2025 Audi SQ5 new car review

Audi has had a busy period of late, launching a string of crucial new models including the new A3, A5, Q4 e-tron, Q6 e-tron and updated e-tron GT.

But none is as important as this one – the new Q5. While the Q3 has pipped it as the best-selling Audi model in Australia, the Q5 is crucial to the brand’s success and its battle against BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus.

Mid-size SUVs like the Q5 have effectively replaced the likes of the A4 sedan as the bread-and-butter models of these luxury brands, so getting it right is really important to setting the tone for Audi as a brand.

And this new-generation is really that, a genuinely all-new model and not just a facelift or update of the previous car. So the Audi has really thrown everything it has at it in order to give it the best chance of success in an increasingly competitive luxury market.

It’s also important because it’s a key part in Audi’s pivot away from its plans for a radically different, more electric future. The brand originally intended to focus more and more on its e-tron models, but when it became clear the luxury market simply wasn’t interested in all-electric vehicles at the moment, Audi needed a new plan.

The Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) is that new plan. It’s an evolution of what has underpinned the last generation of Audi models, but gets a new electrical architecture from its sister platform, the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) which is what the new Porsche Macan and Audi’s own Q6 e-tron are built on.

The range spreads from the $81,000 Q5 TFSI front-wheel drive model all the way up to the sporty $122,400 SQ5 we’re testing here.

This is the flagship model in the range and while it may be the most expensive, in the previous generation the SQ5 often accounted for as much as 25 per cent of total Q5 sales; underlining how much Australians love their performance cars.

However, in a sign of the changing times, this new SQ5 ditches the turbo diesel engine that was beloved in the old model. But to cut emissions Audi has switched to a petrol engine this time, specifically its 3.0-litre turbocharged V6.

This is tuned to make 270kW of power and 550Nm of torque, which is enough for this mid-size SUV to sprint 0-100km/h in a rapid 4.5 seconds. While the diesel was a brilliant engine, providing effortless pulling power and speed, a switch to petrol power just makes sense.

It’s a great engine too, feeling just as strong and smooth as the old diesel but needing more revs to do so. Which isn’t a bad thing per se, it just makes for a slightly more raucous driving experience.

As for how the new Q5 drives, we have only sampled the SQ5 but reports from contemporaries suggest the new PPC isn’t quite as sharp as the old model.

Fortunately for us, our test car was fitted with the optional Adaptive S air suspension, which adds $3800 to the price but also adds more poise and precision to the ride and handling.

Of course a high-riding SUV is never going to have the same level of handling as a lower sedan, but it’s easy to understand the appeal of the SQ5 as it provides a dynamic driving experience in a spacious SUV body.

As for space inside the cabin, well it’s what you should expect from a mid-size SUV. Which is to say enough for kids to ride comfortably but probably a bit tight for adults (hence why large SUVs exist).

What is really notable about the interior is the new design. Like the previously reviewed A5, the Q5 features modern makeover with larger screens and more soft-touch switchgear. It doesn’t really ‘wow’ like the previous generation Audi, which had more metal-like finishes and buttons with a really solid feel, but it does add more functionality and that’s needed in this day and age of technology.

Overall the new SQ5 will tick the boxes that buyers expect, with a sporty and dynamic character but with space for the family, all while still providing them with the choice of an internal combustion engine. Which is good news for both buyers and Audi.