New Audi Q5 Sportback returns with an even sleeker look

Audi’s next new model in its comprehensive range-wide revamp is the Q5 Sportback, a mid-size premium SUV with a sloping roofline that’ll have cars like the Mercedes GLC Coupe and Range Rover Velar in its sights. Priced from £52,450, the new Audi Q5 Sportback costs £2,500 more than the equivalent Q5 SUV, and will be available to order from January 2025, with deliveries following soon after. 

Key differences between the Q5 SUV and Sportback relate almost exclusively to the body, with the new car featuring a more streamlined silhouette. Unlike the previous Q5, though, this generation of Sportback was designed from the car’s inception as a second bodystyle, allowing Audi’s design team to push the roofline lower, narrow the windows and give it an even more aggressive stance. 

There are a few compromises to take into account with the Sportback, such as a less versatile luggage area than the regular SUV. However, the new car’s boot space itself is still an impressive 515 litres, dropping to 470 litres for the sporty SQ5 version by virtue of its slightly higher floor, thanks to the more sophisticated rear differential. This expands to 1,415 litres with the second row of seats down, or 1,388 in the SQ5. 

The Sportback otherwise mirrors the standard SUV’s combination of powertrain and trim options. Entry-level Sport models feature a slightly more subtle bumper design at both ends, and ride on 19-inch alloy wheels with contrasting arch surrounds and a matte-grey finish on the rear bumper. 

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S line and Edition 1 models get more aggressive front and rear bumper inserts, larger 20 or 21-inch wheels, plus a total black-out of all the brushed aluminium styling elements for the Edition 1. These trims also vary in terms of their standard equipment, but all feature Audi’s new dual-screen interior layout headlined by a 14.5-inch central touchscreen and 11.9-inch driver’s information display. 

Equipment highlights of the top-spec Edition 1 model include a variable OLED rear light bar set-up, matrix LED headlights, and Dinamica soft-touch fabric inserts on the seats, dash and doors, plus an integrated passenger display and top-down parking camera function. 

You will still need to dip into the options list for high-level items such as air suspension or a panoramic glass roof. Plus the Bang & Olufsen sound system is only available as part of an additional Sound & Technology package that also incorporates extended ambient lighting, a head-up display and more powerful USB-C chargepoints. 

There are two four-cylinder powertrain options available, consisting of a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol and a turbodiesel, both producing 200bhp, plus a range-topping SQ5 with a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine. All feature a 48V mild-hybrid battery system, and are paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and quattro all-wheel drive. More powertrain options will be available in the future, however the popular high-powered diesel engine in the SQ5 is consigned to the history books. 

You’ll notice that we have yet to mention the BMW X4, which was historically this Audi’s key rival. This is largely due to the fact BMW will not renew this model for its new generation, despite being one of the first and most popular vehicles in the segment. And without a new petrol-powered Macan from Porsche, the Audi’s key rivals appear to be thinning, making this new Q5 Sportback an even more compelling choice. 

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