Audi Q5 Sportback Review 2024

Audi Q5 Sportback At A Glance

4/5
Honest John Overall Rating
The Audi Q5 Sportback is a stylish SUV that doesn't really compromise on practicality. It costs a premium, obviously – but can you put a price on style?

+Fashionable alternative to popular Q5 SUV. Impressive interior that's barely any less practical than the standard car. Wide range of petrol, diesel and hybrid engines.

-Not cheap. Petrol models are thirsty.

New prices start from £46,625, brokers can source from £40,405
Insurance Groups are between 44–45

If anything, it's surprising that it's taken Audi so long to launch a niche derivative of its hugely popular Q5 SUV. Set to take on the BMW X4 and Mercedes GLC Coupe, Audi reckons that the Q5 Sportback actually won't be a niche model at all – in fact, it could account for nearly a quarter of all Q5 sales in the UK.

It takes a similar approach to the smaller Q3 Sportback, with a sloping rear roofline and a premium of around £2000 over the standard car. You might think that the more stylish design eats into interior space and it does, to an extent – with a drop in 40 litres of boot space compared to a regular Q5.

It's certainly not cramped inside, though. Access to the boot is good, while the luggage area's square dimensions mean it can accommodate a surprising amount of kit. There's plenty of space for rear passengers, too, and headroom is hardly limited.

The Audi Q5 Sportback is most impressive in the front, though. This side of Rolls Royce, there isn't another manufacturer that can make interiors as well-finished as Audi. It just exudes premiumness, with plenty of shiny finishes (in a good way) and soft-touch fabrics.

The Sportback gets the same recently-updated infotainment system as the regular Q5. That means there's no longer a rotary dial between the front seats for navigating your way around the nav display – a shame, as this feels safer to use than relying on touchscreen on the move.

At least there are still regular buttons and controls for important features (there's even a knob for adjusting the volume), while the media system is easy to operate. There's also Audi's brilliant Virtual Cockpit as standard across the range, replacing the standard dials with a customisable 12.3-inch digital display.

Buyers can choose from a plethora of trim levels, namely Sport, S line, Edition 1 and Vorsprung. We've driven the S line model and reckon it's worth the extra outlay over the Sport model – standard equipment includes 19-inch alloy wheels, sport suspension and S line exterior highlights.

There's also a choice of petrol and diesel engines, including a range-topping diesel SQ5. The most popular model is expected to be the 40 TDI with its 204PS 2.0-litre diesel engine, capable of returning up to 44.8mpg.

Read our Audi Q5 Sportback 45 TFSI First Drive on heycar

 

What does a Audi Q5 Sportback cost?

Buy new from £40,405(list price from £48,175)