New Audi SQ5 Sportback arrives with 367hp V6

Audi’s line-up will look very different come next year: the A4 has become the A5, the A6 has gone all-electric and the e-tron SUV now forms part of the Q8 range. Meanwhile, those with their names left intact are getting long-overdue updates, including the RS3, RS e-tron GT, Q5 and SQ5. Now you can add Sportback variants to the Q5 and SQ5 on that list, which bring all the upgrades from the refreshed mid-sized SUV and bundle them into a sleeker package.

Like the boxier Q5, the new Sportback is built on the same Premium Platform Combustion as the all-new A5, bringing with it a range of electrified petrol and diesel engines. For the range-topping SQ5, this includes a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 petrol that sends 367hp to all four wheels, which is a decent 26hp more than the outgoing diesel variant though torque takes a hit from 516lb ft to the new car’s 406lb ft. You do, however, get an extra 33hp kick from the 48-volt mild hybrid system, which is available on petrol and diesel models, as is a seven-speed DSG. The rest of the line-up consists of 2.0-litre petrol and diesel models, both of which deliver 204hp to the front wheels (though all-wheel drive is available as an optional extra).

Naturally, much of the Sportback’s design mirrors that of the standard Q5, from the larger venting at the front to the pronounced shoulder lines over the wheel arches. From the A-pillar back, things (quite literally) head south. The Sportback’s roofline slopes downwards towards the rear, incorporating a small wing and flat rear window, below which sits a crease that gives the effect of a tiny ducktail. For the SQ5, the Sportback gains ‘dynamic’ (a word Audi uses 14 times in the release) trim with various shades of grey for the front grilles, a black rear diffuser with a silver upper shroud, five-spoke 18-inch wheels as standard fit and the obligatory four-exit exhaust.

It’s inside where you’ll notice the biggest difference over the old car. As with the regular SQ5, the Sportback gets a heavily reworked cabin, with Audi’s new ‘panoramic display’ taking up most of the dashboard. That includes a new MMI Passenger Display, where those riding shotgun can muck about with music and nav system. Options haven’t been announced just yet, so much tech you get for your money remains to be seen, but prices for the SQ5 Sportback will start at €85,400 (or £71,330) when orders open next month, while the range kicks off at €54,800 (or £45,770). If, however, you’re lamenting the death of the SQ5 diesel, there’s always this Black Edition for a £10k discount…