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By Jonathan Crouch

Audi's third generation SQ5 switches to petrol power. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 55

The third generation Audi SQ5 packs a 367PS petrol powerplant into the brand's rejuvenated take on what a premium mid-sized sporting SUV should be. It's not the fastest contender of its kind, but it might arguably be the most complete one - and it brings a welcome shot of sparkle to the Q5 line up.

Backgroundword count: 125

Think of the original first and second generation versions of the Audi SQ5, if you ever do, and the memory will be of an uber-fast diesel-powered sporting SUV. In many ways, the perfect family Q car - an under-the-radar sporting mid-sized premium crossover we've always really liked. So what of this third generation model, launched late in 2024? Well it's now petrol-powered, so that's a key difference, though Audi hopes its latest 48V mild hybrid tech will ease loyal SQ5 customers into that transition. Actually, the SQ5 was briefly petrol-powered once before, in 2018 when the second generation model was first launched (five years after the original). Now this Audi drinks from the green pump again - but there's also lots else to tell you.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 425

The ordinary Q5 isn't often sold to customers of premium upper mid-sized SUVs who prioritise an involving driving experience. So this SQ5 has quite a job on its hands to convince buyers that it's a real alternative to, say, a BMW X3 M50 xDrive or a Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 4MATIC in this class; especially as those two competitors are more powerful. Well it is. True, if you've owned an SQ5 before, there's stuff you're going to have to get used to; primarily the fact that the 550Nm torque figure of this MK3 model's new 3.0-litre petrol V6 is way down on the 700Nm figure of its 3.0 V6 TDI diesel predecessor. But power is up (from 341PS to 367PS) and of course the pleasingly urgent engine sound is vastly better. It's faster too - the 0-62mph sprint time of 4.5s is 0.6s faster than the previous TDI. Top speed is still limited to 155mph. It goes without saying in an SQ5 that there's quattro 4WD and 7-speed dual clutch S tronic auto transmission. What's new, as with every third generation Q5, is that it all sits on completely different underpinnings, the brand's latest 'PPC' 'Premium Platform Combustion' chassis. To try and compensate folk who might be miffed by the switch from the old diesel unit, Audi has decided to fit this MK3 model's 3.0-litre TFSI petrol powerplant with its latest 'MHEV plus' mild hybrid system. As for drive dynamics, well these are usually fundamentally good with fast Audis, but normally let down by the kind of vague, uninvolving steering we found when we tried an ordinary third generation Q5 a few weeks ago. In this SQ5, the helm's been tuned to tell you a little more about what the front wheels are doing, but an enthusiast would probably still want more. What you can't complain about is something that's fitted here but is lacking on the two rival models we mentioned earlier - adaptive air suspension. You'll find this 'S adaptive' set-up very impressive indeed as you scroll though the now more clearly-differentiated 'Audi Drive Select' settings that influence it - 'comfort', 'dynamic', 'balanced', 'efficiency' and 'off road'. In 'comfort', it's a perfect partner for our nation's pock-marked tarmac (which is just as well given the firm ride you'd otherwise get with this variant's larger 21-inch wheels). Yet in 'dynamic', it makes the car as firm and responsive as you could want. If you need a unique SQ5 selling point - and we could understand why you might - then without doubt, this is it.

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