I've tried the new Audi Q5 and I'll tell you how it went, why I think it's the best Audi and which version I would buy.

When the first generation of the Q5 was launched back in 2008, it already struck me as one of the best Audi models in the range. It’s true that those were different times. To begin with, electrification had not yet arrived, the SUV craze had not yet reached its peak, and the “Q” family of Audi at that point only included the Q7, which had been presented three years earlier. Now, fifteen years after the first Q5, Audi has seven SUV models – almost all with their corresponding Sportback version – three of them fully electric. And it has just renewed its A5 and A6 ranges, with which the new Audi Q5 shares the so-called Premium Combustion Platform, which allows very different cars to reach the market by changing little more than the body.

By the way, there are a few details I find worth recalling. Fifteen years ago the Q5 already had a version that today would qualify for the ECO label, the Q5 Hybrid with self-charging full-hybrid technology, which Audi did not decisively pursue in the years that followed. And that Q5 was available in 2009 from under 36,000 euros, 25,000 euros less than the starting price of today’s entry-level Q5. Different times indeed.

But let’s get down to business. Apart from the recently announced A6 Avant – the Saloon body will also debut very soon – over the last few months I have been able to test all the recent Audi launches, from the A3, through the Q6 e-tron, the A4 now reconverted into the A5, and most recently the new A6 e-tron. And now that I have just got out of the new Audi Q5, the feeling is the same as fifteen years ago: I think the Q5 is the best Audi in the range. Or at least the best option for what most users still demand today, without detracting from the merit of the new generation of electric models, as the Q6 e-tron and the A6 e-tron strike me as real beauties.

And the Audi Q5 has it all: a design with character, the versatility of an SUV even in the Sportback body variant, the choice of petrol and diesel engines that are very well tuned and which, thanks to the MHEV plus mild hybrid system, allow it to display the DGT ECO label – the e-hybrid versions with plug-in hybrid technology will also be offered very soon – and a driving feel very similar to that of a saloon. I think that if I had to choose one Audi right now as a car for everything, it would be a Q5… or I’d leave it to chance with an A5 Avant.

Estate or sporty: two body styles to choose from, SUV and Sportback

This third generation of the Q5 was already designed with both body variants, SUV and Sportback, in mind. And it shows. The previous Q5 Sportback, of which there have only been two generations, was added to the range later and was not a particularly successful design aesthetically. Both versions share the same dimensions, with a length of 4.72 metres, a width of 1.90 and a wheelbase of 2.82 metres. The downward sweep of the roofline makes the Sportback look visually much lower than it really is compared with the SUV, when in reality the difference is barely half a centimetre.

As with the Q3, the choice will depend more on taste than on objective criteria such as price or interior space. Because the 2,300 euros more that the Sportback body costs are worth treating yourself to if, like me, this body style appeals to you more. And you won’t have to give up anything inside either. It’s true that the Sportback has a few centimetres less headroom in the rear seats, but there is plenty of room for passengers of any size. And unless you plan to use the boot right up to the roof without the hidden luggage cover, the difference is also minimal: 515 litres of capacity for the Sportback versus 520 for the SUV, a good figure. Furthermore, Audi keeps the possibility of sliding the rear bench lengthways, which gives a great deal of flexibility.

Otherwise, sitting behind the wheel of the new Q5 is practically the same as doing so in the Q6 e-tron. Or in the new A5 or the A6 e-tron, except that in these you sit lower. Surely whoever buys a Q5 cares little that, since Audi debuted its new interior design philosophy in the Q6 e-tron, they all look practically the same. That is what happens when you share the so-called Digital Stage, which practically turns the entire dashboard into a screen and leaves little room for interpretation by the designers. I have no complaints, quite the contrary. The MMI panoramic display, with its two OLED screens, one of 11.9 inches for the instrumentation and another of 14.5 inches for the multimedia system based on Android Automotive OS, is spectacular and works wonderfully. But I don’t think it is good for so many cars from the same brand to have such similar interiors.

Audi Q5 | Image gallery

I like the ergonomics, the feeling of very high quality, the attention to detail, how well the AI-assisted voice assistant seems to work, the touch of sophistication provided by the new head-up display, or elements such as the interactive interior light, more ornamental than anything else, but they have their charm. I also think the control panel on the driver’s door is a good idea, grouping functions such as central locking, the mirrors or the seat memory. But its integration into the design of the Q5’s door has a problem I don’t recall noticing in other Audi models that have it: it is too wide and makes it uncomfortable to grip the door to close it when it’s open. Nor do I like how the dashboard of these new Audi models looks when the third screen on the passenger side is not fitted; I think it could have been resolved better simply by removing the element that is placed in place of the screen and leaving that part of the dashboard exposed. In any case, these are small details that do not detract from an overall outstanding impression.

Petrol and diesel: just as it should be

The launch range has the same 2-litre, 4-cylinder TDI and TFSI with 204 hp as the Audi A5, although in the Q5 both come with MHEV plus mild hybrid system – in the A5 only for the TDI – plus the 367 hp V6 TFSI of the SQ5. In the future there will be more powerful versions of the four-cylinder engines, and the e-hybrid with plug-in hybrid technology already announced for the Q5 will also arrive. For now, there are no plans to offer an entry version with less power, such as the 150 hp 2.0 TFSI of the A5. The 2.0 TFSI is offered with front-wheel drive or – for 2,300 euros more – with quattro four-wheel drive, while the TDI and the SQ5 always have all-wheel drive. In all cases the gearbox is a 7-speed S tronic.

Choosing is not complicated: the 2.0 TFSI 4×2 is an excellent entry version, but if you are going to buy a Q5, take my advice and get quattro. And the decision between petrol or diesel is also easy if you’re not sure: toss a coin and you won’t go wrong, whatever it lands on. The 2.0 TFSI is a marvel, but in this new evolution and with the help of the MHEV plus system the TDI runs so smoothly that, although it sounds like a cliché, it doesn’t feel like a diesel. It is one of the most “refined” four-cylinder TDI engines from Audi that I can remember. The performance is practically equivalent – both accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in around 7.5 seconds – but on consumption two miracles would be too much: the TFSI uses very little for how well it goes, but the TDI is unbeatable, and flirts with 1,000 km of range on a single tank. I’m more of a petrol person, but in the case of the Q5 my choice would be the 2.0 TDI, even though it pains me to say so.

All the Q5s I was able to drive at the national press presentation, which took place on Valencian roads, were fitted with the optional air suspension, which adjusts the body height depending on the chosen drive mode, lowering it by up to 15 mm for motorway driving or raising it 30 mm above the base level in the off-road programmes. I don’t think air suspension, which can be combined with adaptive damping, is an essential option. I dare to predict that with the standard steel-spring suspension and the new selective-frequency dampers the Q5 will be wonderful – especially with the optional sport chassis – even more so now that Audi also fits progressive steering as standard. But if I stick to what I have tested, I have to admit that, at least with air suspension, the Q5 has surprised me almost more with its agility than with its ride comfort, perhaps because I already took the latter for granted.

By the way, if you’re wondering, the answer is yes: with MHEV plus, the Q5 can move in fully electric mode during parking manoeuvres or when driving at very low speed – for example in town – although only for a few metres and only if you barely touch the accelerator pedal.

Audi SQ5: not the logical purchase, but if you can… don’t hesitate!

The SQ5, like all the “S” versions of the Audi, is something special. A perfect combination of well-understood sportiness in a car capable of putting a smile on your face and making your eyes light up when the bends come and you activate “dynamic”, without having to give up versatility or comfort for everyday use. Of course, here we are already talking about a starting price of 94,690 euros, almost 20,000 euros more than the 204 hp 2.0 TFSI quattro in the top Black Line trim.

In return, under the bonnet we have an energetic 3-litre petrol V6 producing 367 hp and a maximum torque of 550 Nm, which is a real marvel in its smoothness of operation, the sound it makes through the exhaust, and its performance. It is capable of catapulting the SQ5 to 100 km/h from a standstill in just 4.5 seconds, a very serious figure. But it’s not just the performance. Despite weighing more than 2.1 tonnes, the SQ5’s dynamic behaviour is magnificent, with a body that barely leans, quick and very precise steering, and brakes that never fade. Without having tested it in depth, I dare say the SQ5 matches the sensations a Porsche Macan offers when it comes to genuinely enjoying driving, something many SUVs cannot boast.

In addition, the SQ5 adds a lot of standard equipment, such as the 21-inch wheels of the Audi Sport, the Matrix LED headlights, the MMI screen for the front passenger… As I said, it is not the most logical purchase within the Q5 range. But if you can afford what it costs, don’t mind losing 45 litres of boot capacity, and accept that real-world average consumption when driving calmly will hardly drop below 9 l/100 km, the SQ5 is “the car”.

Audi SQ5 | Image gallery

Technical specifications of this car

CrossoverAudi Q528 versions · from 63,000 €