Audi SQ5 Sportback Singapore Review 2022 - 3.0 TFSI qu Tip (A)

The 2022 Audi SQ5 Sportback is a performance luxury SUV that offers a loud and expressive 3L turbocharged V6 engine, producing 349 bhp and 500 Nm of torque, taking the car from 0 -100 km/h in 5 seconds. With enhanced performance figures over the regular Q5 Sportback, the SQ5 also comes with adaptive air suspension and an 8 speed torque converter over the regular Q5's 7 speed dual clutch.

To address the obvious, the SQ5 is a beautiful car - one that easily looks the best in its class, especially in the Quantum Grey paint job on our test car, which looks a lot like the Nardo Grey that we have come to recognise as synonymous to performance Audi cars. When viewed from the rear quarter, the SQ5 is a sight to behold, and is one of those cars that is so nicely put together, you want to touch it when you see it. Yet, for all the aesthetic appeal possessed by the SQ5, the car, like most Audis, have this unique ability to blend into the surroundings, allowing its owner the privilege of being as loud and obnoxious as they want one day, and as unassuming and bland as they wish to be on another day. It is this styling quality that makes performance Audi's so desirable - the ability to be anything you want it to be.

Interestingly, in S-Line trim, a regular Q5 Sportback doesn't look too different from an SQ5, and it would be difficult to tell the two apart simply on appearances alone. However, fire up the engine, and the SQ5 suddenly becomes more conspicuous, awakening with a throaty roar that rivals some of Audi's more entry level RS models. Rev up the engine in an underground carpark, and the noise is significant - not supercar like, but enough to satisfy your inner 5 year old, and prompt you to do it again. After all, the 3L V6 does share very similar underpinnings to the legendary 2.9L V6 that is used in the Porsche Macan S, an engine that has gained a reputation and a following since its application on the older Macan Turbo. In the SQ5, the engine is fitted with a single turbocharger instead of two in Porsche's application.

On the inside, the SQ5 shares an internal build with a Q5, which has been around for some time now, and honestly is starting to feel its age, lacking a certain sheen against its closest competitors in the segment. If you're one who craves the latest gadgets, technology, and features in cars, the SQ5 may present somewhat of a dilemma. Although the overall design of the cabin feels a little bit dated, there is no denying that it is a very well built cabin that possess build quality that will embarrass the newest Mercedes-Benz cars on the market. In terms of material use though, there aren't many, if not any cheap feeling components in the car that one would find offensive, but for a car that costs upwards of half a million dollars, the absence of a stitched leather dashboard can seem a little bit ridiculous to some. Alternatively, some ventilated seats or the massage seats that you find on the SQ7 might have been nice to have considering the price of the car. Still, if you are in the market for something well built, there is no denying that the SQ5 is still one of the best built cars in its segment.

Around the rest of the car, its evident that despite being a proper performance SUV, the SQ5 is also well suited for family life, offering generous amounts of legroom in the rear, along with a competitively sized boot. Headroom is also not an issue in the rear, as a the roofline online starts to rake downwards a little bit past the rear headrests, ensuring that even taller rear passengers are comfortable - which is more than can be said for most coupe-styled SUVs out in the market. A third air conditioning zone for the rear passengers, along with ambient lighting round off the passenger experience in the SQ5, and is a very nice place for a passenger to be. Last but not least, adaptive air suspension also means that ride comfort is superb, eliminating most of the usual "bounce" that rear passengers in SUVs often experience.

Interestingly, the SQ5 does not really handle like an Audi, and instead possesses a rather heavy steering feel that some may find quite pleasant. As a BMW driver myself, I found this quirk to be to my liking, as. I am more used to heavier steering in my BMW F10. A rather subjective point, but if you're into older BMWs or old Mitsubishi EVOs, the SQ5's steering may be a little more up your alley, as most other Audis have been calibrated to feel lighter and in a way, easier to drive.

As a performance vehicle, the SQ5 obviously isn't mind blowingly quick, with a 0 - 100km/h time of just 5 seconds. However, if you allow yourself to forgo the notion that the SQ5 isn't meant to be a hardcore performance vehicle (because it isn't), things start to fall into place, because the SQ5 is a car that I think, is more about the user experience as opposed to outright speed in numbers. With a beautiful exhaust note and a torque converter that is willing to let you drag out the rev meter, the car pulls in a very satisfying way, and sounds amazing while doing it. The drivetrain doesn't feel quite as nimble as a Macan S, but it feels more thunderous, like a sledgehammer rather than a sword. Handling is also admirable, and with lowered suspension settings in dynamic mode, the SQ5 sits tight and level into a corner, while the all wheel drive system takes care of grip, ensuring the driver always feels safe and in control even when they want to get a little bit mischievous along long swooping corners.

Overall, I found the SQ5 to be a very likeable thing. Fast enough to be exciting and fun, but not so fast that will allow anyone to be dumb enough to lose control. In the sam vein, the car will satisfy petrolhead fathers without pissing off their more sensible and better halves. In that sense, the SQ5 is a very good all rounder. Unfortunately, it is difficult to see this car as something that is of good value, with equipment levels not really befitting a car that costs this much. For this kind of money, there are also plenty of other options one could be looking at, including some very desirable models like the new BMW IX, which is a fantastic car to be in. While most cars work hard at offering one unique selling point, it is perhaps the SQ5's lack of one that works in its favour, and will still hold strong appeal for anymore who appreciates the adaptability of the SQ5 in being whatever kind of car you want it to be - its a quality that is understated, but yet not easily achieved.