The Audi SQ5 assumes itself as the top of the range of the recently launched Q5 (2nd generation). And this time there's only a gasoline version.
The new Audi SQ5 arrived in Geneva full of news. Unlike its predecessor, the new SQ5 does not need a diesel engine on the European market, and comes equipped with the new 3.0 liter TFSI engine that we already know from the recent Audi S5.It is a V6 with a twin-scroll turbo placed between the two cylinder banks, a position known as the hot V.
LIVEBLOG: Follow the Geneva Motor Show live here
The all-aluminum engine weighs 172 kg, 14 kg less than the 3.0 V6 gasoline compressor that Audi made available outside Europe. The amounts charged by this engine do not change in relation to the S5: 354 hp and 500 Nm of constant torque between 1370 and 4500 rpm.
The transmission is via an 8-speed automatic transmission, naturally, using the quattro system.
We can debate ad eternum the purpose of a performance-oriented SUV on asphalt, shod with generous 20″ wheels (21″ as an option) and 255 tires with only 45 in profile, but we cannot deny the very good level of performance presented.
The TFSI V6 doesn't seem to make much of the 1995 kg advertised weight, projecting the SQ5 to 100 km/h in just 5.4 seconds until it encounters an electronic barrier at 250 km/h top speed. Effectively stopping the two tonnes of weight justifies the 350 mm discs and six-piston brake calipers at the front.
Underneath a more aggressive look, thanks to new bumpers and matte gray applications, we find the well-known MLB platform, and multi-link suspension on both axles. The quattro system incorporates a center differential to distribute torque to both axles, with a natural preference for the rear axle.
more dynamic than ever
When cornering, the SQ5 can boost its high-speed cornering ability by applying the brakes on the inner wheels – decreasing understeer. As an option, the SQ5 can be equipped with what Audi defines as a "sports rear differential" that can transfer torque between the two wheels, boosting agility.
The SQ5 comes as standard with variable damping suspension, and as an option an air suspension that allows you to change the ground clearance, bringing it up to 30mm, depending on the driving mode chosen in the Audi Drive Select. We can even choose the type of direction we want. Both are electro-mechanical, but we can opt for Dynamic steering, with variable ratio.
Inside, noticeably “spicy” with metal applications, the seats, with a specific design, and leather and Alcantara upholstery, stand out. As might be expected, the technological feast is vast, with the virtual cockpit standing out, replacing the classic instrument panel, and the MMI Navigation plus system, whose information is accessible through an 8.3-inch screen located above the central ventilation outlets.
The Audi SQ5 is expected to reach our market in the second half of 2017.