2025 Audi Q5 and SQ5 Get the Right Minor Tweaks

Car and Driver

a day ago

In the midst of a barrage of new electric-vehicle launches, Audi hasn't forgotten about its bestselling duo, the Q5 compact crossover and its medium-spicy SQ5 sibling. They're new for the 2025 model year and replace outgoing versions that are also being sold as 2025s alongside them. Even if you can't discern the differences based on model year alone, the thoroughly updated Q5 lineup sets itself apart visually and dynamically.
Caught in the Headlights
Following in the footsteps of other recent Audis, the Q5's sheetmetal goes from smooth to sculpted, while the lighting elements at both ends add some welcome aggression. The headlights have a more squinty look, and the taillights get the full-width treatment.
View Exterior Photos
Audi
The LED Headlights Plus, standard on the SQ5 and upper Q5 trims, incorporate animations for startup and shutdown, while OLED taillights come on the Prestige versions of both models. The owner can select from among eight different lighting-signature designs with the fancy DRLs and taillights. And since Audi treasures its lighting-tech supremacy, the SQ5 adds projection capability to its third brake light. It lights up like normal but also casts a glow down on the hatch glass below, giving it more surface area while looking something like a nicely applied window banner with "quattro" text flanked by tapering tick marks.
View Interior Photos
Audi
Screening Room
Hop in, and more light meets your eye. Audi's Digital Stage screen setup includes an 11.9-inch screen for gauge duty and a 14.5-incher running the latest version of Audi's MMI infotainment system. The far edge of the touchscreen is curved toward the driver less for visibility and more for improved reach, a welcome touch that makes it feel less like a gaming setup. Ideally, you shouldn't have to pull your right shoulder away from the seat to touch the display, or at least that movement should be limited. This not-tall driver had no issues. The only height-related issue we had was with the SQ5's gauge screen, the top of which was cropped from our vision by the flat-brim steering wheel. An optional passenger-side display adds redundant controls and features an active filter that prevents the driver from seeing videos or games, lest they be distracted by movement on yet another screen.
Aside from a slight drop in headroom, passenger-space measurements are roughly the same as before. The Q5 does see a slight growth spurt, with 1.4 inches more length, which benefits the cargo area; with all seats in place, volume increases by 1.7 cubic feet to 27.6, while the 56.9-cube max with the rear seats folded is 2.8 better than that outgoing 2025 Q5. A rear seat with adjustable tilt and 4.0 inches of fore-aft slide lets you dial in the right amount of space for people or inanimate objects.
Power and More Power
As before, the greatest differentiation between the standard-strength Q5 and its sportier SQ5 sibling comes in the engine room. Both use evolved versions of their previous engines, adding a smidge more output. The new Q5's sole engine offering, a turbocharged 2.0-liter four sits at 268 horsepower and 295 pound-feet, which is seven more horsepower and 22 extra pound-feet of torque than last year's step-up powertrain, which was briefly called 45 TFSI to differentiate it from the 40's 201-hp tune. The SQ5's turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 is up 13 horses and a healthy 37 pound-feet, for totals of 362 and 406. The Q5 and SQ5 now use a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic in place of the last generation's eight-speed autos.
View Interior Photos
Audi
If no one told us this was a dual-clutch auto, it would have been tough to suss out, as shifts were near-imperceptible and there was none of the lumpy operation that can plague these transmissions at low speeds. We found no issues with the amount or delivery of power over our varied drive of highways and twisties. The Q5's powertrain is adequate, while the SQ5's is more so, and the precise burble that comes at startup in the S model adds just a bit to the car's subtle drama. Audi claims a 5.8-second zero-to-60-mph sprint for the Q5 and a brisk 4.6 seconds for the SQ5 model. For comparison, we got bests of 5.5 and 4.8 seconds for the last-gen models, so these new estimates feel a tad conservative.
On both versions, the steering sees some improvements with the rack having a more direct connection to the body, which ups the immediacy of input-to-output translation. But it still doesn't load up noticeably through tight bends, keeping the driver a bit distant from the proceedings for our liking. An air-spring suspension is standard on the SQ5 and was fitted to the Q5s we drove. It kept things comfortable and can be adjusted along with the drive modes if you're feeling frisky or want a bit more give.
View Exterior Photos
Audi
To that end, Audi has added a new Balanced mode between Comfort and Dynamic. Balanced strikes the right, uh, chord for most driving, and we found ourselves leaving it there when not attacking some of Colorado's best roads on the way in and out of Aspen. There's still an Individual mode that lets you pick and choose your preferences for the various systems—steering, powertrain, and both suspension height and damping. A new Offroad Plus mode loosens the traction- and stability-control systems' reins compared to standard Offroad, letting you play rally driver should the opportunity arise.
The newest 2025 Q5 and SQ5 are now at dealers next to the older ones, and Audi is promising tariff-free pricing on all its wares through this month. Sportback body styles are also on sale now. Pricing for the SUVs seen here starts at $53,495 for the Q5 and $66,095 for the SQ5, which is just a tad higher than before. If shopping for a compact luxury SUV, we'd pick the newer models on looks alone, so keep your eyes peeled when roaming those confusing dealer lots.
View Exterior Photos
Audi
Specifications
Specifications
2025 Audi Q5 and SQ5
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base: Premium Q5, $53,495; Premium Plus Q5, $57,995; Prestige Q5, $61,895; Premium SQ5, $66,095; Premium Plus SQ5, $69,595; Prestige SQ5, $72,495
ENGINES
turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter inline-4, 268 hp, 295 lb-ft; turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.0-liter V-6, 362 hp, 406 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION
7-speed dual-clutch automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 110.9–111.0 in
Length: 185.7 in
Width: 74.8 in
Height: 65.7–65.8 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 52/46 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 28/57 ft3
Curb Weight (C/D est): 4200–4500 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 4.6–5.5 sec
100 mph: 12.3–15.1 sec
1/4-Mile: 13.3–14.1 sec
Top Speed: 130–155 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 22–25/19–22/26–30 mpg
Reviewed by
David Gluckman
Contributing Editor
Ever since David was a wee Car and Driver intern, he has kept a spreadsheet listing all the vehicles he's driven and tested. David really likes spreadsheets. He can parallel-park a school bus and once drove a Lincoln Town Car 63 mph in reverse. After taking a break from journalism to work on autonomous vehicles, he's back writing for this and other automotive publications. When David's not searching for the perfect used car, you can find him sampling the latest in gimmicky, limited-edition foodstuffs.