2025 Audi SQ5 Review: Redesigned Sporty Luxury SUV

Redesigned Audi SQ5: A Crucial Update

• 🚀 The 2025 Audi SQ5 marks a significant redesign for Audi's best-selling vehicle, the Q5, which hadn't seen a full redesign in nearly a decade.
• 🎯 This new model aims to maintain the Q5's position as a leader in the small luxury SUV segment, even outselling rivals like the BMW X3.
• 💰 Pricing for the new Q5 starts around $51,000, with the sportier SQ5 beginning at approximately $63,000 and topping out around $70,000.

Innovative Lighting and Exterior Design

• ✨ The SQ5 features an elaborate lighting startup sequence, including a projected "Quattro" logo on the rear glass that illuminates during braking.
• 💡 Other lighting quirks include a projected arrow on the ground to indicate the foot-swipe area for the power tailgate and dashboard LED strips that blink with turn signals.
• 🌟 Exterior styling remains similar to previous generations, maintaining an attractive profile, with the SQ5 adding sporty touches like quad exhaust tips and unique wheel designs.
• 🚗 The front grille is a signature Audi element, though much of it is for aesthetics rather than functional airflow.

High-Tech Interior and Screens

• 📱 The interior boasts a premium feel with high-quality materials and a large, responsive central infotainment touchscreen that integrates climate controls, navigation, and even a playable racing game when parked.
• 🎮 While the infotainment is impressive, climate control adjustments require navigating menus, a departure from physical buttons.
• 🧑‍💻 A dedicated passenger screen offers additional functionality, displaying navigation maps or other information, complementing the main screen.
• 📉 The gauge cluster screen, however, is noted as being less configurable than previous versions, with limited options for displaying information simultaneously.
• 💨 A standout feature is the high-resolution, full-color head-up display, which supplements the gauge cluster with navigation and other vital information.

Controls, Seating, and Cargo

• ⚙️ Unusual controls include a thick panel on the driver's door that can hinder closing the door and a minimalist switch-style gear selector.
• 💺 The steering wheel features responsive electronic button pads with both tap and slide functionality for volume and track control.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Rear seating offers good headroom and legroom for adults, though the middle seat is compromised by a floor hump and center console.
• 📦 The cargo area is surprisingly spacious for a compact SUV, with additional underfloor storage and fold-down rear seats for expanded capacity.
• 🔌 A minor disappointment is the lack of a traditional household power outlet, with only a 12-volt outlet available.

Driving Dynamics and Performance

• 🛣️ The SQ5 offers a commanding seating position and good visibility, with acceptable levels of road and tire noise for its class.
• 🏎️ Despite its SUV form factor, the SQ5 delivers sharp steering and handling, providing a surprisingly agile and confident driving experience, comparable to a hot hatchback.
• 🚦 A notable demerit is the slight throttle lag or dead zone upon initial acceleration, which feels sluggish before the potent 360-horsepower V6 engine fully engages.
• 👍 The interior quality is a significant upgrade, feeling on par with luxury competitors and representing a triumphant return to Audi's reputation for advanced technology and premium interiors.
• 🏆 The 2025 Audi SQ5 is a well-rounded, sporty luxury SUV that offers a compelling blend of performance, technology, and quality for its price point, continuing the Q5's legacy of success.