Audi Q5 review

Audi doesn’t make speccing a new car particularly easy: the bewildering array of trim levels has been cut down to just four these days, but why the SQ5 and TFSI e models have to live on separate parts of the configurator is anyone’s guess.

The entry-level Sport trim costs from £45,425, for which you get 18-inch alloys, quattro all-wheel drive, LED lights, electrically folding and heated door mirrors, heated leather front seats, three-zone climate control, a multi-function steering wheel, the 10.1in touchscreen and Audi’s 12.3in virtual cockpit display, wireless smartphone connectivity (yup, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both supplied), a reversing camera, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, keyless entry and multitudes of active safety systems. Phew. Honestly, what are you really going to miss that isn’t already listed?

S-line is next up from £47,575, with the main additions being a sportier suspension set-up, various exterior upgrades (privacy glass, anyone?), Dinamica leather front seats and fancier interior finishing touches. Oh, and some S badges for good measure
The 2.0-litre diesel is standard, but regardless of trim the petrol is only £245 more. Makes choosing your preferred option really easy. Meanwhile the plug-in hybrid opens from £53,000, rising to £55,150 for S line spec and £57,650 for Black Edition: that adds gloss black 20s, plus Audi logos, door mirrors and roof rails. ‘Stay out of my way’ spec, basically.

The PHEV is around £7k more than the petrol or diesel: worth sitting down with a calculator and working out if the charging costs and any tax savings make the extra outlay worth it.

Finally the SQ5 starts from £62,110, but it’s also the only place you’ll find the Vorsprung model that costs - wait for it - £74,110. Ouch. It’s a catch-all that gives you every conceivable bit of equipment, including 21s, adaptive air suspension, a sport differential, panoramic sunroof, head-up display, heated rear seats, Bang & Olufsen sound system… the whole shebang.

Oh, and if you want the less practical, swoopier roofed Q5 Sportback, it'll add another £2,400 or so to all of the above. Unless you’re that desperate for hot hatch speed, we’d keep it simple (and cheap) and stick with the entry-level car in SUV guise for the headroom/boot space.