► Audi Q5 Sportback driven in the UK
► No less practical than SUV version
► Solid effort, but not that exciting
Did you know that the Audi Q5 Sportback is actually the more popular Audi Q5 model in Europe, outselling the conventional SUV by some margin? Here in the UK, we’ve always bought more of the SUV, and it’s a similar story in North America. Can this second-generation Q5 Sportback convince us the coupe roofline is worth the extra cash?
Spoiler alert: probably not. But having now driven it in the UK, we can tell you that if you like the look and don’t mind forking out an extra £2.5k, you’re not making many practicality compromises opting for one of these.
At a glance
Pros: Responsive diesel, no difference in rear passenger space, well-equipped
Cons: We’ve only driven it on air suspension (which costs extra), thrashy petrol, why pay more?
What’s new?
This latest generation of Q5 is now Audi’s third, and it’s a ground-up redo running on Audi’s Premium Platform Combustion architecture. This is only the second Audi Q5 Sportback, however, as the original only came as an SUV; the first-gen Sportback was introduced in 2021, when the regular range was facelifted.
The PPC underpinnings are the same as that used on the Audi A5 and Audi A6, and a close-relation to the Audi/Porsche-developed Premium Platform Electric that powers the A6 e-Tron, Q6 e-Tron and Porsche’s electric Macan. As well as a new structure, this means new engines and fresh technology – including an all-new interior design and glut of fresh software.
What are the specs?
Under the bonnet you get the same lack of choice as the standard Q5. Which is to say the Q5 Sportback is available with a single variant of four cylinder in petrol or diesel (there is also an SQ5 with a 3.0-litre V6 we’re not covering that here). Both engines are 2.0-litre turbos, both generate 201bhp and both are connected to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that sends power to all four wheels. Both also feature Audi’s MHEV Plus system that’s designed to offer around 20bhp of e-boost and enable engine-off coasting and low-speed electric-only driving when you’re in traffic or parking.
The range starts at Sport, rises to S line and tops out at Edition 1. Sport is impressively well equipped already, with 19-inch wheels, adaptive LED headlights, heated electric front seats, three-zone climate control, 360-degree parking assistance, adaptive cruise, ambient lighting and that enormous infotainment system all thrown in. Audi UK knows the score, though, and unsurprisingly predicts the lion’s share of sales will go to the sportier-looking S line model, with Edition 1 having all the spangliest kit on it – including a largely pointless passenger display.
Just to confuse matters, the car we’ve actually been driving in the UK is a Launch Edition, which you can no longer order but represents a kind of hybrid of S line and Edition 1 – with the added bonus of air suspension as standard. On every other Q5 Sportback this is a £1,725 option.
Other cost boxes to potentially tick, besides colours, include things such as a panoramic glass roof, some interior trim alternatives and a deployable towbar – as well as the Sound and Vision pack that throws in a head-up display, Bang & Olfusen audio and speedier wireless phone chargers.
What’s it like to drive?
It’s all perfectly reasonable and dependable, if not that interesting. The steering has some decent weight and fluidity to it, even if the Q5’s not super-keen to turn in, the driving position is widely adjustable and there’s good forward visibility – that’s one of the reasons you buy an SUV, after all.
The MHEV Plus system works well here – perhaps better than it has done in cars like the A5 – enabling some extra boost when you need it and encouraging better fuel economy. The brake pedal feels rather firm and alert, which took a little while to get used to but becomes fluid and welcome very quickly – particularly when so many cars have soggy brake pedals when they need to balance physical braking with energy regeneration.
And, interestingly, the better engine of the two is arguably the Q5 Sportback TDI. While the TFSI petrol version is, on paper, a smidge faster and not that far off in fuel economy, it feels a little more indecisive when talking to the transmission and sounds thrashy and strained when revved hard. The diesel, meanwhile, is eminently flexible; shifts feel speedier (in Balanced mode, not Dynamic) and that lump of extra torque helps it feel more alert more of the time compared to the petrol, while that din that usually accompanies a diesel product felt better damped. Unsurprisingly, it does run out of revs quite quickly, so we ended up to reverting to letting the gearbox make most of its own decisions.
Problematically, all of the Q5 Sportbacks we’ve driven so far – at the international launch event and here in the UK – have been fitted with air suspension. This is annoying because we can’t tell you what the stock suspension is like and, let’s face it, steel is what most people will stick with (though even this comes in Comfort and S sport flavours). But it’s also annoying because the air does a pretty impressive job.
There isn’t much of the lolloping and floatiness you sometimes get from air springs over large undulations, and it manages to damp 21-inch wheels with smooth authority. We also suspect it helps give the driving modes greater variation – you can feel the suspension height changing as you switch settings, and while even Dynamic does a great job absorbing UK surfaces, Comfort is certainly cushier. Worth the extra expense we reckon, but we are looking for trying a car without it.
What’s the interior like?
The Q5 Sportback has the same interior design architecture with the A5 and A6, as well as the Q6 e-Tron SUV. That includes quirks and oddities like a weirdly-shaped steering wheel with fiddly haptic buttons, an enormous panel that houses the driver’s instruments and Android-based central infotainment display – as well as active ambient lighting that includes strokes of green light when the indicators are on.
Like the other cars running the same software, the infotainment can feel quite menu-heavy. It’s also a bit of a shame that the ability to customise your view on the ‘virtual cockpit’ instruments has been drastically pared back compared to older Audis. But the shortcut icons are a boon and, as much as it really is a gimmick, you can install apps onto the passenger display such as a karaoke app or games to entertain the kids.
When driving the A5, we cried out for the return of the bright and tactile brushed metal trim from Audis of old. For the Q5, you can spec some nicer trim pieces on certain variant, including one that looks like brushed aluminium. Shame the ‘aluminium’ isn’t real.
In the second row, tall adults can sit behind tall adults perfectly well, though the door opening feels a little small and it’s a little gloomy if you don’t spec the glass roof. Like the last Q5, you can recline your seat but for this generation, you can slide the seat bench to enable more legroom or more boot space. Sitting back to back between this and the SUV, the Sportback happily offers no real difference in headroom or legroom, too – despite the much more rakish roofline.
Boot space for the Sportback clocks in at 515 litres – an imperceptible five litres smaller than the SUV – when measured from boot floor to parcel shelf. The difference is when you take the shelf out; naturally it’ll be harder to transport your monthly washing machine delivery with this. Under the parcel shelf of the combustion models we’ve driven, there’s a handy stowage space for your parcel shelf – this is likely to disappear when plug-in hybrid powertrains are introduces.
With the seats down you get 1415 litres of space in the Q5 Sportback compared with 1473 litres in the Q5 SUV. So if you’re loading to the gunnels there is a difference, but most of the time that sloping rear window makes little difference.
Before you buy
The Q5 Sportback feels well priced compared with the competition. At the time of writing (May 2025), the BMW X4 is off sale while the Mercedes GLC Coupe is a chunk of dosh more than the Audi. As we’ve mentioned, there isn’t much penalty to speak of when it comes to boot space and rear headroom compared to the SUV.
But when you can have the SUV for a few grand less you’ve got to really want the sleeker lines of the Sportback for it to make any sense. There’s otherwise very little difference between them.
It’s probably also worth noting that the VW Group in general is having a bit of a nightmare with its electronics at the moment. We’re seeing a lot of cars with sensor issues and other largely minor problems – so just be warned that you may find yourself back at the dealer more regularly than the two-year / 19,000-mile service intervals would suggest.
Verdict: Audi Q5 Sportback
Audi’s Quasimodo5 (that’s what the Q stands for, right?) is perfectly good. It handles neatly, feels well built and will likely be a painless family car for you and yours. Is it interesting? Not really, but it does plenty of stuff plenty good enough. We’d still buy an SUV over the Sportback, mind, and we still need to try a car on steel springs…
Specs are for an Audi Q5 Sportback S Line TDI quattro S Tronic