Audi Q8 vs Audi SQ5

What's the difference?

The updated Audi Q8 60 TFSIe quattro S line still looks good inside and out. It fits a family comfortably without feeling too big and there’s enough here to satisfy those who like the luxury features. 

It's price tag will hurt it but the improved power outputs and driving range is a big plus and makes the plug-in hybrid powertrain make more sense.

Let’s forget the money, for a second, because yes, you’re paying more for the Sportback variant. But if you can afford it, then why wouldn’t you. This is a sleeker, sportier and more stylish answer to the regular Q5, which was already a super-solid offering in the segment. And as far as I can tell, the practicality sacrifices you have to make are minimal at best. 

So why not?

When it comes to style, the Q8 60 TFSIe quattro S line has it in spades. Featuring a design that looks athletic with its long lines and wide stance, you'll always be proud to hop into it.

Red calipers now come standard and they look awesome on the optioned 22-inch alloys. The update sees a redesigned front with new grille and reshaped matrix LED headlights and a 2D badge design.

While SUV coupes aren’t usually my jam, the Q8 manages to tick the 'sexy' box.

The interior is honestly the same and only die-hard fans will notice the new menu screens on the multimedia system. The cabin is a fine example of what a luxury SUV should look like because its polished, well-built and sumptuous but it has the classic Audi edge, so there is still a sporty vibe going on.

The panoramic sunroof adds some airiness to the otherwise dark cabin and the Valcona leather upholstery is liberally splashed about, so most of what you touch feels premium and soft.

Our adventure began with the SQ5, and, to my eye at least, it looks mean, and more like a jacked-up hot hatch than sportier version of a mid-size SUV.

Speaking of which, it looks bigger than a mid-size, too, as though the flattened roof has pushed the rear out for more length, at least visually.

By far its best angle, though, will be afforded to the people in front of you on the road, with each peek in the rear-view mirror revealing a wide, forward-leaning grille, all black honeycomb mesh, with a cat-clawed bonnet and headlights that sweep back into the bodywork, hinting at speed before it even sets off. 

Side on, the massive 21-inch alloys hide red brake calipers, but it does also reveals a tale of two SUVs, with the front half looking taller and straighter, while the rear roofline is more raked as it flies towards a fairly small rear windscreen with a roof spoiler that juts out over it. 

At the rear, the quad exhaust tips (which sound great), and a boot spoiler moulded into the bodywork complete the package.

But even in lesser lesser Q5 45 TFSI guise, this Sportback looks the business, I reckon. Though a little more premium than performance-focused, perhaps.

As the name suggests, the Sportback version gives you, well, a sportier back, and it all starts at the B-Pillar, with a more raked roofline that gives this version of the Q5 a sleeker, more slippery look. 

But they aren’t the only changes. In Sportback models, the single-frame grille upfront is different, and the grille is also positioned lower, and seems to jut out from the bonnet more, for a lower, more aggressive look. The lights are also positioned a little higher, and those massive air vents on either side are different, too.

The cabin is the usual level of Audi niceness, with a big central screen, big digital screen in front of the steering wheel, and a sense of genuine solidity and quality wherever you look.

There are some questionable materials at work, though, like the door trims and the hard plastic that your knee rubs against when driving, but all in all, it's quite a lovely place to spend time.

The cabin offers plenty of space for passengers and you never feel like you're jostling for elbow room unless there's three adults across the rear seat. Comfort is high with ergonomic seating up front with plenty of adjustment and functions. The rear seat has long bases and the seat backs can recline.

Individual storage leaves a little to be desired for the class and the glove box shoulders most of the burden up front as the middle console is really just a shallow shelf large enough for a wireless charging pad and keys or a chapstick.

Each row gets a couple of cupholders and drink holders, and the rear map pockets round out back-seat storage.

Because of the PHEV powertrain, the 60 TFSIe quattro S line has the smallest boot capacity in the line-up at 505L but this is still more than enough for a decent road trip or grocery haul.

The wide boot aperture, level loading area and powered tailgate add some convenience, as does the 40/20/40 split fold on the rear seats.

Access for each row is solid with wide door openings, low seat positions and 205mm ground clearance. Although, the doors have to been slammed shut for them to close properly and this annoyed everyone in the family. You can spring for a soft-close door feature for $1500 and, honestly, it would be worth it.

The 10.1-inch touchscreen multimedia system is logically laid out and the graphics look great. It has haptic feedback which my husband didn’t love as it made it hard to select things on a bumpy road. You also get built-in sat nav, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Other than the occasional lag with the CarPlay connecting upon start up, it's all simple enough to use.

Charging options are good with two USB-C ports in each row and the front also gets a wireless charging pad. The big 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster looks great but it can be annoying to find information on it or personalise it.

The Q5 Sportback range stretches 4689mm in length, 1893mm in width, and around 1660mm in height, depending on the variant. It rides on a 2824mm wheelbase. 

And remember when I said there were few practicality penalties for the new sportier look? This is what I meant.

Up front, it's basically the same Q5, so if you know that car, you'll know this one, with its spacious and airy feeling front seats.

In the back, though, things are a little different, just not quite as different as I was expecting. The new sloping roofline has actually only reduced headroom by 16mm. I’m 175cm tall, and there was clear air between my head and the roof, and plenty of leg-room, too.

The central tunnel arrangement means you probably don’t want to squeeze three adults across the back, but two would really be no problem at all. That way, you can deploy the back seat divider to uncover two cupholders, use the two USB charge ports or adjust your climate controls, including temperature settings.

In the 45 TFSI and SQ5 models, the rear seats also slide or recline, meaning you can prioritise luggage space or passenger comfort, depending on what you're carrying.

Up front, there’s heaps of little cubby spots, including a key storage spot under the aircon controls, another in front of the gear shift, a phone slot next to the gear shift, two cupholders in the big centre console, and a surprisingly shallow centre console that’s home to a wireless phone charger and a USB port, joining the regular USB port under the drive mode selector.

And at the rear, Audi reckons there’s 500 litres of storage, only about 10 litres less than the regular Q5,  which grows to 1470 litres with the second-row folded.  

The three-model line-up (two regular Q5s and the SQ5) Sportback range kicks off with the Q5 40 Sportback TDI quattro, which will set you back $77,700 (which is plenty more than the $69,900 of the regular Q5).

The entry-level Q5 Sportback gets 20-inch alloys, a standard S Line sporty exterior styling treatment, LED headlights and tail lights, and an electric tailgate with gesture control. Inside, there’s leather trim, electric sport seats, three-zone climate, paddle-shifters for the steering wheel and ambient interior lighting.

You also get the virtual cockpit, the 10.1-inch central screen with all the Connect Plus services, like live traffic, weather and restaurant tips, as well Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay.

The range then steps up to the Q5 45 Sportback TFSI quattro, yours for $86,300. That's another marked jump from its regular Q5 equivalent.

That model delivers a new 20-inch alloy wheel design, a panoramic sunroof, and Matrix LED headlights, The S Line treatment extends to the interior, along with Nappa leather trim, heated front seats and a sliding or reclining rear bench. You get a better sound system, too, with 10 speakers, including a sub-woofer. 

Finally, the SQ5 Sportback is yours for $110,900 (up from $106,500), and delivers 21-inch alloys, adaptive dampers and red brake callipers, while inside you get electric steering adjustments, a head-up display, colour ambient lighting and a banging Bang and Olufsen stereo with 19 speakers.

The Q8 60 TFSI e is AWD and has a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-petrol plug-in hybrid powertrain for a combined power output of 360kW and 700Nm of torque.

The power output has increased by 20kW with the mid-life refresh and that shaves 0.4 seconds off the 0-100km/h sprint time bringing it down to just 5.0 seconds. So it’s a quick and powerful SUV.

The powertrain is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission which is mostly smooth and the switch between petrol and electric is fairly seamless.

As far as plug-in hybrids go, everything seems to work well here.

There are three engines total here, kicking off with the 2.0-litre TDI in the Q5 Sportback 40. It produces 150kW and 400Nm - enough for a sprint to 100km/h in 7.6s. The 2.0-litre TFSI in the Q5 Sportback 45 petrol bumps those figures to 183kW and 370Nm, lowering your spring to 6.3s. 

Both pair with a seven-speed S tiptronic automatic, and feature a 12-volt mild-hybrid system to smooth out acceleration and lower fuel use, as well Quattro ultra, which can disconnect the rear drive shaft so only the front wheels are driven.

The SQ5 gets a seriously lusty 3.0-litre TDI V6 which deliver 251kW and 700Nm, and a sprint of 5.1s It also gets a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, and an eight-speed tiptronic transmission.

The mid-life update sees a larger 25.9kWh lithium-ion battery which improves the electric driving range by 27km, bringing it up to 74km overall. This still falls short of its direct rivals but it’s an improvement for efficiency because it’s now more than enough range if you’re just doing the school runs and some errands around town.

The Q8 60 TFSIe has a Type 2 charging port and like most plug-in hybrids, lacks a CCS enhancement, so you have to make do with AC charging options with this one. On a 7.4kW AC charging system you can go from 0-100 per cent in three hours and 45 minutes but if you’re using just a standard house plug port, it will take a few hours more. It's best to leave it overnight.

Audi throws in three charging cables, including a 240-volt domestic charger but you have to pay extra for a wall-mounted box.

The official combined fuel cycle is a low 1.8L/100km and like all plug-ins the best efficiency will be achieved if you charge it often. After charging almost every day and doing a mix of open road and urban driving, my real-world usage has popped out at 7.7L/100km, which isn’t as good as I was hoping but it’s not terrible. I would expect the efficiency to drop on longer trips.

The Q8 likes to drink the good stuff and Audi recommends a minimum 95 RON unleaded petrol to be used for this grade.

All Q5 Sportback models are fitted with a 70-litre fuel tank, which should produce a driving range in excess of 1000kms - though prepare for pain at the pump. Sometimes premium fuel in Sydney can run to around $1,90 a litre, for example, so the good stuff will cost you around $130 bucks a tank in the petrol cars.

Audi says the Q5 Sportback 40 TDI will sip 5.4 litres per 100km on the combined cycle, while emitting 142g/km of c02. The 45 TFSI needs 8.0 litres per 100km on the combined cycle, and will emit 183g/km of c02. The SQ5 sits somewhere in the middle, with 7.1 litres per 100km and 186g/km of c02.

The Q8's athletic looks are matched by its on-road handling. The power has a hefty kick that’s effortlessly delivered once you’re up to speed. It did have a few confused moments when I had to accelerate quickly from a full stop - the lower gears didn’t immediately engage and I got a proper bunny hop but it was short lived and for the most part the powertrain delivers the goods.

The adaptive air suspension makes for a comfortable ride despite the massive wheels and you can comfortably cruise around town or the highway without much jostling.

Cabin noise is minimal around town but you get a low hum of road noise at higher speeds. Overall, it's still a refined cabin space to spend a lot of time in.

I do miss hearing some of the engine thrums though because even when the battery is depleted, you don’t get a lot of engine feedback. It certainly adds to the refinement but it loses some of the fun.

The higher driving position feels comfortable and visibility is quite good. Steering is responsive and feels sporty with lane changes but its 13.3m turning circle lets it down in car parks.

The 360-degree view camera system is clear and this has multiple parking sensors. In theory parking should be easy but again, until you get used to that bigger turning circle it can feel clumsy in smaller spaces.

How to best describe the drive experience in the Q5 Sportback? That's easy. And it's 'easy'.

Honestly, I know this is ostensibly the sportier version of the Q5, but the truth is that, in the 45 TFSI version we tested, it's a comfortable, light-feeling drive experience that only ever reveals its sporty nature when you really command it to.

Left in its Auto drive mode, the Q5 45 TFSI will positively waft around town, road noise kept to an absolute minimum, and feeling somehow smaller and lighter than its dimension would suggest.

You can dial-up the aggression by cycling through the drive modes, of course, but even in Dynamic guise it never feels too harsh, too aggressive. More that you've simply tightened the screws a little bit.

Plant your right foot and the 45 TFSI will collect speed in a way that Audi refers to as "hot hatch-like", punching towards the 100km/h sprint with verve and aggression. But having just stepped out of the SQ5, it still feels somehow sedate, and almost relaxing, rather than out-and-out aggressive.

And that's because the SQ5 variant is clearly, purposefully, the performance-focused variant here. I think this V6 engine is an absolute peach, and its the kind of powerplant that inspires you to stick with the vehicle's most dynamic settings, putting up with the just-too-firm suspension settings so you can access more fo the grunt more quickly.

And it feels constantly ready for action. Tap the accelerator and the car bristles, dropping down a gear, revving higher and preparing for your next command.

Through bends, it feels smaller and lighter than you might expect, with plenty of grip and steering that, while not overflowing with feedback, feels true and direct.

Short answer? It's the one I'd take. But you'll pay for it.

The Audi Q5 Sportback carries a five-star ANCAP safety rating thanks to the regular Q5, but that’s really the minimum cost of entry these days. So what else do you get?

Advanced driver-assist systems on offer here include autonomous emergency braking (with pedestrian detection), active lane-keep assist with lane change warning, driver attention assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, park assist, a great surround-view camera, parking sensors, exit warning and tyre pressure monitoring, and more radars than you can poke a stick at. 

There's also twin ISOFIX anchor points, and top-tether points for child seats.

Audi offers the Q8 60 TFSIe with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and the battery is covered by an eight-year/160,000km warranty which are all pretty standard terms compared to its rivals.

There is a standard five-year servicing package that costs $3570 and servicing intervals are spaced at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first. However, if you purchase the Audi Advantage Package you add a further two years of coverage to the warranty, roadside assistance and servicing, which is pretty good for the class.

All Audis are covered by a three-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, which really isn’t great in a world of five-, seven- and even 10-year warranties.

The brand will let you prepay your services, required annually, for the first five years, with the regular Q5 Sportback billed at $3140 and the SQ5 billed at $3170.