2018 Audi SQ5 Is Feature-Packed Performance Machine

Rounding out the Audi Q5 family, the sporty SQ5 crossover features some features that give it a leg up over the competition. For example, the SQ5’s all-new 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 turns out 354 horsepower and 369 pounds-feet of torque. The flexible powerplant can lug down to about 1,400 rpm, and when you mash the accelerator, it will pull strongly right through 4,500. The engine does 0 to 60 in 5.1 seconds.

An eight-speed Tiptronic® automatic transmission complements the engine, handling the powerplant’s broad power band well. This allows the SQ5 to pull strongly through its range.

Performance Matches Handling

The SQ5’s performance is matched by its handling. Equipped with standard Quattro® all-wheel-drive, the crossover seems to feel its way through turns and corners. The optional sport S package takes the SQ5 to a new level. For example, the S package employs the Quttro® sport rear differential. This device lets the rear differential split available torque between the back wheels. It directs nearly all power to the wheel with maximum grip, resulting in improved driving and handling dynamics.

The second-generation SQ5, available here as a 2018 model, features front and rear suspension changes. The changes do double duty, first, allowing you a sporty driving experience and then letting you cruise long distances in comfort. The five-link front suspension gives the driver an on-center feel. It also features more precise steering. The front suspension enhances steering response as the steering rack is placed directly at the front wheel centers.

Rounding out the handling, the S sport package offers, for the first time, a sport adaptive air suspension which lowers the vehicle height by up to 30 mm – in auto mode – compared to the standard adaptive suspension. You can set ride height and performance via the SQ5s four drive modes – comfort, auto, dynamic, and individual – In the while the S package air suspension adds allroad and loft/offroad modes. In the latter two modes, ground clearance is increased.

Finally, the SQ5’s dynamic steering offers a variable steering ratio that adjusts based on vehicle speed and the Audi driving select setting. At high speeds, active steering improves straight-line stability. At lower speeds, a more direct steering ratio is used to help increase steering response for easy maneuvering.

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