Audi SQ5 TDI 2021 Review

Diesels are a bit on the nose these days, so it’s perhaps surprising the 2021 Audi SQ5 TDI has rejoined the German prestige brand’s local line-up full-time.

By ‘on the nose’ we don’t mean the extra weight of the diesel engine upsets the handling and ride – because the SQ5 rides and handles pretty well – nor that diesel is smelly stuff. Petrol isn’t exactly Chanel No. 5, folks.

No, it’s the fact the world is turning against diesel in a pretty severe way. It’s being banned from city centres and from entire countries.

The business skew toward electricity of the entire Volkswagen Group – of which Audi is part – has been fundamentally brought about by its diesel emissions cheating. So Audi in Australia does seem to be swimming against the tide.

That said, the reality is the original SQ5 was a diesel and sold well here – for a premium-priced diesel SUV – and the Special Edition rolled out late in 2020 disappeared lickety-split.

So it just makes sense to send the SQ5 TDI full-time back into the fray, replacing the TFSI turbo-petrol model that had been the mainstay since the second-generation Q5 arrived in 2017.

So how different is the 2021 Audi SQ5 TDI to the TDI model it supersedes? On the surface, not much. The $104,900 (plus on-road costs) price is exactly the same and the 3.0-litre V6 drivetrain has had a few tickles (see further down).

Perhaps most obviously because the new TDI is based on the early 2021 Q5 facelift – unlike the Special Edition – it includes the updated Audi connect plus info and nav system that replaces the non-touch 8.3-inch screen on the dashboard with a 10.1-inch touch-screen.

It abandons the MMI rotary control dial that’s sat in the centre console of most Audis for a generation. And you can say ‘Hey, Audi’ and have a chat with your SQ5 as well.

Special Edition equipment carryovers include Matrix LED headlights that blank out oncoming vehicles and Nappa leather seat trim.

Other standard equipment that rolls over from both the TDI SE and the TFSI include a panoramic sunroof, power steering column adjust, a steering wheel with hands-on detection, power steering column adjustment, a haptic-touch steering wheel, a 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system and a head-up display.

There’s also 21-inch alloys, roof rails with crossmembers, a power tailgate, tri-zone climate control, 30-colour ambient interior lighting, an extended upholstery pack, the configurable digital Audi virtual cockpit, wireless smartphone charging, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay interface and four USB outlets.

Metallic and pearl paint is a no-cost option, while an emergency spare tyre resides under the boot floor. An optional OLED tail-light display changes its look when you switch to Dynamic mode in the drive select function.

The Audi SQ5 TDI comes protected by a three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and is serviced every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. A five-year service plan costs $3100.

The 2021 Audi SQ5 TDI comes protected by eight airbags, a suite of driver assist systems including all-important autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and a five-star 2017 ANCAP rating.

The low-speed AEB system has pedestrian but not cyclist detection and operates up to 85km/h.

Other systems include adaptive cruise control, active lane assist, lane change warning, collision avoidance assist that provides extra steering torque in critical situations, cross traffic alert, exit warning, park assist and turn assist, which monitors oncoming traffic when turning right at low speeds.

The SQ5 also includes a tyre pressure indicator, a 360-degree camera, front and rear parking sensors and driver attention monitoring.

Like the Q5, the 2021 Audi SQ5 TDI is based on the Volkswagen Group’s widely used MLBevo architecture.

Built in Mexico for Australia, the range will be widened in the third quarter of 2021 when the new Audi SQ5 Sportback (five-door coupe) is due to arrive.

Under the SQ5’s bonnet is a 3.0-litre DOHC 24-valve V6 engine that sits longitudinally, mates to an eight-speed automatic transmission and drives all four wheels permanently via a self-locking centre differential and optional rear sport differential.

Drive is split 40:60 front to rear static, but can send up to 85 per cent to the rear.

The latest version of the engine makes 251kW at 3800-3950rpm. This is down 4kW on last year’s pre-facelift TDI special edition. Torque stays the same at 700Nm, but is made between 1750-3250rpm rather than 2500-3100rpm.

Key features like 48-volt mild-hybrid assistance with belt alternator starter that enables stop-start and coasting to save fuel, and an electric compressor aiding a single variable-geometry turbocharger, are carryover. But the updated engine does have some key changes.

These include a smaller turbo that spools up quicker to broaden the torque curve and improve throttle response. The intercooler swaps from air-to-air to air-to-water and moves from the front of the engine to the vee where it has a shorter inlet path. This position also helps heat the engine quicker, which aids emissions.

Speaking of which, the emissions system upgrades to an Adblue twin dosing system, as per several other Q5 models.

All this means acceleration from 0-100km/h stays the same at 5.1 seconds, although Audi says the SQ5 is more responsive at lower speeds.

Fuel consumption actually goes up from 6.8L/100km to 7.0L/100km, but Audi argues this is more the result of tougher WLTP emissions standards than anything else. In fact, it argues the rise would have been higher without the latest changes made to the engine.

Beyond that, SQ5 is mechanically very familiar. Five-link front and rear independent suspension is sports-tuned, lowered 30mm and comes with adaptive dampers. It can also be optioned with air springs.

The Audi drive select system allows the adjustment of the suspension, drivetrain and other parameters through multiple modes.

The SQ5 has electromechanical rack and pinion steering with speed-dependent assistance. The braking system features 375mm discs and six-piston callipers up front (red, naturally). Contact with the road is made via 255/40ZR21 tyres all-round (ContiSportContacts in the case of the test car).

The SQ5 measures up at 4682mm long, 1893mm wide, 1635mm high and has a 2824mm wheelbase. The boot swallows 510 litres of luggage with the 40/20/40-split folding rear seats in place. Fold them down and that expands to a very handy 1510 litres.

The SQ5 weighs in at 2010kg and can tow up to 2400kg.

A nice thing about Audi’s S models like the 2021 Audi SQ5 TDI is they strike a pleasing balance between the superficial S line dress-up models and the slightly nutty extremism of the RS high-performance breed. Okay, completely nutty in some cases.

There’s enough pace here to enjoy and enough civility to relax when you’re not tackling a winding country road – about 99.9 per cent of the time.

The diesel engine’s abundance of torque is a boon, but the downside is it has quite a low rev limit.

The eight-speed auto does seem a bit of overkill, but it does its job pretty surreptitiously. Sport mode ups the aggression; manual mode via paddle shifters or lever makes that even more pronounced.

Having said that, this engine is happy to cruise, and just as happy to punch past slower traffic for a quick overtake, exploiting its massive pulling power.

The engine does something that not many diesels do: it sounds loud and good. Even standing outside, listening to it pootle off into the distance, is pleasant. Sitting inside the SQ5 giving it a razz is even more rewarding.

The sound, by the way, is generated by an actuator in the exhaust. Don’t worry though, you can have a muted and quiet cabin if you want it.

The SQ5’s dynamic behaviour works cohesively with the engine. The dampers can deliver comfort and a little roll, or, at the punch of a button, terseness and stiff body control.

In Dynamic mode it will bely that big diesel engine up front and dive sharply for a corner apex. But it can’t beat physics, so it doesn’t feel as confident in changes of direction as a low-riding sports car.

It does promise to be better than a sports car at completing a 1000km blast across a state.

Up front, thanks to its sports seats and their adjustability, this is an easy car to get comfortable and supported in. The infotainment overhaul makes life easier too.

Seating space is adult-friendly in the rear (bar the cramped middle seat) and appointments generous, including climate control adjustment and charge-only USB-As.

There’s also a fold-down arm rest with cup holders, string nets, small door pockets, individual overhead lights and even door grabs.

As impressive as the 2021 Audi SQ5 is, it’s an easy car to question. A Q5 50 TDI or TFSI will commute just as smoothly and swallow vast swathes of country just as easily for $20,000 less.

They can’t match the SQ5 for sporting abilities, but for $100K an Audi S4 Avant or TT S would outhandle it on a winding road. Nope, they can’t go off-road but nor is the SQ5 really intended for that role.

Widen the lens beyond Audi and the SQ5’s competitive proposition looks even harder to defend. For instance, you can buy a BMW 330i Touring for $80K and that’s a very cool car.

But, if you take all that into account and still have your heart set on the SQ5, good on you. It’s comfortable, fast and luxurious.

Through four different iterations it’s stayed the same yet evolved and improved. It’s not so much on the nose as nosing forward.

How much does the 2021 Audi SQ5 TDI cost?
Price: $104,900 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel
Output: 251kW/700Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 185g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2017)