Audi SQ5
was the first S-branded SUV to come from Ingolstadt. And what engine powered this minor-league landmark? Why a fancy 309hp 3.0-litre bi-turbo TDI with a hefty 479lb ft of torque. But diesel's now a dirty word in VW-land - so the follow-up to this Audi money-spinner has ditched the diesel for a 3.0-litre TFSI V6 powered by petrol. Or, as it's just been revealed at the Detroit Motor Show, gasoline.
Power is up to compensate: the
S4 and S5-sourced
motor produces 354hp. While it doesn't have the twist of a diesel, 369lb ft isn't coming up short. Neither is economy, surprisingly. The diesel did 39mpg, but this is still able to return 34mpg - and CO2 of 189g/km is actually 1g/km less than the diesel. Good going, given diesels' inherent advantage here, and likely to ensure its appeal to business users remains intact.
Weirdly, though, it's slower. 0-62mph takes 5.4 seconds instead of 5.1 seconds. Surely it should be a bit quicker? Ho hum, at least the lighter block will take some weight out of the front end. Further aiding dynamics are Audi's adaptive dampers (the old one was passive-only), although you can get presumably more ill-suited adaptive air suspension as an option. You can have optional 21-inch wheels too, if the regular 20s aren't enough of a kerb-magnet. Six-pot brakes are standard, as are 350mm front discs.
Audi's introduced the Sport Differential as an option on the SQ5, and we can't wait to try the optional dynamic steering and probably tell you with some force to avoid it. Spend it on the Audi virtual cockpit digital instrument pack instead. You don't need to fork out for LED headlights, Nappa leather, top-spec MMI infotainment, eight-speed auto and aluminium paddleshifters, though. They're all standard.
What turns a Q5 in to an SQ5? The usual: More gaping bumpers, more honeycomb, double aluminium grille slats and a (rather cool) matt grey contrast finish. Of course, the door mirrors are aluminium-finish. Twin-exit dual tailpipes sit astride an aluminium diffuser thing, and there are S logos everywhere: naturally, those in the door sills light up as you step inside. The new Q5's beautiful interior has been given a yet more alluring S upgrade as well. Those bolstered diamond-stitched Nappa leather seats look gorgeous.
Quattro GmbH wasn't involved in the setup of the old SQ5. We're hoping the newly-renamed Audi Sport division has had a look-in with this one, though. The new platform architecture should offer plentiful degrees of freedom to make it a bit less route one than it sounds, although we can't help but notice it somehow still weighs 1,995kg despite Audi's boast of an "intelligent material mix" of aluminium and steel. Jaguar-grade aluminium, presumably.
Ordering opens (and prices are revealed) later this month; first deliveries are due in the summer. A final curio: this isn't actually the first SQ5 petrol model on sale. The previous one was, in the US, also sold with an Audi S4 engine - ironically, because the diesel couldn't meet American diesel emissions standards (we kid you not). We now get to find out what we've been missing out on.