Some hoped that sleek SUVs would be a passing fad, but this niche is here to stay. The new Audi Q5 Sportback competes with the Mercedes GLC Coupe and the soon-to-be-discontinued BMW X4. The regular 2025 Q5 has been treated with a coupe-esque wand to give the luxury crossover a more stylish look.
You’ll be happy to hear that the SQ5 has lost its faux exhaust tips. Audi has listened to your complaints and is no longer putting unattractive fake exhaust tips on its cars, as we’ve already seen with the new S5. The new crossover has also dropped the hot S variant diesel in the previous-generation model in Europe. Going forward, the SQ5 Sportback will be available globally with a gasoline engine.
It’s a 3.0-litre turbocharged V-6 with 362 horsepower and 550 Metres of torque. Of course, this is the same mild-hybrid-boosted six-cylinder found in the new S5 models. The smaller Q5 Sportback models will make do with a pair of four-cylinder engines. There’s a 2.0-litre gasoline unit with 201 horsepower and 340 Newton metres and a 2.0-litre diesel with 201 horsepower and 400 Newton metres.
The SQ5 and diesel are Quattro-only, while the base gasoline has standard front-wheel drive and Quattro as an option. All three send power to the wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Audi says additional powertrains will follow, including those with plug-in hybrid technology. It’s unclear whether the Q5/Q5 Sportback will finally get the RS treatment.
As usual, the Sportback is less practical than the car on which it is based. Audi says the new Q5 Sportback can hold up to 1,415 litres with the rear seats folded. That’s 58 litres less than the regular Q5. Thanks to the steeply sloping roofline that eats into cargo capacity.
Inside, the Sportback cabin comes in higher-level versions with a three-screen setup and a front-passenger display. We’ve seen nearly the same interior design not only in the Q5 but also in the new A5.
