Home » The New Audi Q5 Sportback Looks 73 Percent Better Than The Old One

The New Audi Q5 Sportback Looks 73 Percent Better Than The Old One

Audi Q5 Sportback Ts
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If there’s anything you can be sure of, it’s the endless stream of sub-models produced by German luxury automakers as they try to fill every niche, no matter how small. This time, it’s Audi. Months after unveiling a new Q5, it only felt like a matter of time before a new Sportback came our way, and guess what? It’s finally here. The biggest takeaway? How much better it looks than the old one, an important thing in a fashion-conscious segment.

This certainly isn’t the first Q5 Sportback ever put into the world, as a swoopy-roofed version of the outgoing Q5 is already available. However, the old one always looked and felt like an afterthought, never quite committing to the bit and instead just seeming forced. The biggest suggestion that it may have been made after a design freeze already happened on the standard Q5 is the disjointed rear three-quarter view, where the sloping backlight and vertical area of the hatch just seem to butt heads. So, has Audi fixed that in the new one?

Vidframe Min Top
Vidframe Min Bottom

In a word, yes. Look, we can argue the merits of fastback crossovers until the cows come home, but they’ve been around for well over a decade and people are still buying them, so we’re just going to have to live with them. By rounding off the sharp haunches and hatch transition on the new Q5 Sportback, Audi’s made it look like less of an afterthought and more of a cohesive idea. Does it work quite as well as a standard Q5 crossover? I’m not sure, but for the person interested in a compact fastback crossover, this certainly seems like a more stylish option than the current BMW X2.

Audi Q5 Sportback

Indeed, the rest of the new Q5 Sportback also embodies Audi’s newly rediscovered less-is-more approach to styling. Sure, the character line that kicks up off the sill, traces around the rear arch, and runs the width of the rear bumper to wrap around to the other side is a bit cartoonish, but the rest of what we see here is almost restrained. Slim full-width tail lights emphasize visual width, a giant glossy black trim insert in the rear bumper attempts to cleave out visual height, and my word, are those real exhaust tips?

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Audi Sq5 Sportback

Since you’re probably sick of hearing how another Starbucks drive-thru machine looks, let’s move on to what powers it. The new Audi Q5 Sportback is launching with a two-liter turbocharged gasoline four-cylinder engine and a two-liter turbodiesel four-banger, although only count on the former on making it to North America. As for the SQ5, it keeps its three-liter force-fed V6 and churns out 362 horsepower in global spec. No matter what engine you choose, a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission comes standard, as does mild hybridization thanks to a 48-volt starter-generator. Interestingly, the 48-volt generator feeds a 1.3 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery, and it allows for one seriously great idea — electric air conditioning.

Audi Q5 Sportback

See, normally, when automatic stop-start turns an engine off at a stop light to reduce pollution, the air conditioning cuts out as well due to most cars using belt-driven compressors. This absolutely sucks during hot, humid summer weather, so by going with electric air conditioning, not only has Audi prepared the new Q5 Sportback for further electrification, it also won’t roast occupants in gridlock. Now that’s luxury right there.

Audi Q5 Sportback

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Speaking of gadgets, the new Q5 Sportback is also available with more screens than the average branch of Blockbuster Video. There’s a touchscreen infotainment system in the middle of the dashboard, a digital instrument cluster, and even a screen for the passenger because we all now have the attention span of a goldfish. However, none of those are the wildest tech piece in the cabin. See, the headlight controls, door locks including child safety locks, and mirror controls are all on the driver’s door panel. How often do you see headlight controls on a door panel?

Audi Q5 Sportback

Mind you, the user experience does seem overly reliant on screens and capacitive touch panels. There are no redundant climate controls, for example, and the steering wheel pads sure look like touch-sensitive controls rather than actual buttons. There’s just something about having to go through a touchscreen to turn on your heated seats that doesn’t feel particularly luxurious, especially when you’re already wearing gloves.

Audi Q5 Sportback

Still, as far as swept-roof compact luxury crossovers go, the new Audi Q5 Sportback sure looks a whole lot better than before. While it’s only been announced for Europe so far, don’t be surprised if it comes to North America, seeing as its predecessor is already on our roads. Subtlety is an art, and Audi seems to be picking it back up. Let’s see where it goes, shall we?

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(Photo credits: Audi)

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AceRimmer
AceRimmer
12 days ago

Sorry, no. It’s hideous and looks incredibly cheap. Like a first-gen Nissan Rogue w/ a gawpy faced grille. <blech>

Banana Stand Money
Banana Stand Money
15 days ago

I don’t hate the design, but I do hate the capacitive touch buttons everywhere. Those should be banished from steering wheels everywhere. I’m also getting Acura vibes from the gear selector and that isn’t a good thing.

67 Oldsmobile
67 Oldsmobile
16 days ago

I was thinking about this crossover sportback thing today as I happened upon a,whatever crossover sportback car that I already forgot about. I still,after a decade,do not understand the concept. It’s like buying a shoe that’s slightly too small for a larger sum of money than you’d get one that fits for,because it looks better.

Crank Shaft
Crank Shaft
16 days ago

Not digging that grille at all. Overwrought.

No Kids, Just Bikes
No Kids, Just Bikes
16 days ago

Front 3/4 view looks like a Honda HR-V mid-morph.

Aaronaut
Aaronaut
16 days ago

So, since the point of the article is to compare the old model with this new one, how a bout a pic of the old one?

Ecsta C3PO
Ecsta C3PO
16 days ago
Reply to  Aaronaut

Agree. I really can’t be bothered to google the old one, was just curious because the new one doesn’t exactly look ‘good’ and was curious what could be 73% worse than that

Andreas8088
Andreas8088
13 days ago
Reply to  Aaronaut

Why bother? They all look like the same generic crossover.

Toyec
Toyec
16 days ago

“The new Audi Q5 Sportback is launching with a two-liter turbocharged gasoline four-cylinder engine and a two-liter turbodiesel four-banger, although only count on the latter on making it to North America.”

Is Mercedes Streeter the new Audi north american product planner ?

I drive a boring SUV
I drive a boring SUV
16 days ago

The New Audi Q5 Sportback Looks 73 Percent Better Than The Old One is like saying that Noel Gallagher is 73 percent more attractive than Liam.

Angrycat Meowmeow
Angrycat Meowmeow
17 days ago

I was curious about the steering wheel buttons and door panel controls. I don’t think Mercedes mentioned it in her review of the S5.

Edited to add that Sportback SUV’s are dumb and ugly and bad. A Sportback SUV looking 73% better than another Sportback SUV is really trying to polish a turd.

Last edited 17 days ago by Angrycat Meowmeow
J Kluzi
J Kluzi
17 days ago

“If there’s anything you can be sure of, it’s the endless stream of sub-models produced by German luxury automakers as they try to fill every niche, no matter how small. This time, it’s Audi.”
Cool cool, so I can be sure of a convertible sub-model of the new A5, right? A coupe? Literally any 2-door vehicle of any kind in their U.S. lineup? Bueller???

The NSX Was Only in Development for 4 Years
The NSX Was Only in Development for 4 Years
17 days ago

Someone needs to go tell the Germans to calm down.

Canopysaurus
Canopysaurus
17 days ago

I was digging this new design until I saw the front view. Somebody needs a trip to the dentist, stat.

Matti Sillanpää
Matti Sillanpää
16 days ago
Reply to  Canopysaurus

Perhaps the headline should be interprited that it’s 73% better looking from behind. I mean from front it’s atleast 73% less good looking. Unless one is into golden teeth and all that thug-with-crack-problem -look.

Nsane In The MembraNe
Nsane In The MembraNe
17 days ago

Hate coupe SUVs all my homies hate coupe SUVs

Rick Garcia
Rick Garcia
17 days ago

Coupe SUVs are so dumb. All the compromises of a SUV (i.e. heavy) without the benefit, space.

GokieKS
GokieKS
17 days ago

If that front end is emblematic of “less-is-more”, I’d really hate to see what “more-is-more” looks like. It looks absolutely awful.

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