2014 Audi SQ5 details

2014 Audi SQ5

The SQ5 does the things you'd never expect from an SUV. The feeling of acceleration with 346 lb-ft of torque. The throaty rumble of 354 horses coming through the quad exhaust. The precise feeling of the flat-bottom sport steering wheel is designed to provide fast and accurate road feedback to the driver.* And the S-tuned suspension unites all to perform flawlessly.

Even in a sea of luxury SUVs, the 2014 Audi SQ5 stands out with its brilliant looks. From its massive, trapezoidal grille to its well-proportioned rear with twin tailpipes, the Audi is a picture of form and function. LED lights abound, from the optional daytime running lights up front to the standard LEDs in the taillights and those in the side-mirror-mounted turn signals. At 7.9 inches, even the SQ5's ground clearance is a good balance between road-going sedan and mountain-climbing beast, which allows the SQ5 to tackle both twisty pavement and snow- or dirt-covered roads.

The production SQ5 uses a twin-turbo 313-hp, 3.0-liter V-6 TDI, it’s the same engine that’s in Europe’s A6 Avant. The engine is aggressive and impressive—it simply transforms the Q5’s character when compared with the single-turbo 245-hp, 3.0-liter diesel that will be offered in the crossover here for 2014.

From behind the wheel, sport-contoured front seats with adjustable thigh support cradle the driver during high performance driving. The three-spoke flat-bottom multifunction sport steering wheel with Aluminum-optic shift paddles and the thicker contours allow for more precise control. The SQ5 comfortably idles between luxury and heart-racing intensity.

The extra thrust the SQ5 gains over the S4/S5 mostly compensates for the crossover’s added mass. It’s 4427 pounds on our scales, or 18 pounds above the claimed curb weight (ours had $800 21-inch wheels replacing the standard 20s). That’s more than 400 pounds heftier than the S4 sedan.

Key standard features of the SQ5 TDI include - in addition to the reversing camera and MMI sat-nav (with seven-inch colour display) - auto air-con, CD/DVD player, Audi 180W amplifier with 10-speaker sound, 20 GB music storage, two SDHC memory card readers and voice control system, tyre-pressure monitor, electric front seats with memory function, xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, and aural enhanced quad exhaust system.