Audi SQ5

All work and no play makes for a dull SUV. If you're seeking a little excitement from a luxury SUV, you're in luck — there's no shortage of choices and the 2021 Audi SQ5 is well regarded in this class. It has a lot of the comfort and understated luxury of the regular Q5 but turns up the performance quotient with a potent 349-horsepower turbocharged V6 engine.

This year, the SQ5 gets a styling refresh as well as an updated infotainment system and a few other tech feature additions. These upgrades are significant enough to keep the SQ5 fresh and up-to-date. We'd easily cross-shop it with other impressive sporty SUVs that include the BMW X3 M40i, Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 and Porsche Macan. In some ways, the SQ5 finds a narrow middle ground to give it a well-rounded set of skills. Still, it's a close battle among all of these SUVs, so we suggest thorough test drives of each.

Which SQ5 does MatoCar recommend?

The SQ5 is a sporty version of the supporting Audi Q5 and is offered in three trim levels: Premium, Premium Plus and Prestige. The SQ5 is also available in an SQ5 Sportback version that features a sloping rear roofline for a sleeker silhouette. Both are similarly equipped and are powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder engine (349 horsepower, 369 lb-ft of torque) that is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Audi's Quattro all-wheel drive is standard.

Premium The base Premium trim is generously equipped with plenty of convenience and safety features that include:

• Roof rails
• Power liftgate
• Sport-tuned suspension
• Tri-zone automatic climate control
• Leather and faux suede upholstery
• Heated front sport seats
• Remote monitoring and control via a smartphone app
• Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay
• Integrated toll-road payment system
• 10.1-inch touchscreen
• Advanced safety features that include:
• Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
• Blind-spot monitoring (alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot)
• Lane departure warning (alerts you if the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane)
• Automatic high beams
• Front and rear parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front or behind the vehicle when parking)

The optional Convenience package adds:

• Auto-dimming exterior mirrors
• Keyless entry and ignition
• Heated steering wheel
• Driver-seat memory functions
• Satellite radio

Premium Plus The midtier Premium Plus trim includes the Convenience package as well as:

• Panoramic sunroof
• Digital instrument panel
• Wireless charging pad with signal booster
• Additional faux leather interior coverings
• Enhanced and added safety features such as:
• Adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed to maintain a constant distance between the vehicle and the car in front)
• Lane keeping assist (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)
• Surround-view camera system (gives you a top-down view of the vehicle and its surroundings for tight parking situations)

Prestige The range-topping Prestige trim adds several luxury and tech features that include:

• Dual-pane sound-insulating front windows
• Upgraded exterior lighting
• Automated parking system (steers into a parking spot with little or no driver intervention)
• Traffic sign reader
• Head-up display (displays important information in your sight line on the windshield)
• Heated rear seats
• Interior ambient lighting
• Navigation system
• 19-speaker Bang & Olufsen premium audio

Some features are available on supporting trims as options. Other bundled option packages offered on the Premium Plus and Prestige trim include: Warm Weather package

• Full leather upholstery
• Ventilated front seats
• Rear window shades

S Sport package

• Adaptive sport suspension
• Sport rear differential
• Red brake calipers