Audi SQ5 2025 Review

Sitting at the top of the Q5 tree, the 2025 SQ5 comes in at $122,400 before on-road costs. This plonks it below other premium mid-sizers like the BMW X3 M50 xDrive at $129,600 before ORCs and the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 Edition R that’s priced at $128,900 before ORCs. Read our comparison test of those two here.

Compared to the previous generation, Audi claims the Q5 range is $10,000 to the good when it comes to standard gear.

Naturally, as the flagship, the SQ5 scores almost everything.

On the outside, there’s a set of 21-inch rims with matrix LED headlights up front, LEDs out back and a panoramic sunroof. Metallic paint is included, except for the exotic-sounding Sakhir Gold, which will add $1300 to the bill. There are even acoustic front side windows included to dull the roar of the outside world.

Inside, there are real leather sports seats with heat, ventilation and massage functionality up front, a stylish squared-off steering wheel and Dinamica suede trim set off a new screen-heavy dash.

Included are an 11.9-inch OLED screen for the driver, a 14.5-inch screen in the centre and an optional 10.9-inch screen in front of the passenger.

The passenger screen is offset and tinted in such a way that the passenger can potentially watch videos or even play games (using their phone as a controller) without distracting the driver.

To get the passenger screen the Tech Pro ($5700) option box needs to be ticked, which also nets a heated steering wheel, electric steering column adjust, OLED rear lights and heated outer rear seats.

Want to spend more? There’s a $9200 Carbon Style kit that adds a carbon wing, mirror caps and internal door inlays.

Other standard SQ5 kit includes a head-up display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android auto streaming, a large charging pad, a 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system and more than 30 driver assistant systems.

In a nice touch, elements of these systems can be accessed and subdued as necessary via a permanent centre screen shortcut.

In the back, the SQ5’s second row can slide 100mm forward or back, with manually reclining seatbacks in the mix as well.

All Q5s get USB-C chargers in the rear, but the SQ5’s are 100W high-output versions and are more powerful than the 60W front ports.

Mechanically, Audi’s proven 270kW/550Nm three-litre V6 turbocharged petrol engine is 10kW and 50Nm up on the previous version of the same car. It works with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox to parse drive to all four wheels.

The mildest of mild 48v hybrid systems, now known as Mild Hybrid Plus, adds some oomph down low and the merest suggestion of electric propulsion from rest, along with a reduction in CO2 output and a 0.75L/100km claimed fuel saving.

As Audi’s best seller in Australia, it’s understandable that the company is keen to strike the best balance between retaining existing Q5 buyers and trying to entice new ones into the fold.

At $122k and change, the 2025 SQ5 sure stacks up when it comes to standard equipment, and the improved powertrain certainly doesn’t hurt, either.

Our all-too-brief drive loop underlines the SQ5’s place in the world as a polished, accomplished premium SUV. Smooth, seamless, subdued power delivery is there for the asking, complemented by decent enough steering feel that asks little of the driver.

If the desire is there, it’s possible to elicit some crackles and bangs from the quad exhaust pipes. Audi is at pains to point out these are actual pipes. All this noise seems a little unseemly, truth be told.

It rides a little more sharply than expected, though, even with the electronic dampers – pinched from the Q6 e-tron – set to Comfort mode.

The brake pedal feel also requires some foot recalibration to bring the car to a smooth halt every time.

The seats are great, and the squircle steering wheel is kinda cool, while its haptic button array is an improvement on what has come before.

Climate controls are also accessible via shortcut buttons below the main screen, which is nice. The aforementioned safety systems shortcut is another welcome touch.

Worth noting, too, that the SQ5 has a front central airbag as standard, making for a total of seven.

It’s a surprise to find the second row to be overly cramped despite the addition of the sliding second row. It will take careful juggling to fit four larger-sized people aboard the 2025 SQ5, let alone five.

As mentioned, the ride is perhaps firmer than it ought to be in comfort mode. Put that down to the 21-inch rims and their liquorice-strap 40-series tyres.

The use of haptic buttons on the steering wheel spokes is being phased out across the wider Volkswagen group, but unfortunately persists on the Q5 range.

The switch activation itself feels underdamped and a bit cheap, while instances of inadvertent button pressing can still occur with hand-over-hand lock.

Finally, it feels like a very conservative reboot of the Q5 in both exterior and interior design terms. Sure, the digital swathe across the dash is new and exciting, but there’s really nothing that bends the mind on the inside of the car.

The exterior treatment, too, just feels underplayed and, in truth, a bit derivative.

It can’t be easy for Audi to give every product a flash of magic amidst such flood of new product. The positive with that is the new SQ5 and its siblings will suit upgrading owners down to the ground.

In SQ5 trim, it’s a fun, engaging way to drop the kids at sport and get into the office.

Quality is evident and just because the styling is conservative doesn’t mean it’s poorly executed. Quite the opposite.

If you’ve been hanging onto your old SQ5, the new one is definitely worth the trade-up.

2025 Audi SQ5 at a glance:
Price: $122,400 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo-petrol mild hybrid
Output: 270kW/550Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 7.6L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 172g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested

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