- 1 day ago
Welcome to our in-depth test drive and review of the all-new 2025 Audi SQ5 Sportback! In this video, we'll explore the third generation of the popular Audi Q5, and dive deep into what makes this sporty SUV stand out. Get ready to discover the surprising connection between the Audi SQ5 and Toyota hybrids, and learn the key differences between the quattro ultra and regular quattro drivetrains.
In this video, you will find out:
What is the Audi SQ5 Sportback and how is it different from the standard Audi Q5?
What surprising technology does the Audi SQ5 share with Toyota hybrids?
How does the quattro ultra drivetrain work, and how does it compare to the classic quattro system?
Our driving impressions of the powerful 3.0-liter TFSI V6 engine with the new MHEV plus system.
A detailed look at the dimensions and pricing of the Audi Q5 and SQ5.
As a strong competitor to the BMW X4, Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe, and Porsche Macan, the Audi SQ5 Sportback features a coupe-like roofline, a new PPC platform, and a V6 MHEV plus powertrain, making it a compelling choice in the premium SUV segment.
↔ Audi Q5 Sportback dimensions:
✔ length: 4717 mm
✔ width: 1900 mm
✔ height: 1619 mm
✔ wheelbase:
In this video, you will find out:
What is the Audi SQ5 Sportback and how is it different from the standard Audi Q5?
What surprising technology does the Audi SQ5 share with Toyota hybrids?
How does the quattro ultra drivetrain work, and how does it compare to the classic quattro system?
Our driving impressions of the powerful 3.0-liter TFSI V6 engine with the new MHEV plus system.
A detailed look at the dimensions and pricing of the Audi Q5 and SQ5.
As a strong competitor to the BMW X4, Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe, and Porsche Macan, the Audi SQ5 Sportback features a coupe-like roofline, a new PPC platform, and a V6 MHEV plus powertrain, making it a compelling choice in the premium SUV segment.
↔ Audi Q5 Sportback dimensions:
✔ length: 4717 mm
✔ width: 1900 mm
✔ height: 1619 mm
✔ wheelbase:
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MotorTranscript
00:00what do audi and toyota have in common good question and we'll get to that in a moment
00:05for now imagine you are looking for a premium car and you want more of a coupe silhouette but maybe
00:12slightly lifted for better visibility and also just in case you ever want to tackle a bigger
00:18curb and yes you'd also like to be able to step on it once in a while your audi dealer
00:24points you
00:24towards the q5 sportback but not a regular q5 this is an sq5 the one with a v6 and a
00:30mild hybrid but
00:31not a regular mild hybrid it's an mhev plus does the audi sq5 sportback actually meet all the above
00:37criteria and is the mild hybrid plus somehow similar to toyota's hybrid let's find out
00:55so
00:59feel like summer any pizza tastes like honey when i see you i can't help it i'm obsessing oh my
01:06god i
01:06wanna feel you got a melon sugar sweet now we're sitting on the beach i can't help it i'm obsessing
01:13oh my god i wanna feel you i know you feel the way that i feel now done set breeze
01:20get closer to me now
01:28the audi q5 is one of the most popular models in its segment in germany and europe
01:33produced since 2008 the suv is now in its third generation a competitor to the bmw x3 mercedes-benz
01:41glc or the volvo xc60 it is the first audi built on the ppc premium platform combustion not to be
01:49confused with the ppe premium platform electric which is also used in the new porsche macan and the
01:56audi q6 e-tron but since electric macan sales are where they are a new ppc variant is likely to
02:04debut
02:05around 2028 and that's the advantage of sharing platforms with other models in the group
02:13this is the sportback or the falling roofline variant personally i'm not a fan of this body
02:18style in suvs especially in smaller models i liked the first generation bmw x6 but later attempts by
02:25bmw and other brands aren't my cup of tea compared to the previous generation q5 the new version is over
02:34five centimeters longer now measuring almost 472 centimeters however since the wheelbase remains
02:40almost unchanged at around 282 centimeters this increased length means longer overhangs
02:47width hasn't changed much either perhaps by a centimeter and is now 190 centimeters height
02:53depending on the suspension type and setting ranges from 162 to 165 and a half centimeters
03:00the adaptive suspension increases the ground clearance in off-road mode by three centimeters and up to four
03:06and a half centimeters when driving slowly audi doesn't provide a ground clearance figure according
03:11to some online sources it could be anywhere between 17 and a half and 21 centimeters depending on the
03:17version the previous generation had approximately 20 centimeters of ground clearance the new q5 sportback
03:23is still slightly smaller than the bmw x4 g02 which was still available at the time of recording
03:30the biggest visible difference between the second and third generation q5 is at the front the new
03:37sharper and flatter front end is reminiscent of the e-tron gt the headlights have been slimmed down even
03:45further compared to the second generation they can now project animations on the road but unfortunately
03:50the days are still long and when i head out to film even if it's still dark there is not
03:55enough traffic
03:55to show you what these headlights can do and since this is the s version we also have larger air
04:01intakes
04:02below the headlights the drag coefficient is 0.34 a rather average result to say the least compared to
04:11for example the xpang g9 which had a drag coefficient of just 0.27 yes the xpang is an ev
04:17fine let's compare
04:19the sq5 to the 2017 bmw 6 gt which had a drag coefficient of 0.26 i also looked at
04:26the more
04:26efficient versions of the q5 and it's 0.31 so something's not right here fortunately there's
04:32the efficient hybrid which we'll discuss in a moment on the side we have black cladding along
04:37the bottom of the doors and the sills that visually slims the car's profile there's also a pronounced
04:43line that adds dynamic character at least that's what i think it's a bit like talking about fruity notes
04:49and wine and which side of the mountain the grapes were planted on if you say it with conviction most
04:54people will believe you that sloping roofline and the short rear end give the impression that this
04:59could be a regular hatchback sorry coupe at the rear we have the currently trendy illuminated strip that
05:06connects the rear lamps the daytime running lights are only in the front but on a sunny day the rear
05:12lamps
05:13and the strip also look like they're illuminated and i have to double check if the lights are actually
05:17off at the bottom we have dual exhaust tips on either side and they are real
05:26before i talk about the exhaust note i'll try to get in the boot the last time i had this
05:33kind
05:33of trouble with finding the motion sensor was in the 2019 range rover velar audi put a sticker on the
05:41boot lid just in case and there's also an arrow projected down here it's especially visible at night
05:46so you know where to swing your foot and you know what i'm still having trouble finding it i mean
05:51i'm sure i'm finding it it's just that the sensor isn't registering my foot every time
05:58the boot volume is 470 liters in five seat configuration and just under 1390 liters with
06:05the second row backrests folded this is approximately 50 and 80 liters less respectively than the regular suv
06:13the boot has a regular shape there are handles to fold the second row backrests a 12 volt power outlet
06:20a niche with a net anchor points to secure luggage and an elastic strap there's a single shopping bag
06:27hook the cargo cover fits under the floor but this requires removing at least one of the two plastic
06:33covers on the sides under the floor there's a compartment roughly the size of about half a spare tire
06:39the other half is occupied by the hybrid battery and there's no way to secure the floor in the open
06:44position
06:45there should be like a hook on a string or something but there's nothing
06:54the doors cover the sills and that's a plus now i don't know how the volkswagen group understands that
07:02customers drive their cars and all kinds of weather and in an suv like this they might even sometimes
07:08drive through a deep puddle yet bmw doesn't acknowledge such situations but bmw
07:16doesn't feel as claustrophobic in the back as the sq5 sportback perhaps it wouldn't be as bad in the regular
07:24suv
07:25here the leg room is similar to bmw i guess but the headroom clearly not as good and also
07:35feels feels kind of narrowish
07:40there are door pockets running through the middle is a large tunnel above it are air vents third zone
07:47climate control as well as buttons for heated seats higher still are usb-c ports these output
07:54100 watts so you can charge your laptop while traveling there are cup holders in the armrest
08:01the backrest splits 40 20 40 so there can be four of you and you can still carry skis just
08:06secure them
08:07properly the backrest angle is adjustable
08:13new audi models built on the ppc and ppe currently feature this cockpit layout so there is a dual
08:21curved display it's curved towards the driver and a third display which is part of the tech pro package
08:27where the passenger can for example watch videos control the media or navigation and i suppose the
08:32driver could ask the passenger to enter a destination into navigation or search for a gas station along the
08:38way it's safer than playing around with the display while you're driving
08:46speaking of looking at screens audi leaves little choice as far as the gauge cluster is concerned
08:52there are trip computer settings on the left and phone media and navigation on the right
08:57by default the rev counter is just a strip on the right side of the screen in sport or individual
09:03mode the rev counter can be displayed in the center of the screen around the driver assist features
09:08the driver assist view is visible even in the minimalist setting when other information is hidden
09:15while you can do little with the gauge cluster style you have three or four clock styles to choose from
09:21after all time is money other than that the infotainment system is okay i'd group some of the
09:29settings differently but it's not a deal breaker i'm interested in android auto which works fine when there
09:34is one driver and one phone problems start when there are two phones paired and you have to select
09:40which one projects android auto and which one is connected to bluetooth perhaps this can be solved with
09:45driver profiles or when two drivers have separate keys and settings are assigned to the keys
09:52i'm not big on switching between profiles i'm fine with simple seat memory speaking of seat memory
09:59there's this panel on the door here and it features among others buttons for seat memory and it's piano
10:06black it collects fingerprints and dust it's also located where the handle the door handle would
10:13normally be so the driver has to lean out further to shut the door than the passenger i don't know
10:20how
10:21this made through the testing phase there's also a mobile app which to the best of my knowledge for
10:29combustion engine cars can only tell you the vehicle and fuel status as well as lock and unlock the doors
10:36the door pockets are okay the cap holders are fine the storage compartment under the armrest is adequate
10:43the glove box is good the best features in the cockpit are the 15 watt wireless charger and the two
10:49additional usb-c ports both rated at 60 watts
11:16cold start sounds fruity enough once the engine is up to temperature the sound dies down
11:22and it's barely audible while driving now you can put the car in dynamic mode and then
11:28it'll also generate an artificial sound inside
11:35i'll talk about performance and dynamics in a moment because despite the s badging the mild hybrid
11:41plus system used in the q5 is much more interesting until now mild hybrids have been like electric boosts
11:47and sometimes allowing for brief coasting with the engine off but audi's 48 volt mild hybrid plus system
11:55allows even for driving at low speeds such as maneuvering or parking in electric mode
12:01and here we come to the comparison with toyota which i mentioned at the beginning
12:04while it's not a full hybrid like in most toyotas we know
12:08the 1.7 kilowatt hour ferro phosphate battery is actually larger than that in most toyota hybrids like
12:17a corolla or the previous generation prius audi claims that in addition to better fuel economy
12:23the mild hybrid also provides a smoother response
12:30the sq5 sport bag should consume about eight and a half liters per 100 kilometers combined
12:34even with a three liter v6 producing 367 horsepower and 550 newton meters of torque it is achievable if
12:42you apply yourself however if you get carried away you'll soon be seeing more like 10 liters per 100 kilometers
12:50now while the mhdv plus allows you to sit with the engine off but ac running for extended periods of
12:55time the problem is that due to emissions restrictions the sq5 doesn't really deliver the punch it packs
13:03you have to jump through hoops to make it go turn on dynamic mode put the gearbox in sport and
13:09then
13:10things get a little bit more interesting sure you can program individual mode for example to have
13:15the suspension and comfort but everything else in dynamic but even then it doesn't feel like there's a
13:24v6 under the bonnet the steering and the suspension characteristics are more mercedes than bmw and you
13:31know sure pick your poison but when there's an s badge on an audi you expect a bit more
13:40the claimed zero to 100 kilometers per hour time is four and a half seconds i achieved this exact time
13:46in dynamic mode with launch control in normal mode i was eight tenths of a second slower in full dynamic
13:53mode the gearbox shifts very violently i assume this is just an effect to excite the driver and the
13:58passengers not a technical requirement but this feels closer to a bmw with an m badge the soundproofing
14:06is very good the suspension is comfortable even with the optional 21 inch wheels however visibility leaves
14:12much to be desired and it's not about rear visibility either for a coupe suv it's actually decent
14:18it's about the visibility around the a pillars i have trouble seeing at intersections or when approaching
14:24pedestrian crossings interestingly anja who's a fair bit shorter than me and therefore sits closer
14:30to the dashboard doesn't have this problem
14:36the driver assist features work very well as long as they're working during the shoot we suddenly saw
14:43a bunch of errors for everything including adaptive suspension fortunately restarting the vehicle helped
14:49isa can be assigned to a programmable button on the steering wheel so it's easy to disable
14:54on winding roads i would also suggest disabling the lane keeping assist as it's in my opinion a bit too
15:01aggressive and i couldn't find any settings to make it less sensitive the system which automatically breaks
15:08when you're reversing worked very well flawlessly in a mall parking lot i was reversing from behind two
15:16suvs and i had limited visibility and another driver was driving way too fast for a parking lot
15:22and if the audi hadn't stopped automatically we'd have a very very bad crash and of course it would have
15:30been
15:30my fault because i was moving without full visibility but still audi saved the day
15:39and now my diagonal approach test i stop halfway up the incline leaving wheels on the diagonal with
15:46limited traction and then i try to get going again the first attempt was in normal mode with the
15:51suspension in its default setting the car gets up without a problem
15:57for the second attempt i turned off esp but the car remained in normal mode there was a bit more
16:04slippage but audi still managed fine the third attempt was an off-road mode which automatically increases
16:12the ground clearance by three centimeters from behind the wheel i felt more slippage but in the video i can
16:18see that the rear wheels engaged quicker and with less spin than during the first attempt bear in mind
16:25that audi's quattro ultra all-wheel drive is different from the older quattro generations it's no longer a
16:33permanent all-wheel drive system but a front-wheel biased on-demand all-wheel drive it seems that the
16:39off-road mode either locks all-wheel drive or reacts quicker to wheel spin
16:46price of the audi q5 sportback started 54 800 euro two and a half grand more than the regular suv
16:54you can choose between a petrol and a diesel mild hybrids as well as a petrol based ph ev this
17:01test car
17:01is an sq5 with options it costs 102 000 and 600 euro
17:11audi sq5 sportback looks good it's quiet and refined but not as exciting as the s in the name would
17:17suggest
17:18if i had to choose i'd stick to the regular suv probably with a diesel or a ph ev and
17:24how do you
17:24like the new audi styling inside and out let me know in the comment section below if you like my
17:32sarcastic down-to-earth and possibly mildly amusing car reviews join me every friday 3 pm central european
17:40time and don't forget to subscribe and like this video as it helps me with the youtube algorithm
17:45time thanks for watching and i will see you in the next one
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