2021 Audi SQ5 Prestige Package AWD: The German Brand’s Compact Luxury Crossover

Highlight: A plug-in model is available.

Test Vehicle's MSRP: $71,790 (Base Q5: $44,395)

Seating Capacity: 5

Standard Safety Features:  airbags; electronic stability control system; a tire pressure monitoring system; a hill decent control system; a rearview camera; and a heated windshield washer nozzle; a blind spot electronic system; a lane departure warning system; audible parking sensors; and a rear traffic cross alert system

Standard Equipment Q5: 18-inch wheels; 2.0-liter engine, 261-horsepower engine; a 7-speed automatic transmission; all-wheel drive; LED headlight; a three-zone automatic climate control system; a manual operated tilt/telescopic steering wheel; shift paddle; a leather wrapped gear shifter; heated front seats; a four lumbar driver’s seat; leather seats; a keyless ignition starter system; power adjustable heated side mirrors; aluminum roof rails; a power tailgate; a 7-inch infotainment screen; Xenon plus headlights; a heated steering wheel with hands-on detection; heated rear seats; heated and cooled front cup holder; and a panoramic roof  

Standard Equipment SQ5 (3.0-liter turbocharged): 362-horsepower, 6-cylinder engine; 20-inch wheels; sliding 40/20/40 second row seats with adjustable recline; S model exterior styling; S-specific adaptive damping suspension and brake system; and lane departure warning and Audi side assist

Options:  Glacier white metallic paint; A Prestige Package: Bang and Olufsen sound with 3D sound, auto dimming power folding exterior mirrors, SiriusXM, a memory driver’s seat, a Matrix-design LED headlights with a headlight washer system, OLED taillights, a 360-degree camera; an Audi virtual cockpit, a HUD (heads up display system) with a traffic recognition system, an  active lane assist system, a radar activated cruise control system with traffic assist; a leather-like covered center console; S Sport Package: a sport adaptive air suspension, sport rear differential, red brake calipers; dynamic steering; 21-inch wheels; Nappa leather seats; black exterior trim and mirror housing; Carbon Atlas inlays and a rear side airbag

Other Trim Levels:

2.0L Turbo Quattro Premium Plus

2.0 Turbo e Quattro Premium

2.0 Turbo Quattro Prestige

2.0 Turbo Quattro Premium Plus

2.0 Turbo e Quattro Prestige

3.0 Turbo Quattro Premium Plus

Standard Audio On Test Vehicle: a 6-speaker AM/FM/HD with SiriusXM

Bluetooth Connectivity: Standard

USB Connectivity: Standard

Apple/Android Connectivity: Standard

Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty: 4 years or 50,000 miles

Powertrain Warranty: 4 years or 50,000 miles

Standard Engine/Horsepower: 2.0-liter Turbo, 4-cylinder engine/261-hp

Recommended Fuel: Premium

Standard Fuel Mileage: 23 city/28 hwy

What’s New: Audi’s compact luxury crossover received a midcycle update, ranging from a boost in horsepower to a grille design.

Pros:

Freshened exterior with an athletic design

Variety of driving modes

All-wheel drive

QS5 offers a sporty exterior styling with red brake calipers

A peppy engine, with a throaty growl

Precision steering

An engaging driving experience

A clean and modern layout of the electronic instrument panel and infotainment screen

A large 10-inch infotainment screen

A height adjustable and sliding front center armrest

Power pull-down trunk

Panoramic sunroof option

A radar-activated cruise control system

Wireless charging for smartphone

Heads-up Display (HUD)

Memory setting for the driver’s side only (unlike Mercedes-Benz, which duplicates the setting for the passenger side)

Manual leg extender for front seats of the QS5

Rear heated seats

But: 

Where are the ventilated front seats?

Firm front seats

Too much plastic interior trims for a $70,000 plus luxury vehicle

The navigation system wasn't working

SiriusXM audio system operated intermittently

Inability to use the automatic parking system

The radar activated cruise control system needs to be reprogrammed for a less abrupt stop, when traffic has come to a complete stop in stop-and-go traffic

Verdict:  For the 2021 model year, the all-wheel drive Q5 is available in six trim levels. The Q5 has been freshened for the 2021 model year. While Audi positions the vehicle to complete with the likes of BMW’s X5 and Lexus’ RX, however, based on the sporty crossover’s dimensions, the vehicle aligns more with BMW’s X3 and Lexus’ NX.

Like every Audi, a few adjectives perfectly describe this German-engineered vehicle: precision-like, engaging and exciting. While many of today’s crossovers fall flat in terms of these descriptions, Audi excels, especially, when one is seated behind the wheel of its performance oriented SQ5. The driving experience seems to match that of the king of luxury – Mercedes-Benz.

Moreover, while this Audi was outfitted with such features as a navigation system, automatic parking and SiriusXM, the features didn’t perform as designed. SiriusXM operated intermittently, whereas the other noted featured didn’t work at all. In our opinion, there must have been a bug in the system. From our experience of working around vehicles, there is a strong possibility a software update would have rectified these issues. While we haven’t been behind the wheel of an Audi since 2017, we have never experienced technical issues of this magnitude before.

On the other hand, the SQ5 was equipped with the latest driving aids, ranging from a radar-activated stop-and-go cruise control system to a lane departure warning system. We did find the radar-activated system needed to be reprogrammed for stop-and-go traffic, especially, when traffic came to a complete stop. Its almost as if the premium crossover didn’t recognize the vehicle it was following had come to a full stop, until literally the last moment. 

Despite some of the concerns we had and once some of the quirks are worked out, the SQ5 is still a worthy contender to consider in this very competitive segment.

Competition:  Acura RDX; BMW X3; Cadillac XT5; Genesis G70; Jaguar F-Pace; Lexus NX; Mercedes-Benz GLC and Volvo XC60

SQ5 Direct Competition: BMW M40i AWD and Mercedes-Benz GLC43 AMG AWD