- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru Fr
Sporty Q5
The Audi SQ5 is a high-performance version of the Q5 compact luxury SUV, created by the standard ‘recipe’: sporty exterior, powerful engine and more ‘durable’ equipment. This mid-size luxury SUV has been produced by Audi AG (Germany) since 2013. The market currently offers the second generation SUV after the restyling in 2020. We cannot wait to see the Audi SQ5 in the Israeli market, but for now we are ready to share with you some details about this model.
The SUVs, including sports ones, are becoming more and more popular. Therefore, the emergence of a powerful SQ5 is a logical phenomenon. The vehicle looks very similar to the production model, but offers a slightly sportier interior and noticeably improved dynamics, which is provided by a V6 engine with 354 hp.
The first generation
The Audi SQ5 luxury SUV debuted in 2013 and was produced until 2017. It was pretty difficult to distinguish the first SQ5 from the regular Q5: horizontal grille strips, mesh air intakes, twin exhaust pipes and associated nameplates. The vehicle was slightly larger than the original model. It is 4,644 mm long, 1,911 mm wide and 1,624 mm high, with the wheelbase of 2,813 mm. Just like a real athlete, this vehicle had a noticeably lower ground clearance, by 30 mm. The interior of the Audi SQ5 was in many ways similar to the interior design of the Q5, but there are differences: sportier front seats with developed lateral support, a truncated sports steering wheel (optional) and SQ5 logos flaunting everywhere. The trunk volume is 540 liters.
The SUV featured a 3.0-liter turbocharged 6-cylinder V-shaped petrol direct injection engine, capable of producing 354 hp at 6,000 – 6,500 rpm, and the torque of 470 Nm (from 4,000 to 4,500 rpm). There was only one transmission option: an 8-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission with manual gear shifting and a sport mode. The first generation SQ5 was equipped with Quattro permanent all-wheel drive. The dynamics of the vehicle was simply excellent: the sports SUV accelerated to 100 km / h in 5.4 seconds, the maximum speed was around 250 km / h, while the fuel consumption in the city was 11.5 liters of petrol per 100 km or 7 liters on the highway.
Excellent handling of the model was ensured by independent multi-link suspension at the front and at the rear, which could be improved with optional adaptive shock absorbers; the disc brakes were ventilated, supplemented by ABS, EBD and BAS systems. The basic equipment included ESP, ASR and much more.
The second generation
It has been produced from 2016 to the present, while its restyling took place in 2020 (as of 2021). The second SQ5 can boast an improved design. The SUV looks similar to its predecessor, although it has been developed from scratch and has become larger. At the same time, the new Audi SQ5 is lighter than its predecessor due to the extensive use of aluminum and high-strength steels in the body structure. The 2016/2017 Audi SQ5 is 4,671 mm long, 1,893 mm wide and 1,635 mm high. The wheelbase is 2.82 m, while the ground clearance is 200 mm. Compared to the first generation, the trunk volume has increased by 10 liters (550 liters), plus now it has almost perfect rectangular shape. For a surcharge, you can purchase second-row seats with longitudinal adjustment, which will further increase the trunk compartment volume to 610 liters due to the free space for second-row passengers. The maximum trunk capacity with the rear seats folded is 1,550 liters.
The 2017/2018 Audi SQ5 is powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 petrol engine producing 354 hp and 500 Nm of torque and an 8-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission. Acceleration to 100 km / h occurs in 5.4 seconds. The engine consumes 11 l / 100 km within the city or 7.1 l / 100 km outside the city. All vehicles have quattro permanent all-wheel drive and adaptive air suspension that can change the ground clearance as needed.
The vehicle has a fully digital dashboard with a 12.3-inch screen and a new multimedia system with numerous features. The SQ5 has a long list of standard equipment, including the Audi drive select system for choosing dynamic driving modes, multifunction sports steering wheel, combined interior upholstery made of Alcantara and leather, MMI Radio Plus multimedia system, sound system with 10 speakers and a subwoofer, three-zone climate control, and electric trunk drive.
Safety of the second generation Audi SQ5 is ensured by the Dynamic Stability Control, airbags (front, side, curtains), hill start assist, and a parking assistant with front/rear sensors. The optional Audi Matrix LED headlights are equipped with an intelligent system that, using data from the camera, sensors and navigation system, analyzes the traffic situation and accordingly adjusts the brightness and adjusts the luminous flux. Numerous driver assistance systems are also provided for an additional fee: lane keeping assistants, blind spot monitoring systems, hill descent control, automatic parking systems, head-up display, and more.
2020 restyling
The sports SUV was restyled in the summer of 2020. The 2020/2021 Audi SQ5 has acquired new lighting equipment, an octagonal radiator grille and new bumpers that have made the vehicle 19 mm longer (now it is 4,682 mm). The options now include organic light-emitting diode (OLED) taillights, and you can choose from three options for the light pattern. The interior main innovation is the improved MMI media system, which is able to ‘understand’ voice commands and keep in touch with the environment on the V2X principle (literally ‘Vehicle to Everything’). You can now give commands to the multimedia system only through a touchscreen with sound feedback or voice: the control unit with a plate, previously located on the central tunnel, has been removed. The 2021 Audi SQ5 is still powered by a 3.0-liter V6 engine with 354 hp, coupled with an 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.
