All new Audi SQ5 now available to order in the U.K.

Part high-achieving performance car,  part resilient and family-ready sport utility vehicle, the Audi SQ5 is already a firm U.K. favourite on the strength of its impressively well-rounded skillset, and its all new successor retakes its rightful place at the head of the Q5 range, offering an even more concentrated dose of that successful formula.

Charged with propelling 35kg less weight thanks in part to sophisticated new body architecture, the more powerful 349bhp TFSI promises a 5.4-second century sprint pace without ruling out real world fuel efficiency. The new 3.0-litre TFSI is the successor to the unit first used by the S4 and S5 performance flagships, and replaces its supercharger with a new twin-scroll turbocharger located within the 90-degree V of the cylinder banks that delivers even keener and stronger response. This is evident not only in the healthy 349bhp power peak but also in the 500Nm of torque, which remains available from 1,370rpm right through to 4,500rpm.

An eight-speed tiptronic transmission complements the powerful yet impressively linear delivery of the V6 with inherently smooth yet fittingly sporting shifts. The lower gears feature short ratios, while the upper gears are long in the interest of fuel conservation. Being both a Q5 and a member of the Audi S series, the SQ5 is naturally quattro all-wheel drive-equipped. During normal driving, the system distributes power with a slight rear-axle bias, but when necessary it can divert the majority to whichever axle has better traction.