Leave them in place and there’s enough room for adults to sit in complete comfort.
- Model: Audi SQ5 3.0 V6 TFSI quattro
- Price: £51,200
- Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo petrol
- Power/torque: 349bhp/500Nm
- Transmission: Eight-speed auto, four-wheel drive
- 0-62mph: 5.4 seconds
- Top speed: 155mph
- Economy/CO2: 34.0mpg/189g/km
- On sale: Now
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