The new-for-2014 SQ5 is Audi’s first proper application of its performance-oriented S treatment to a crossover, and it brings with it the expected boosts in performance, handling and styling.
In many ways, the SQ5 is a bookend to Audi’s other new Q5 variant, the diesel-powered TDI. One offers commendable fuel economy, while the other, tested here, adds some much-needed personality to a Q5 lineup that now includes a staggering five engine options.
The S treatment
Audi aficionados know that S, in Audi speak, means enhanced straight-line and curvy road performance. A stepping stone between Audi’s standard models and the track-honed RS range, the S treatment is available on virtually every Audi car. With the SQ5, the look and the performance have entered a new realm of crossovers.
But SQ5 means different things to different markets. In Europe, SQ5s are powered by a high-zoot diesel engine. Emissions regulations in the U.S. mean that the Euro-spec SQ5′s engine would require an AdBlue exhaust after treatment, something Audi says it can’t integrate into the existing Q5 architecture. In its place, North American (and Chinese) SQ5s receive a supercharged V6 related to the unit used in the automaker’s S4 sedan. Note to Audi fans: An SQ5 TDI is under consideration for the next generation.
In the SQ5, a bespoke valved exhaust system and a modest boost increase pump power up to 354 horsepower and 347 lb-ft. of torque, an increase of 82 ponies and 51 torquies, respectively. The SQ5 retains its siblings’ eight-speed automatic gearbox, which has been retuned to deliver faster, more aggressive shifts. Notably, the standard Q5′s start/stop system has been dropped. Fuel economy slides to 16/23 mpg (19 mpg combined) on premium fuel, a drop of 2 mpg; that’s not great, but it’s not bad given the power underfoot.
Moreover, the SQ5 receives a tightened suspension, 21-inch wheels wrapped in performance rubber and larger front disc brakes. The tightened suspension is said to boast the same spring rates as the 30 mm-lowered Euro model, but our SQ5 retains the standard Q5′s ride height to comply with federal “light truck” regulations. As in other Q5s, Audi’s quattro all-wheel-drive system apportions 60 percent of the available power to the rear wheels unless slip is detected.
A few platinum and aluminum trim bits spruce up the SQ5′s front fascia, while a unique rear diffuser wraps around the new exhaust system. The changes are subtle, although buyers will appreciate the SQ5′s standard sports seats wrapped in either leather or Alcantara synthetic suede. Notably, those thrones are an option on the standard Q5.
SQ5s list from $52,795 including destination ($7,500 more than an equivalent Q5 3.0T) before any options (like navigation and a Bang and Olufsen audio system) are added, which makes them a good bit pricier than their closest rivals – the BMW X3 xDrive35i (with the M Sport package), the Volvo XC60 T6 R-Design and the Lexus RX 350 F-Sport. But the Audi offers considerably more grunt than rivals, making this the first genuinely sport-oriented compact luxury crossover.
It’s a market that Audi thinks could account for up to 15 percent of all Q5s sold in the U.S.
Winding byways
We hit some of America’s best roads through the San Juan mountains and canyonlands in Colorado between Durango and Grand Junction to see just what the SQ5 is all about. Initial impressions suggested that the SQ5 was perhaps a bit tame, but this is the kind of crossover that grows on you.
For one, we’ve lamented in the past that the Q5, while largely vice-free, was inherently lacking in the kind of personality that endears us to so many cars. Slapping on some extra power and a sportier suspension isn’t always a recipe for success, but there’s more than meets the eye with the SQ5.
Certainly, the power is impressive. Audi quotes a 5.1-second 0-60 mph sprint, and while we weren’t able to verify that claim, the fact that the SQ5 still offered ample power over 11,500 ft. mountain passes speaks volumes to its performance at sea level.
Left in standard mode, the ZF-developed gearbox fires off the essentially imperceptible shifts we’ve grown accustomed to (this gearbox is now found in a wide variety of vehicles ranging from Bentleys to Ram pickups). Slip it into sport mode, however, and the SQ5 comes alive. Gloriously firm shifts combined with a melodic intake growl and a throaty exhaust burble to make the skinny pedal positively addictive.
We found ourselves using the standard steering wheel-mounted paddle shifts to make the most of every apex we encountered on the smooth, winding roads that were largely free of the slow-poke Suburbans from Texas and Grand Caravans from Nebraska typically roaming southwestern Colorado.
Admittedly, the SQ5′s firmer suspension doesn’t bring with it razor-sharp handling, although the crossover feels highly composed and planted. Lean into corners is more pronounced here than in a sedan – or even a more dedicated hot rod crossover like the BMW X5 M. Additionally, the suspension’s travel remains sufficiently accessible for pockmarked pavement. On the steering front, the electric power unit is direct and pleasantly light at low speeds, but it serves up little in the way of road feel.
Audi’s Drive Select system, offering four pre-set modes (normal, comfort and dynamic plus a user-customizable preset) for the electric power steering and throttle tuning, is on board. Even in dynamic mode, SQ5′s power steering is a touch light and a smidge lazy, which doesn’t quite impart the track-tuned feel some enthusiasts might demand.
Then again, those buyers would be better served by something more like an S4 than a crossover. As it is, the SQ5 is grippy rocket ship that should prove confidence-inspiring to those looking for a balance between performance and practicality.
Leftlane’s bottom line
Despite its exhaust note, the Audi SQ5 isn’t a rorty hot rod. Instead, it’s a mature performance-oriented all-weather runabout (in need of winter tires if you’re outside of the sunbelt).
Not dripping with personality, it is nonetheless an appealing swansong to a crossover that has been a positive hit with consumers. SQ5 isn’t inexpensive, but it provides worthwhile thrills over the standard Q5 for those willing to spend.
2014 Audi SQ5 base price, $52,795.
Photos by Andrew Ganz
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