Audi Q5 Sportback 2021 Review

Luxury SUVs with coupe-like styling are a growing trend, and the 2021 Audi Q5 Sportback is the latest addition. It has a more rakish roofline than Audi's regular Q5 small SUV that imparts a sportier look, though it comes at the expense of reduced cargo space. Audi also fits the Q5 Sportback with a standard sport-tuned suspension and more thickly bolstered front seats to better hold you in place while cornering, but otherwise it's the same as the standard Q5.

Three trim levels are available, and all are fitted with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that generates a respectable 261 horsepower. All-wheel drive is standard and, as is expected of an Audi, the 2021 Q5 Sportback is awash in luxury and technology. Highlights include Audi's latest infotainment system, an available digital instrument panel display, and numerous driving assistance and collision avoidance systems.

The Q5 Sportback faces off against similarly conceived coupe-like SUVs such as the BMW X4 and Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe. All of them are of somewhat questionable value — you're paying more for less utility than what the regular Q5, X3 and GLC provide — but it's hard to put a price on style. Check out our Expert Rating below to get our test team's full take on the Q5 Sportback.

Which Q5 Sportback does MatoCar recommend?

Audi offers the Q5 Sportback in Premium, Premium Plus and Prestige trim levels. Each one carries a 45 TFSI designation, which means it has a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (261 horsepower, 273 lb-ft of torque), a seven-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Audi also sells the new Q5 Sportback in a performance-tuned SQ5 variant, which is reviewed separately on MatoCar.

Premium Audi is good about supplying features that you expect on a luxury vehicle as standard equipment. Highlights of the Premium trim include:

• 19-inch aluminum wheels
• LED headlights
• Panoramic sunroof
• Power rear liftgate
• Three-zone automatic climate control
• Front sport seats
• Leather upholstery
• Power-adjustable, heated front seats
• 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration
• Frontal 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)
• Front and rear parking sensors

Premium Plus The Premium Plus adds several features that make the Q5 Sportback more desirable, such as:

• Power-folding exterior mirrors
• Hands-free keyless entry
• Simulated leather on door armrests and center console
• Audi Virtual Cockpit digital instrumentation display
• Heated steering wheel
• Wireless smartphone charging
• Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the Audi and the car in front)
• Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)
• Traffic Jam Assist (adaptive cruise control and lane keeping system for low-speed driving in traffic)
• Surround-view camera system (gives you a top-down view of the Q5 and its surroundings for tight parking situations)

Prestige The Q5 Sportback Prestige comes with the most standard features. Here you get:

• Upgraded LED headlights
• Interior ambient lighting
• Sound-insulating front side windows
• Ventilated front seats
• Heated rear seats
• Navigation system
• Bang & Olufsen premium sound system
• Head-up display (displays important information in your sight line on the windshield)
• Automated parking system (steers into a parking spot with little or no driver intervention)