Audi Q5 Sportback review

Audi reckons 24 per cent of buyers will opt for the Sportback over the standard Q5 SUV, despite the £2,450 premium. Trim levels include an Edition 1 from launch, which will then morph into Sport, S line, Vorsprung and Competition Vorsprung options.

S Line will be the most popular on our shores, bringing with it diamond cut 19-inch wheels, Matrix LED headlights (no relation to the movie) and an S Line body kit. The additional rear spoiler and diffuser is a little busy for our taste, but you absolutely should not take TG’s advice on style. Edition 1 cars will get an optional Black Pack as well as 19-inch wheels, whilst Vorsprung means 21-inch wheels and all the bells and whistles in terms of tech.

Audi claims 44.8mpg and 166g/km of CO2 emissions for the 40 TDI – the least expensive Q5 Sportback. Plus, in addition to its 12V mild-hybrid system, there’s ‘twin-dosing’ tech in the exhaust that significantly cuts NOx emissions.

The plug-in hybrids will be perfect for company car buyers in the UK, with lows of 36g/km of CO2 and highs of 188.3mpg in the lesser powered 50 TFSI e meaning a Benefit in Kind rate of just 10 per cent. Germany gets two extra diesel engines in the form of a 35 TDI and a 50 TDI quattro.

It’s also worth noting that Audi’s active safety systems are impressively unobtrusive when you don’t need them, and that the optional air suspension allows you to drop the rear by 55mm if you’ve got something heavy to load into the boot. How very thoughtful.