Audi SQ5
This oh-so-subtle differentiator could for a very short amount of time be stuck on the back of anything that had four rings at the front. Then Audi got rid of it entirely. Now it's back on a proper S car.
It would be a reach to say this ties up with Audi Sport returning to form, but this SQ5 is certainly good and much more of an S car than Audi's latest electric cars.
With the EV stuff, S variants have been a touch meh – more of a trim level with a few nice bits, rather than the toned-down RS experience that we had all come to enjoy.
Sure, the S6 E-tron is quicker than the regular Audi A6 E-tron, but with an EV it's a bit like, so what? Plus it has a notably shorter range. By contrast, the SQ5 is notably different to the regular Audi Q5.
The new SQ5 largely follows the latest Audi design language. The front features Audi's 'Singleframe' grille and thin lights, while the shoulder-line is typical family SUV.
As standard, all SQ5s get 21-inch wheels, adaptive suspension, S badges, red brake calipers and Matrix LED headlights.
There's a Sportback model too. This, slope-roofed variant was first introduced in 2021 and in continental Europe it actually outsells the SUV. Not for us Brits. Must be something to do with less space for more money thing going on.
Admittedly the difference in boot space between SUV and Sportback is barely worth mentioning. Basically if you like the looks, go for it.
The interior is very much like the Q6 E-tron. Up front there's a 11.9-inch virtual cockpit (the screen behind the steering wheel) a 14.5-inch display (the screen in the middle) while the SQ5 also gets Audi's Passenger Display (the screen on the passenger side) as standard.
They're all suitably slick, easy to control and logical. The passenger side screen can be used to alter the nav or radio in real-time, helping the driver, or to watch videos on. The latter of which can't be seen from the driver's point of view. No Tiktok while behind the wheel, thank god.
Like with the Q6 E-tron, the SQ5 has very few physical buttons. The climate controls are on the big central screen. It gets its own dedicated bar at the bottom, is shown permanently, and responds quickly. But it's still not ideal. At least they're not haptic like Audis of old - so you don't need to press it down hard like you're trying to delete an app on your phone.
Material quality seems fine - just fine - and to my eyes and hands the tiny little drive selector nicked from a Skoda Enyaq that you pull back or push forward feels cheap and a bit apologetic.
The gear paddles are tiny and plastic. They would feel just about okay for a Skoda. But they're not befitting of a £50,000 Audi Q5 and they're nowhere near the quality I would expect for a £75,000 Audi SQ5.
Pull your hand away from the Temu paddles and you will find another peculiarity in the interior: a control panel where you might expect to find the window switches. Those switches are there too but accompanied by quite a few other buttons.
Those for the foglights, for instance. This isn't so bad in isolation, but if you don't tend to close car doors using their handles, you will end up turning the fogs on – as I and several other testers did.
The previous-generation SQ5 was supplied by the black pump, but Audi has seen fit to change it to a 3.0-litre V6 petrol – a 362bhp affair with 406lb ft of torque.
It's a great unit, pliable with a wide band of operation and a real turn of pace. The torque levels mean that if you want to treat it like a diesel, you can. Lots of low-down pull makes it easy to drive and to drive quickly without using too many revs. It can spin past 7000rpm but peak torque is achieved below 4000rpm.
Its journey to these numbers is linear and non-fussy. It's not theatrical like Alfa Romeo's V6 or quite as lovely or as offbeat as Audi's own five-cylinder engine, but it has its own personality.
And when Dynamic mode is selected, there's even a bit of drama with a few exhaust crackles. Sure, it's as digitally augmented as a Black Eyed Peas song, but it's subtle enough for it to not be too cloying, unlike a Black Eyed Peas song.
It has a bit of mild-hybrid tech: a pair of electric motors (one on the engine, one on the automatic gearbox) and a 1.7kWh battery. This adds 24bhp and apparently allows for some electric-only running.
I did not experience said electric running. The integration works fine when you're going but causes a problem when you're stopping: there's a bit of a pedal push needed to get onto the disc and the force needed isn't always the same.
The problem isn't insurmountable, just slightly irritating. Not being 100% sure on how hard to press the brake pedal isn't great in a car that's as large and as powerful as this.
The SQ5 comes with air suspension as standard. Some petrolheads sound like broken records when it comes to Audi suspension, repeating old lines about shattered teeth, largely associated with S Line cars of a decade ago. But the SQ5's set-up is lush.
Even in its firmest setting, I could use it day-to-day. It all feels very connected, well thought out. Comfortable but with enough heft and damping to not make it feel like a burly, two-tonne SUV.
The steering is a touch light but feedback is strong. Dynamic mode adds a bit of heft and a bit of feel too. Its surefootedness means you have to go a bit Asbo to have much fun driving it, but fun is possible.
The square steering 'wheel' is easy to use on a set of flowing bends, but I found it difficult to use on roundabouts. It almost forces you to not shuffle the wheel at all, which really isn't ideal, because I, like most SQ5 drivers, am not blatting through Tertre Rouge but negotiating a Tesco car park.
When left to its own devices, the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox is pretty handy. When the drive mode selector is switched to Dynamic, it changes down quickly and with gusto; in Comfort, it's less keen to swap cogs.
Things begin to fall down when you change gears yourself. Pull the left shifter in Dynamic when approaching a corner and you feel the whole car jump forward ever so slightly. It's a BMW-esque thump in the back that's supposed to say 'hey, kiddo, you're driving a performance car', but it's just jarring to me.
It's a really solid car, this SQ5. And one befitting of its performance-oriented badging.
It's fast, comfortable and practical and the Sportback shape is innovative and adds a bit of surprise-and-delight.
Criticisms? The powertrain and suspension add up to a £75,000 experience but the interior has too many small foibles – ones that, that when tallied, make the price tag questionable.
]]>
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Lamborghini Temerario test drive: $380K hybrid supercar delivers mind-boggling performance
Lamborghini's (VWAGY) latest creation, the Temerario supercar, has some big shoes to fill. Let me rephrase that — the 900hp, all-wheel drive, plug-in hybrid Temerario with a 10,000 RPM turbo V8 has some big shoes to fill. Che cosa? That's because it's replacing the much-loved Huracán: the outgoing serpent-like, alien-looking creation equipped with a sublime, yet ferocious when needed, naturally aspirated V-10 engine. The Huracán was amazing. But times are changing. Around a year ago at Monterey Car Week, Lamborghini unveiled the Temerario, which loosely translates to 'reckless' in Italian. The long-in-the-tooth Huracán — which, believe it or not, is over 10 years old and shared some underpinnings with sister brand Audi's R8 — needed a refresh. Lamborghini also sold 30,000 units of the $250K+ Huracán, its best-selling car ever. In other words, it couldn't mess this up. And with changing rules like emissions and electrified propulsion needed in certain European locales, hybrid power was needed. Lamborghini knew it had to convince buyers this wasn't a 'green' thing — it's about performance. It did this convincingly with the Revuelto, its range-topping supercar that combines a V12 with a hybrid system, using electric motors more for performance than range. Switch Auto Insurance and Save Today! Affordable Auto Insurance, Customized for You The Insurance Savings You Expect Great Rates and Award-Winning Service Lamborghini's CEO Stephan Winkelmann notes the car is completely new from top to bottom, including, of course, the new powertrain. It has to be exciting, he says, but also livable. Lamborghini seems to have threaded that needle, at least for now: The car is sold out through its first year of production, he said, which is a nice start for the brand. The drive I took the Temerario on the track for a few sessions to put the car through its performance envelope. Styling-wise, it's a sleek, attractive car that fits the mold of what regular people envision when they think of a supercar. It's wide, low-slung, and angular. Not as extreme as the Huracán, but sexy in its own right. The rear is more interesting, with its fully exposed V-8 engine out back and fenders with wide cut-outs exposing the car's bulging rear tires, a nod to motorcycle design. One area the Temerario vastly improves on the Huracán is the interior. Better materials all around, better infotainment and instrument cluster digital screens with nice animations —and more space owing to slightly larger dimensions. Fewer buttons is not a welcome change, though it seems most of these functions are now controls on the steering wheel. On the track is where it all comes together. With its hybrid system, the Temerario features two motors powering each front wheel individually, giving the car true torque vectoring. That means the wheels can spin and apply force independently on their own. This also means that, while the rear wheels are powered by the monster V8, the front wheels can provide force at different times, like during an aggressive turn, keeping the car's line true and giving extra assistance around corners. Traction is of course improved as well. So handling-wise, the car feels a lot smaller than it really is, which makes even the most aggressive track easier to deal with. But true heart of the beast is its twin turbo, flat-plane-crank V8 motor. Combined with the two motors up front and one sandwiched in between the 8-speed transmission, the Temerario has a mind-boggling 900hp on tap. The engine alone is a marvel, able to spin up to 10,000 RPM. It is designed to keep pulling to that red line. Usually, most motors will start petering out at those heady levels. This allowed the Temerario to hit ungodly, panic-inducing speeds on the straightaways of nearly 200mph, which then meant going hard on the brakes, and then into the next curve without losing it. Those front motors really helped get the car back on the proper race line if you braked too deeply into the first turn, for example. The car allowed me to string faster lap after faster lap in succession, giving me confidence to push harder into every turn, and brake later. Yes, it is overall a better car than the Huracán when it comes to aggressive track driving. And I'm sure it's a perfectly livable car too — meaning, in theory, you could take it around town to run some errands — though I didn't get the chance to drive on local roads. But I have a few complaints, believe it or not. The loss of the Huracán's V10 really hurts from an emotional point of view — the sound of the 10-cylinder revving higher is intoxicating. Yes, the Temerario at 10,000 RPM screaming down the straightaway does give you that emotional kick, but most owners will not be pushing the car anywhere near that mind-boggling limit. Most owners will be driving around town or on some nice backcountry roads. And though I said it was subjective, the styling for me is a bit too toned down too, at least compared to the outgoing Huracán. For a car that starts at $382,654 in the US, we would like more of a wow factor. Lamborghini isn't done with the Temerario Lamborghini won't sit idly when it comes to special or updated versions of the Temerario. Performance models with aggressive styling and enhancements to the powertrain may mean more exciting versions could be coming. This is all part of the game plan. And some buyers actually prefer the base models of Lamborghini's creations because they are the purest form of these vehicles. But, finally, I have to ask: Could we see a Temerario special edition combining a non-turbo screaming V8 with those trick electric motors up front, or one with an aggressive, race car-like aero package? Pras Subramanian is the lead auto reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on X and on Instagram. Sign in to access your portfolio
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
Porsche's New Combustion Crossover Will Arrive Within Three Years
Despite achieving record sales in the U.S. earlier this year, Porsche is struggling in certain respects. Sales in China are falling as far cheaper locally produced luxury EVs with more power continue to eat into sales, and with tariffs taking another bite out of the bottom line, forcing Porsche to repeatedly raise prices across the board, slow-selling EVs like the Macan Electric (depicted at the top of this page) need support. Stuttgart originally intended to have the Macan EV as the only entrant in the segment, but over the past few months, it's been forced to walk back all-electric plans due to weak demand, and there have been indications from the top brass that a new combustion SUV may arrive, though not as a current Macan EV with an engine - as something slightly different. First reported by Automotive News, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume has confirmed that such a thing will arrive no later than 2028, announcing that the company will begin "evaluating an independent model line in the SUV segment with combustion and hybrid powertrains." Blume made the comments during the company's H1 2025 earnings call, in which he described the newcomer as "very, very typical Porsche for this segment and also differentiated from the BEV Macan," adding that the styling would include "Porsche's characteristic profile." Two and a bit years is not much time to start from scratch with something new, but Blume added that the new crossover "would benefit from synergies" to speed up the development process. This will not be an updated version of the old Macan, nor a Macan Electric with a gas engine shoved under the hood, as had been previously suggested. Porsche is doing things properly to keep the new SUV competitive for years to come. More than that would not be confirmed, but it's pretty obvious that this new combustion-powered SUV will follow the lead of its predecessor by borrowing a Volkswagen Group platform. The old Macan was based on MLB underpinnings shared with the Audi Q5, and it only makes financial sense to rinse and repeat with the contemporary Q5's Premium Platform Combustion architecture, which accommodates turbocharged four-cylinders, plug-in hybrids, and a V6 in the sportier SQ5 - a great starting place for the Turbo variant of the new crossover. Diesel is also facilitated for markets that still consume the stuff. Related: Trump's EU Tariff Deal Slashes Car Duties - What It Means for BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche If experience has taught us anything, it's that no matter how trying the times, nor how short the development cycle, Porsche always finds a way to extract more refinement, performance, and efficiency from the components that other members of the VW family have access to. Is it too soon to say that this new crossover will accelerate, turn, brake, and cruise better than anything else in the segment? Perhaps, but why didn't Porsche just stick with the original Macan, then? Unfortunately, both it and the 718 sports car failed to meet European cybersecurity laws that came into effect exactly a year ago, and the architecture could not be updated without great expense. The Macan EV was immensely popular at launch, and it seems to be hitting its stride abroad, but it's still not the runaway success the original has been. If it were, we might be having a different discussion right now, but those are the cards all EV manufacturers have been dealt after the pandemic-era boom died down. Porsche is still committed to its electric cars, and a Cayenne EV is imminent, but a gas-powered alternative will have to coexist to weather the world's economic storms. This new crossover lets Porsche adjust its sales without abandoning the highly competitive EVs that are expected to grow in popularity worldwide toward the end of this and the start of the next decade, when Bentley, Lamborghini, Ferrari, and others expect the market to be ready to accept EVs of their own in sustainable numbers. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
Auto review: Genesis G80 gets comfortable in its own skin
GAYLORD, Michigan - Hyundai's luxury brand, Genesis, announced this year its intent to enter the world of elite motorsports in 2026 - joining the big boys in the IMSA Weathertech/WEC World Endurance Championship's Hyper class. It's a natural progression for a brand that makes the terrific G80 sedan that I just stormed Michigan's twisties with. The fastback sedan is a looooong way from the G80 I first tested in 2015. Cresting a hill on M-32 west of Gaylord, I floored the throttle - accessing all 375 horsepower of the twin-turbo V-6 engine in front of me. Standard all-wheel drive translated 391 pound-feet of torque to the road and the big sedan surged forward. Big as in 4,600 pounds, which is hardly a lightweight in the midsize luxe aisle. But in SPORT PLUS mode, electronic suspension firmed the ride to reduce body roll. I rushed a series of S-turns like Lions running back Davd Montgomery crashing through the line of scrimmage. The G80 held firm, the eight-speed transmission holding a higher gear as I rocketed out of the last turn and onto a brief straight stretch. BRRRAAAAAGH! The engine's growl opened into a full-throated roar. Bring on Cadillac, Porsche, Acura, BMW and other luxury hypercar brands! A decade ago, the 2015 G80 was a pretender. Affordably priced, it bore an Audi-like grille, Acura-like V-6 engine and BMW-like infotainment system controlled by a rotary dial. The 2025 model is no pretender; Genesis has come into its own. They did it the old-fashioned way - poaching talent from the competition. Belgian designer Luc Donckervolke came over from Lamborghini and gave Genesis its own design language. It's hard to miss. Rather than dual racing stripes over the hood like a Dodge Viper or Ford Mustang, Donckervolke wrapped the cars with a distinctive dual-lighting signature. At auto shows, the Genesis team likes to pose next to their creations with two fingers held out horizontally - scissor-style - to echo the design theme. The G80 got a lotta looks on my trip up north. As I cruised down Bridge Street in Charlevoix, I watched the heads of the high school football players swivel as the Genesis cruised past. In a parking lot, a couple circled the car. It's not just the swept sportback and dual headlights/taillights that get noticed - the bold shield grille gives the fascia presence. And lots of air to feed the beast within. Genesis hired BMW M Division chief Albert Biermann to tune its cars for performance. My Sport Prestige tester's twin-turbo V-6 is a step up from the base model's 300-horsepower turbo-4. Thus equipped, it is aimed squarely at all-wheel-drive performance sedans like the Audi S6, BMW 540i and Cadillac CT5-V. Those brands have entered top-drawer motorsports, too (Genesis will be going head-to-head in the Hypercar class with Bimmer and Caddy). With the G80 Sport Prestige, Genesis is commanding a top-drawer price as well. The Audi S6 leads this fleet of comparably equipped all-wheel-drive performance sedans with an eye-watering sticker price of $85K, but the Genesis is not far behind at $78,250. That's a healthy 10 grand north of the 540i M-Sport and CT5 V-Series. The latter is one of my favorite performance sedans and raises the bar for 2025 with a 36-inch dash screen run by state-of-the-art Google Built-in like its Lyriq EV sibling. And you thought big screens were just for EVs? G80, too, takes design cues from the Hyundai group EVs. A striking 28-inch hoodless display stretches across the dash - complemented by a head-up display. Cadillac was a HUD pioneer, and the Genesis follows with useful information like Android Auto directions, speed limit and adaptive cruise control mph so I didn't have to take my eyes off the road. The Genesis has also taken a cue from General Motors' excellent steering wheel ergonomics. Raised toggle buttons made it easy for me to adjust ACC and volume controls without glancing down. The Genesis's console ergonomics were another story. Following in the footsteps of BMW, G80 offers dual controls for the infotainment display: touchscreen as well as a fat rotary remote dial. Unfortunately, the rotary dial is the same size as the rotary automatic gear shifter on the console - and they are directly in line with one another. Turn the rotary dial left to turn down the volume, and ... Ooops! I shifted the car into NEUTRAL! Turn the rotary dial to DRIVE, and ... Oops! I turned up the volume! I learned to be deliberate in choosing the two functions, but - though it would throw off the aesthetic appeal of twin rotary dials - drivers would be better served by a steering stalk or T-shifter to avoid confusion. Biermann's team has clearly been working with the G80 in the gym. I enjoyed taking the big dog off the leash on the M-32 twisties. But competition at this level is ferocious, and the Cadillac not only employs impressive electronic suspension dynamics - but offers toys like the steering-wheel-based V-button, which allows drivers to instantly summon their favorite performance settings. Alas, the M-32 rollercoaster is all too brief, and I spent most of my journey north on I-75. The G80 aims to make the long stretches drama-free with a good adaptive cruise system that not only deploys a bubble of lane centering/distance-keeping safety systems - but also didn't nanny me every 15 seconds with a warning to pay attention. The system combines a camera - Cadillac Super Cruise-style - to monitor your attention while also sensing steering input. The G80 would even switch lanes automatically for me at the tug of the turn-signal stalk. But here, too, it trails the '25 Cadillac and its optional Super Cruise system - one of the industry leaders in autonomous systems. Hands-free, automatic lane changes, lane centering. The works. The new kid on the block dresses to kill and my G80 sported a striking red interior. My friend Suzie slipped inside. "Ooooh, I could get used to this," she smiled. "I love that red leather smell." Genesis is turning heads and it intends to keep it that way. At the 2024 New York Auto Show, it set its sights on the Audi RS, BMW M5 and Caddy CT5-V Blackwing super-sedan models when it rolled out a bright-orange G80 Magma extracting over 500 horsepower from the familiar twin-turbo V-6 powerhouse. A variant of that engine is likely to power the IMSA Hypercar. As the name "Genesis" implies, the luxury brand is just getting started. Next week: 2025 Volvo EX30 2025 Genesis G80 Vehicle type: All-wheel drive, five-passenger luxury sedan Price: $58,350, including $1,250 destination charge ($79,030 Sport Prestige as tested) Powerplant: 2.5-liter, turbocharged, inline 4-cylinder; 3.5-liter, twin-turbocharged V-6 Power: 300 horsepower, 311 pound-feet of torque (I-4); 375 horsepower, 391 pound-feet of torque (V-6) Transmission: Eight-speed automatic Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.2 seconds (Motor Trend); Top speed, 140-155 mph Weight: 4,587 pounds Fuel economy: EPA 16 mpg city/24 highway/19 combined; 367-mile range Report card Highs: Striking design; upscale interior Lows: Easy to confuse shift dial with volume dial; gets pricey Overall: 3 stars ____ Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
