Audi SQ5 review

There aren’t all that many indicators to suggest you’re in the hottest version of the Q5 once you’re sat in the SQ5. You do get excellent diamond-stitched Nappa leather sports seats as standard though, and the Edition 1 trim of UK cars means they also come with a massage function as well as heating and ventilation. Plus, you can have the leather in ‘Arras red’ as a no-cost option. We would recommend you do this.

Elsewhere up front there’s a squared-off steering wheel with paddles mounted behind and fiddly haptic buttons. That wheel is a strange shape but allows you a better view of the large Virtual Cockpit behind. That’s an 11.9in screen with crisp and clear graphics, although there’s only a few changes you can make to the display with the ADAS front and centre rather than a map or a large, simple rev counter. Boo.

A head-up display with plenty more info is also standard, while the central infotainment screen is a giant 14.5in touchscreen that’s angled slightly towards the driver. It’s responsive but menu-heavy and can be tricky to navigate, and while there are shortcuts at the bottom of the screen there are no physical climate control buttons. Audi has kept separate buttons for changing the drive mode and switching off the traction control though, and there’s still a proper volume knob.

There are more haptic buttons on the driver’s door, and on the opposite side there’s a 10.9in touchscreen on the dash for the front seat passenger. That uses special ‘Active Privacy Mode’ tech to stop it distracting the driver, but its only useful functions seem to be to change a radio station or look up directions from the navigation.

In the rear there’s plenty of legroom and it’s bright thanks to the standard panoramic roof. There’s decent headroom in the Sportback too, although you’ll want the SUV if you frequently transport six-footers in the back.

Boot space is 520 litres in the SUV and 515 litres in the Sportback with the rear seats in place. With those rear seats folded flat, you get 1,473 litres of luggage space in the SUV and 1,388 litres in the Sportback.