The SQ5 Sportback has 362 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
Audi has a lot riding on its best-selling SUV, the Q5. Since it launched in 2008, more than 1.6 million Q5s were sold globally before the second-generation launched eight years later.
The second-generation Q5 continued to be a leader in the compact luxury SUV segment with more than 1.1 million sold worldwide. In 2021, Audi expanded the lineup with the coupe-inspired Q5 Sportback models. And now, the entire 2025 Q5 family gets revamped with bolder styling, more technology and a new platform with reworked turbocharged engines that are more powerful and fuel efficient.
“The Q5 family has big popularity worldwide,” Andreas Gotz, who works in product marketing for Audi, said recently ahead of the international media drive in Malaga, Spain. “The SUV has a strong focus in the North American market – every second SUV goes there for our customers.”
The Q5 SUV has 268 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
Since its debut, more than 132,220 Q5s have been sold in Canada. The lineup includes the Q5 SUV, the performance-oriented SQ5 SUV, the Q5 Sportback and the SQ5 Sportback. All Q5s come with a revised two-litre turbocharged inline-four-cylinder engine, Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system, and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The four-cylinder produces 268 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. All SQ5s get a more powerful three-litre turbocharged V6 engine, with Quattro all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual clutch transmission, which delivers 362 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. Other markets, including Europe, get a mild hybrid system and later will offer a plug-in hybrid, but Canada will stick with gas-only for now.
The difference in power is evident immediately when driving the SQ5 Sportback with the V6 back-to-back with the Q5 SUV powered by the four banger. The SQ5 Sportback is engaging to drive – it’s fast, nimble and powerful; it can hit 100 kilometres an hour in 4.8 seconds, which is 1.4 seconds faster than the Q5 SUV. It has sporty and smooth road manners and excellent road grip. Switching from normal to dynamic driving modes is especially fun; it holds the gears longer and creates a more spirited drive. There’s even an extra gurgle in the engine note that’s music to the ears.
The Q5 SUV isn’t as quick off the line and hesitates slightly when you nail the throttle, but at cruising speeds is comfortable, confident, well-composed and soaks up degradations in the road nicely. And for the price – $20,000 less than the SQ5 Sportback – it’s even more attractive. The base Q5 SUV starts at $58,700, before freight and pre-delivery inspection, or PDI. The base SQ5 SUV with the V6 engine starts at $78,700, before freight and PDI; while my SQ5 Sportback tester rings in at $80,950, before freight and PDI.
Unlike the regular Q5, the sportback version has a sloped roofline.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
The Q5 has more of the traditional SUV shape from the side.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
Visually, compared to the traditional SUV design, the Sportback is more dynamic in its styling, especially the SQ5 Sportback. My tester is striking and sporty with its Grenadine red metallic paint, massive front grille, razor-like thin headlights and coupe-like sloping roofline at the rear, which incidentally doesn’t hamper the space in the rear seats or cargo area. At 5-foot-6, there’s adequate head and shoulder room in the rear seats.
Inside, the cabin is exquisite and high-tech with a 11.9-inch virtual cockpit gauge cluster, a 14.5-inch central infotainment screen and an optional 10.9-inch passenger display with a privacy mode so passengers can watch movies without distracting the driver. With OLED technology, the screens are exceptionally vivid and crystal clear. A flat-top and flat-bottom steering wheel, high-gloss black accents and plush Nappa leather seats with intricate diamond stitching complete the look. The new artificial intelligence personal assistance is fantastic – it understands natural language so you can say “Hey, Audi, take me to the closest Italian restaurant,” and it’ll pick a spot and set the navigation to the location within seconds. Two features that could be improved is the tiny gear shifter, which is awkward to use and easy to engage the wrong gear accidentally, and the big black driver’s door panel that’s unsightly and littered with buttons for the side-view mirror adjustments, memory seats, front lights and door locks.
The new Q5 has a 11.9-inch virtual cockpit gauge cluster, a 14.5-inch central infotainment screen and an optional 10.9-inch passenger display with a privacy mode.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
The new Q5 and SQ5 roll off the line at Audi’s assembly plant in San José Chiapa, Mexico. The Q5 and SQ5 SUV are expected to arrive in Canadian dealerships this May or June; while the Q5 and SQ5 Sportback are expected to arrive in June or July.
Tech specs
2025 Audi Q5 and SQ5 SUV
- Base price: $58,700 (Q5 SUV); $78,700 (SQ5 SUV) plus $2,850 for freight and pre-delivery inspection
- Engine: Two-litre turbocharged DOHC inline four cylinder (Q5 SUV); Three-litre turbo DOHC V6 (SQ5 SUV)
- Horsepower / torque (lb-ft): 268 / 295 (Q5 SUV); 362 / 406 (SQ5 SUV)
- Transmission / drive: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission / quattro all-wheel drive
- Fuel consumption: To be announced
2025 Audi Q5 and SQ5 Sportback
- Base price: $66,150 (Q5 Sportback); $80,950 (SQ5 Sportback) plus $2,850 for freight and PDI
- Engine: Two-litre turbocharged DOHC inline four cylinder (Q5 Sportback); Three-litre turbo DOHC V6 (SQ5 Sportback)
- Horsepower / torque (lb-ft): 268 / 295 (Q5 Sportback); 362 / 406 (SQ5 Sportback)
- Transmission / drive: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission / quattro all-wheel drive
- Fuel consumption: To be announced
- Alternatives: Genesis GV70 SUV, BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class, Volvo XC60, Cadillac XT5, Lexus NX, Acura RDX, Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Porsche Macan, Lincoln Corsair
2025 Audi SQ5 Sportback
Looks
Sporty, striking exterior, especially with the sloped rear roofline on the SQ5 Sportback – it’s more dynamic in design than its predecessor as is the bold front grille with Audi’s trademark four rings and a large air intake below it. Razor-thin front headlights and massive functional, yet aesthetic air vents flank the grille for a muscular, athletic look.
Interior
The big black driver’s door panel is unsightly and littered with buttons.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
Spacious and comfortable front and rear seats, even in the Sportback models. Not many buttons, but there is a volume knob that’s easy to find and use. Most functions are accessed via the centre screen or the AI personal assistant, which works like a charm. Some items like the massage seats are unnecessarily complicated, buried in the centre screen and require multiple steps.
Performance
The SQ5 drives like a dream. Its smooth, powerful and fast. Likewise the Q5 SUV with the two-litre engine is composed with smooth road manners. The Q5 Sportback has a towing capacity of up to 2,400 kilograms (about 5,300 pounds).
Technology
A tech-savvy cabin that comes with numerous features including Apple Car Play, Android Auto, a personal assistant and many safety items including adaptive cruise control, traffic congestion assist and side assist features. Other available assistance systems include a head-up display and rear cross traffic alert.
Cargo
The SQ5 Sportback has 470 litres of cargo space in the trunk.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
The Q5 Sportback has litres of space while the SQ5 Sportback has 470 litres. The cargo cover can now be stored in a separate compartment under the cargo floor to keep it secured, leaving room for more goodies in the cargo area.
The verdict
It was worth the wait – the new Audi Q5 and SQ5s are better than ever for 2025 with exceptional styling, powerful, fuel efficient engines and a tech-savvy cabin that’s poised to keep it ahead of the competition.