The 2021 Audi SQ5 Sportback: a nice look, but it drinks too much

When I reviewed the Audi Q7 SUV a few years ago, I said it looked like Darth Vader’s staff car. This makes this Audi SQ5 Sportback a very good candidate to be Kylo Ren’s car – younger, more athletic and looking to make a statement. The two cars also share the same weakness. Not so much a thirst for power as a simple thirst, and one that just makes you realize how much better the car would be with an electric powertrain instead.

That Audi would apply the Sportback treatment to the Q5 SUV was inevitable; the company is well aware that some of its customers will trade that last ounce of practicality for a sloping fastback. In this case, taking an ax on the SQ5 hatchback adds a bounty of $ 4,200; the SQ5 Sportback starts at $ 56,100.

This money buys a nice SUV. BMW arguably started the fastback SUV trend with the original X6 in 2008, and the trend has grown to the point where even Porsche will charge you more for a slightly less spacious but more stylish rear on a Cayenne. In this case, I think Marc Lichte’s team at Audi has made one of their best efforts to date. The SQ5 isn’t a big SUV to begin with, and the coupe fastback narrows the car even more visually. Against a sea of ​​regularly shaped SUVs and crossovers, the SQ5 Sportback stands out with its good looks.

You will notice that the hexagonal exhaust contours are gone, replaced by four oval pipes accented with chrome. You can also see the valves that close each pipe. It’s a car that sounds loud (in a pleasant way and not particularly loud) when the exhaust is in sport mode, which opens all the valves. The sound is artificially enhanced from inside the booth, which is a sticking point for some, but as long as the result sounds good inside and is not unpleasant to passers-by, I agree. to use loudspeakers to cancel out unwanted harmonics.

Audi has embraced the freedom that LED lighting packages now offer car designers, using them to imbue the car with extra character. When the feature was described in the product briefing, I thought the sequence the headlights go through when you unlock the car was a bit of a gimmick, but I have to admit it’s quite endearing. In Europe, the headlights also feature intelligent matrix beam technology that allows you to leave your high beams on without dazzling oncoming traffic. Unfortunately, in the United States, federal motor vehicle safety standards do not reflect such ingenuity.

The interior of the SQ5 Sportback helps justify its price and looks beautiful in the Prestige trim ($ 8,600). Audi still leads the industry here, and the materials for the interior touch points are perfectly chosen. The perforated leather sports steering wheel is just the right thickness, and the sliding cordless phone charger and heated / cooled cup holder are nice touches.

The SQ5 Sportback also drives well; it is more relaxed than a Porsche Macan but more guarded than a regular Q5. Mechanically it differs from the (not Sportback) SQ5 we tested in 2017. It still uses a turbocharged 3.0L V6 that generates 349 hp (260 kW) and 369 lb-ft (500 Nm), which is sufficient. for a 4.7- second 0-60 mph time.

But if you want to enjoy the performance of the SQ5 Sportback, you’ll pay for it in fuel. The car’s official EPA rating is 20 mpg combined (11.8 L / 100 km), which isn’t great already. But in the city, that number can plunge into the low teenage rate, which in 2021 seems unacceptable. Fortunately, there is light on the horizon – next year Audi will bring the electric Q4 e-tron Sportback to the United States, promising to marry that same combination of exterior styling and a stunning interior with a fraction of the emissions. .

List image by Jonathan Gitlin