We Test the New Audi Q5: A Bestseller That Continues to Grow in Features and Technology

The success of the Q5 is undeniable for Audi, and rightly so. The German brand sold around 1.6 million units in the first generation of this model, and surpassed the million orders again in its second iteration.

Now, the third generation arrives, a model once again offered with a purely SUV or 'Sportback' body, which, in addition to embracing the eco and zero labels from the DGT, does not forsake its sporty side with the SQ5 option featuring a V6 engine.

This mid-sized SUV has it all: a variety of mechanical options, plenty of technology, safety... and we have been able to verify it firsthand, so let's discover it in depth and share all the key points.

First, let's go with what stands out most about the car at first glance: its exterior design. From the very first moment, this car conveyed a beautiful combination of sportiness and elegance with its new lines, yet it does not neglect the great presence and robustness typical of this model.

At the front, we notice a wide grille with hexagonal shapes accompanied by sharp LED headlights, as well as two vertical air intakes that give it a very casual touch. Both the hood and the bumper are also of new design, and in the versions with the S Line finish, the shapes of all these elements mentioned above are much more accentuated, giving it a much more aggressive touch.

Moving to the side, we must mention again that this Q5 is available with an SUV body or the 'Sportback', the latter having a greater rear drop and which we think will likely be the most sought after in our country. Not only for its slightly sportier design compared to its range sibling, but because it barely loses trunk capacity: the Q5 SUV reaches 520 litres, while the Q5 Sportback reaches 515. If we look for the SQ5, these capacities drop to 475 and 470 litres respectively.

Since we are at the rear, we must mention the beautiful design of the LED optics that run across the entire tailgate, as well as the different exhaust and diffuser options depending on the finish we choose, and we can choose between three available (Advanced, S Line, and Black Line), while we have the possibility to choose up to eleven colours for the body and wheels ranging from 19 to 21 inches in size.

Inside, not only does the driver take centre stage, and we will see why. For example, we have an 11.9-inch digital dashboard, a central screen to control the multimedia system of 14.5 inches, and, in addition, in front of the passenger seat, an additional 10.9-inch screen is offered with various entertainment functions and applications for the passenger. And, you might be thinking: won't this distract the driver? I thought so too, but at the wheel, we found that the design of the passenger's own screen makes it impossible to see the content while driving, which is very positive.

We also have a well-positioned 'head-up display', an induction and ventilated charger for the mobile phone, USB type C connections... and, now that we are talking about connections and charging: in the rear, we also have them and they are quite powerful, as we can even charge large devices like laptops with up to one hundred watts.

As we can see, all the car's occupants, both front and rear, will be very well taken care of, and if we add to all that the legroom and the comfort that each seat exudes... we are looking at an outstanding interior. Alongside all this, we must also highlight the different customizable lighting possibilities of the interior, especially those we have on the doors or the dynamic one that runs across the dashboard.

In the engine range, we have a very attractive variety. Based on the new Premium Combustion Platform, the Q5 arrives initially with three engines, all of them associated with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and a 48-volt mild hybrid system, so we have the eco label.

Initially available is the 2.0 petrol with front or all-wheel drive and 204 HP. With this same power figure, the 2.0 diesel is offered, which comes only with four-wheel drive. At the top of the range is the SQ5 with a three-litre V6 petrol engine that reaches 367 HP.

Additionally, plug-in hybrid versions will soon arrive, of which the brand's engineers could only confirm that they would come with more than 80 kilometres of electric range, but we do not know more details. We will have to wait.

On a rather rainy day, we were able to test these models. Without a doubt, Audi has done a great job with the platform of this model, and we have noticed a great leap in quality at the wheel compared to the previous model.

Undoubtedly, the most fun was the SQ5. The power was noticeable, and the sound inside in the sportiest driving mode, even if slightly enhanced by the speakers, urged us to give even more gas. We return to the chassis topic, and the ease with which the SQ5 moves is enviable, something we verified very well on mountain roads with both tight and high-speed curves.

The precision of the steering and brakes makes us feel like we are in a car unlike what an SUV usually conveys, and although we are focusing a lot on these sporty capabilities, another thing we liked was its adaptability with the different driving modes: we are looking at a car with which we can drive sportily and have fun, but also a really comfortable and calm car for our daily commutes and longer trips.

We also tested the entry-level petrol and diesel micro-hybrid models, where their sporty capabilities are not as notable as in the SQ5, logically. On the road, we felt great comfort from the start, and their operation is really similar, so if we are undecided between one or the other, we will have to see what we choose based on the kilometres we do in our daily lives to see if diesel or petrol suits us better.

And we cannot forget the 'off-road' capabilities of the models with four-wheel drive. We are looking at a very well-finished car, and it shows how Audi has made every effort. However, as the only 'but', in all variants, the vision in left-hand curves of the A-pillar due to its width was somewhat uncomfortable, especially in roundabouts. Although this discomfort may depend on each driver and their position. As always, we recommend that if you are thinking of buying a car, test it and see if you are comfortable with everything around you at the wheel.

Alongside all this, we have all the available driving aids, from the usual high-definition cameras and sensors for parking actions, speed control, lane departure control and correction... optionally, additional assistance packages can be configured with numerous functions, including an adaptive driving assistant that uses cartographic information and data from the fleet of other Audi vehicles calculated in the cloud to optimize traffic sign recognition and assist in acceleration, speed maintenance, and distance, as well as lane guidance.

Additionally, the active braking assistant combines four assistance functions: front emergency braking assistant, evasive assistant, turn assistant, and front cross traffic assistant.

The new Q5 equipped with the 2.0 TFSI engine of 204 HP starts at a price from 61,600 euros, which increases to 63,900 euros in the 2.0 TFSI quattro version and to 65,250 euros with the 2.0 TDI quattro engine of 204 HP. The top-of-the-range SQ5 variant with the 3.0 TFSI engine of 367 HP starts at 94,690 euros, while the surcharge for the 'Sportback' body versions is 2,310 euros.