SQ5 TDI plus

There was no doubting the appeal of the original SQ5 TDI when it was first introduced to the world in 2012. Unveiled at the famed circuit de la Sarthe circuit at Le Mans, at the time it was the fastest diesel-powered SUV on earth (a title now going to the all-new SQ7 TDI), and its links to the brand’s proud racing heritage – Audi being the first manufacturer to win at Le Mans with a TDI car made – was evident in the vehicle’s performance.

The idea of introducing an elite S model to the Q5 model range made complete sense, but the resultant popularity of the SQ5 TDI took even Audi Australia by surprise. The combination of mid-sized SUV, absolute luxury appointment and a potent V6 biturbo engine mated to quattro permanent all-wheel drive proved irresistible to Australian buyers. 

At launch, a special limited edition package was offered on 50 vehicles – all of which were snapped up as soon as the SQ5 TDI went on sale. That initial interest in the performance SUV has not wained since, with the SQ5 TDI accounting for nearly a third of Q5 model sales in Australia.

“The instant affinity Australian performance car buyers had for the Audi SQ5 TDI was unprecedented,” says Andrew Doyle, Managing Director of Audi Australia. 

“In 2013, we launched the SQ5 TDI as a totally new concept for our brand – a performance SUV. And its extraordinary success proves that it delivers on all of its promise: storming engine power, practical versatility, intelligent functionality and most of all, the sophisticated sense of quality that makes an Audi distinctive.”

Now, building on that incredible success, Audi has unleashed an even more powerful version of the first performance SQ5, simply designated the SQ5 TDI plus – boasting more power and performance for those looking to push the limits.

The heart of the new SQ5 TDI plus is once again a 3.0 V6 Biturbo powerplant, but in this itineration producing 250kW of power and a massive 700Nm of torque available from as low in the rev range as 1,500rpm. This gives the new SQ5 TDI plus tremendous pulling power and acceleration, demolishing the run from 0 to 100km/h in just over five seconds (5.1 seconds to be precise). Add to this the speed of an eight-speed tiptronic transmission and quattro all-wheel drive with quattro sport differential with active torque vectoring (for the first time in the Q5 range) and you have a vehicle that is essentially a high-performance car with an SUV’s practicality.

“Quite simply, the new SQ5 TDI plus offers discerning buyers even more in all of those areas, and so we are very confident that it will find favour just as quickly,” Mr Doyle said  at the vehicle’s launch, which was fittingly held at a race track.

Of course a good deal of the appeal of the SQ5 TDI has always been its ability to be driven in any conditions, and while it has the speed and agility to satisfy the most demanding performance aficionado, it is just as happy during the daily commute.

Delivering 6.8 litres per 100km, the SQ5 TDI plus comes in under the Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold, yet it gives away nothing in turns of its luxury appointment, advanced driver assist systems or infotainment systems. Road noise, regardless of speed is non-existent, but the sweet sound of the exhaust, enhanced through the use of a sound actuator in the exhaust system is still music to the ears – a throaty roar that simply does not sound as though it could belong to a diesel vehicle.

From the quilted leather sports seats wearing the ’S’ logo, to the leather instrument binnacle and carbon inlays throughout the cabin, the SQ5 TDI plus is an uncompromising luxury vehicle. Outside, its standard 20-inch alloy rims with the red ’S’ brake callipers visible suit the muscular styling of the S model SUV perfectly, the subtle black exterior package and the unique rear exhaust tip the only giveaways that this is the new ‘plus’ model.

A performance vehicle certainly, the SQ5 TDI plus is still very much a practical consideration, offering significant interior accommodation for up to five adults as well as plenty of room for luggage and equipment. Like the SQ5 TDI it comes with side bars fitted on the roof with cross bars supplied as standard for addition storage capacity, and with its roof rack detection system, the on-board computer recognises when the roof racks are in place and lowers the vehicle’s centre of gravity accordingly to allow for up to 80kg carried aloft.

A lifestyle choice in every sense, it is a vehicle that has solved so many domestic ‘discussions’ about practicality verses performance. When motoring writer Peter McKay first drove the SQ5 TDI in Europe for Audi Magazine Australia in late 2012 he said “the SQ5 is the machine that will broker peace among warring couples, where dad hankers for a sports sedan and mum an SUV”. The new SQ5 TDI plus further soothes any discord and eliminates ‘compromise’ altogether.