Audi SQ5 Sportback 2021 Review

Eight years ago, the Audi SQ5 burst onto the scene with a combination of prestige packaging and torquey diesel performance to wow Aussies with a price tag of just $89,400 plus on-road costs.

Since then it has steadily risen in price, but despite its position at the top of the range, the desirable road-burning SUV continues to account for roughly a third of all Q5 sales in Australia.

The 2021 Audi SQ5 Sportback – a low-roofed version of the same vehicle – will incrementally add to the sales volumes. It’s around $4000 more than the SQ5 with the wagon body, rather than the ‘coupe’ roofline.

That equates to $110,900 plus ORCs for the SQ5 Sportback.

Standard features fitted include 21-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic glass sunroof, metallic paint, red brake callipers, adaptive dampers, matrix LED headlights, keyless entry/start, powered tailgate with motion gesture control, and heated fold-in mirrors with auto-dipping facility.

Inside, the SQ5 is upholstered in Nappa leather with a contrasting stitch and diamond pattern. The sports front seats are heated and offer electric adjustment (with four-way power adjustment for lumbar support).

They are linked to the electric steering column adjustment through the car’s position memory.

Other standard features include a leather-bound, three-spoke multifunction steering wheel, ambient lighting and Virtual Cockpit with head-up display.

Rear seat occupants get their own zone for climate control – making three zones in all – with their own adjustable vents, and the privacy glass is there to frustrate the paparazzi.

The infotainment system comprises a 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen 3D stereo system, digital radio, Bluetooth, Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay. An inductive charging tray for smartphones resides in the centre console, under the centre stack.

Just one option – digital OLED tail-lights – were specified on the test vehicle, adding $2500 to the price.

Audi provides warranty cover of three years/unlimited kilometres, along with three years of roadside assistance. Scheduled services are required at 12-monthly or 15,000km intervals.

Based on the same 2017 testing protocol, the 2021 Audi SQ5 Sportback shares its five-star ANCAP rating with the SQ5 wagon and lesser Q5 variants.

Although the testing dates back several years, the SQ5’s crash safety is credible, with scores of 93 per cent for adult occupants, 86 per cent for children and 73 per cent for vulnerable road users.

The score of 58 per cent for safety assist technology deducts points for the Q5’s lack of ‘AEB – backover’, but the SQ5 does in fact come with rear AEB (autonomous emergency braking) and pedestrian detection in addition to forward collision warning and forward AEB.

Other standard safety tech includes adaptive cruise control (with stop and go), 360-degree camera monitoring and tyre pressure monitoring.

Eight airbags protect the SQ5’s occupants from frontal impacts, side impacts (front and rear outboard passengers) and head-high side impacts (curtains).

There’s also an active bonnet to mitigate the impact for pedestrians.

The jury may be out concerning the packaging involved with a coupe-style SUV, but there’s no doubt whatsoever regarding the diesel V6 that powers the 2021 Audi SQ5 Sportback.

It’s a remarkable engine. There’s lots of almost V8-like growling from start-up, but much of the feral exhaust note is generated by a sound actuator that is controlled by the Audi Drive Select system.

If you can live with the artificially-enhanced soundtrack, the SQ5 is a highly enjoyable aural experience.

An electric supercharger ensures a quick getaway from the lights once the engine is actually up and running. Naturally too, there’s no shortage of power and torque from this engine.

The V8 association doesn’t end with the soundtrack, it goes like a V8 too – with Audi claiming a 0-100km/h time of 5.1 seconds.

It’s also amazingly refined running up through the gears, with little to none of the grinding vibration, let alone the clatter, normally associated with diesels. And at around 1400rpm (at 100km/h), there’s no powertrain noise whatsoever.

The SQ5 Sportback is also quite frugal. On a run into town the Audi posted an impressive fuel economy figure of 8.8L/100km, albeit on a light-traffic day. Over the course of a 70km test run, the SQ5 returned an economy figure of 8.3L/100km.

When the idle-stop system does fire up the engine there’s the briefest of drum beats to signal its readiness for action. It’s quite smooth when the idle-stop kills the engine too.

The idle-stop system stops the engine in the last few metres before the vehicle pulls to a complete halt, but very smoothly and without detriment to soft stopping.

The transmission is very smooth, and comes with shift paddles for sequential shifting. At redline, even in Sport mode, the transmission will shift up a gear, rather than tag the limiter.

By any real measure, the 2021 Audi SQ5 Sportback handles securely in corners and delivers very good roadholding, especially given its ride properties.

Although the spring and damper settings deliver fine control on country roads, the suspension is also quite compliant.

In fact, for its overall blend of ride and dynamic ability, the SQ5 Sportback offers one of the better suspension packages of its type in the market.

The brakes are very strong, and provide good pedal feel, but hit them hard in an emergency and you are surrounded by the noise of the ABS system working overtime.

While the steering is generally light at low speeds it conveys good feel for precise steering inputs when cornering at higher speeds and under higher loads.

Road noise at speed is remarkably subdued in this car, even riding on Pirelli P Zero 255/40R21 tyres. There is no noise at all from the powertrain either, just a very slight rustle of wind noise.

Audi’s Park Assist system works quite effectively and is simple to use, placing it at a significant advantage over other systems from rival brands. It also seems able to distinguish between a gutter and a driveway when parallel parking, which is pretty sophisticated stuff.

While extricating the SQ5 from a parking spot, the system allowed the car to roll the near-side rear wheel into the drive to pull full lock and clear the bumper of the car in front on the way out.

The headlights are great, featuring the very sophisticated matrix LED set-up for which Audi is renowned. As a car approaches, the system progressively dims the lights in the oncoming car’s vector, ensuring the driver won’t be blinded, but the rest of the road is fully illuminated for the SQ5 driver’s benefit.

It’s a system that is highly responsive and sophisticated.

The driving position is generally good, although the foot rest could be placed a little higher relative to the brake pedal and accelerator.

In keeping with the traditional German paradigm, the driver’s seat is well shaped, with flat and firm cushioning, which works better on longer runs.

Initially, there are a couple of pinch points in the seat base that make it less comfortable until the driver has settled into the cushioning a little deeper.

With Virtual Cockpit, Audi’s ergonomics set a very high standard for other prestige brands. There are two different viewing modes for the instrument cluster, plus a head-up display to keep you posted.

When German brands in general are offering IMAX-style infotainment screens, the Audi’s touch-screen seems small, but is functional in practice.

Generous rear seat accommodation includes plenty of space under the front seat for parking the feet. Headroom is adequate for adults of average height, although the long panoramic sunroof encroaches on the space for taller occupants in the rear.

For users needing to recharge their portable devices, there are USB-A and USB-C ports in the front and two USB-A ports in the rear, plus a 12-volt power outlet in the rear of the centre console.

A triple-split folding rear seat locks into place when lowered, flush with the boot floor for added luggage-carrying capacity when the rear seats are not occupied. The centre arm rest folds down for access to two pop-up cup holders and a ski port into the boot.

I’m having a recent run of great luck with motion gesture control for the powered tailgates of vehicles reviewed recently. The SQ5 Sportback has been no different. A can-can style kick under the bumper does bring the tailgate up after a short delay.

The system will also close the tailgate with another kick under the bumper.

Inside the boot there is a finger-pull on each side of the luggage compartment to flip forward the seating on that respective side of the vehicle. When you’re loading a short step ladder in the car, you need not dash around to the side to lower the seat first.

Four tie-down points are in place on the floor of the boot to secure a luggage net that holds down loose items that would otherwise roll around. Smaller, fixed netting is located behind each wheel-arch for added oddment storage.

And under the floor is a Vredestein inflatable space-saver spare tyre for optimal boot space.

The 2021 Audi SQ5 Sportback is a fabulous car: refined, practical, comfortable, sporty and sympathetic to the environment.

And motorists who enjoy some serious performance need not feel cheated either.

How much does the 2021 Audi SQ5 Sportback cost?
Price: $110,900 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel
Output: 251kW/700Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 186g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2017)