Audi SQ5 2013 2013 Review

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $89,400 ($104,120 for Launch edition)
Options fitted (not included in above price): Crystal Effect Paint $2950
Crash rating: Five-star (Euro NCAP)
Fuel: Diesel
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 6.8
CO2 emissions (g/km): 179
Also consider: Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8; Porsche Macan (when available)

Audi is promoting its new SQ5 as the fastest diesel-powered SUV in the world.

What's the point, you may ask? Who needs a diesel that will crack 100km/h from a standing start in 5.1 seconds?

That was how I felt until the SQ5 wormed its way into my heart -- right from the moment the 3.0-litre biturbo V6 cranked over for the first time.

The 230kW/650Nm V6 is all growling muscle up to and beyond 5000rpm and there's no discernible turbo lag. Using the SQ5's performance to slot into gaps in traffic? It's like taking a semi-automatic assault rifle to a knife fight.

Yet for all the Audi's potent performance, it's a car that won't cost the earth to run. In 45-minute commutes it was posting fuel consumption figures of between 10.5 and 11.0L/100km. On the open road it managed to keep below 9.0L/100km without much effort. Operating in economy mode the engine switched off automatically while the SQ5 was pulled-up at traffic lights -- and that played an important part in keeping fuel consumption low. By lifting the foot off the brake pedal the engine burst back into life -- with a rumbling diesel V6 surge like a wild beast straining against a leash. And that was before applying the right foot to the accelerator!

At idle the engine was fairly gruff -- but it is designed that way. It means the SQ5 is not necessarily a car for everyone, but when required the engine was refined on the move. There was more wind noise at highway speeds, but at around 80km/h and below more road noise was present. In higher gears there was some low-frequency vibe happening, but only below 1500rpm. Much has been written about the SQ5's sound actuator in its exhaust. But frankly, it didn't matter me to how the sound was produced...

The SQ5 came with Audi Drive Select. Of the different modes available through the system 'Dynamic' was clearly more enjoyable than the rest. None of this plodding around at low revs to save fuel; the ZF eight-speed transmission held gears longer and was always ready with either a tonne of torque or engine braking whenever required.

At the opposite end of the Drive Select system is the Comfort mode. In this setting the SQ5 was tamer, although the ride quality was passable rather than sumptuous. At least in Dynamic mode, however, ride comfort was firm rather than non-existent. The suspension, which offered tenacious grip, was surprisingly noisy. There were bumps and thumps over corrugated bitumen, plus a heavy rattle over tram tracks that left me thinking I'd driven over the top of a cyclist.

But by virtue of its roadholding, the SQ5 asked for and received forgiveness. Exiting corners at speeds to shame many passenger cars, the SQ5 let you know when it was reaching its limits with front-tyre scrub, in Comfort mode. Set to Dynamic the SQ5 was more about trailing-throttle oversteer or four-wheel drifting.

At the helm, the SQ5 was very relaxing (when it wasn't snapping your neck from the acceleration, that is). Seats were well shaped, comfortable and supportive. The SQ5 provided the ideal relationship to pedals and wheel, and the flat-bottomed steering wheel was practically redundant, since entering or leaving the vehicle was eased by the high hip point. There was a good, clear view of the instruments and the controls took little time to understand.

The SQ5 is based on the Q5, resulting in adult-level accommodation in the rear, with plenty of head and kneeroom, and space under the front seat to poke the toes. Most adults won't feel cramped, even during longer journeys. And they get their own seat heating as well*.

Audi has kitted out the boot with adjustable posts and straps to hold smaller payloads in place*. The luggage compartment was compromised by the shallow floor, but the SQ5 brought with it a powered tailgate and the flip-down seat levers so beloved of Japanese manufacturers. Rear-seat squabs don't fold completely flat, but come pretty close to it; certainly close enough for most people's needs.

At night the SQ5 lit up like a Christmas tree. LEDs at the rear and xenons at the front, plus puddle lights, all ensured you wouldn't miss the Audi in a car park when you hit the unlock button on the key. The adaptive headlights were excellent for driving in the country at night, and no less so in the rain. But the static cornering lights shone low and almost perpendicular to the vehicle's line of travel, meaning that anything illuminated by them as you turned a corner was practically behind you by the time you noticed it.

There are other cars that shine their cornering lights at an acute angle and the lights work more effectively as a result. The Audi's intelligent high-beam assist* was occasionally caught out by vehicles approaching from side streets or through bends, for instance, and wouldn't dip at the appropriate juncture. There were a couple of occasions when I dipped the lights manually rather than blind other drivers while waiting for the automated system to get its act together.

The same comments apply to the rain-sensing wipers, which needed occasional prompting to clear the screen. This is a common problem with this kind of system -- and not just in Audis.

On the whole, however, the SQ5 pleased far more than it disappointed. Not sure who would buy it though... few journalists can afford $90,000 SUVs -- let alone a launch edition model costing an extra $14,720.

*Options included specifically on the Launch Edition, and not offered as standard.