Crossover buyers looking to infuse more style into their next ride now have two additional options: Audi’s new 2021 Q5 and SQ5 Sportbacks. The German automaker announced pricing and revised cargo specs today for the pair of sleek new spinoffs of its popular midsize SUV.
The sporty-looking crossovers, aimed squarely at the BMW X4, Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe and the soon-to-arrive Infiniti QX55, will start at $48,895, including destination fees.
The Coupe Game
Crossover coupes have been gaining traction as style-conscious car buyers migrate away from regular sedans and coupes, and following suit, Audi transferred its established method of creating stylish versions of existing platforms to its SUVs.
The automaker has considerable experience at the game.
“Audi has a rich heritage with Sportbacks, from our first Audi 100 Coupe in the 1970s to today’s A5, A7, all-electric E-tron Sportback and now the Q5 Sportback,” Audi Q5 Product Manager Anthony Garbis told Forbes Wheels. These models add some flavor for discerning customers, with a coupe profile and the practicality of an Avant.”
Like those other vehicles, the hardware underneath the Q5 Sportback as well as much of its interior comes from its regular model counterpart, however, it’s wrapped in a more aggressive and low-slung package.
Audi’s designers, led by Dany Garand, went to considerable lengths to visually differentiate the new Q5 Sportback, which not only has a long, flowing roofline but a distinct front and rear styling, inclusive of the grilles, bumpers and lights. It also gets exclusive wheels, a standard panoramic sunroof and sport front seats.
Trading Space for Style
The result is a bold look, but–as with similar vehicles–the Q5 trades cargo space for style though it’s far less than most rivals. The Sportback offers 24.7 cubic-feet of space behind the rear seats, which expands to 51.9 cubic-feet when they’re folded. That’s a modest decrease from the regular sunroof-equipped Q5’s 25.5 and 52.3 cubic-feet.
Those cargo numbers are similar to or slightly better than many of its competitors. Vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz GLC coupe lose about 10% of their capacity compared with their non-coupe equivalents.
Powertrain and Features
The Q5 Sportback will carry the regular Q5’s standard turbocharged 2.0-liter four cylinder engine packing 261 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque. Unlike the regular Q5, there’s no plug-in hybrid version.
The performance-focused SQ5 Sportback will use the regular SQ5’s 349-horsepower turbocharged 3.0-liter V6, and both models will be available only in all-wheel drive. The SQ5 Sportback adds an adaptive air suspension, which adjusts ride height and firmness.
Similarly, the Sportbacks inherit the infotainment, safety and driver assist systems of the regular Q5s, which were freshened for 2021.
They use Audi’s latest MIB 3 infotainment system with wireless Apple Car Play and Android Auto on a 10.1-inch screen. There’s also a 12.1-inch driver information display. The Q5’s standard safety suite includes blind spot and lane departure warnings, enhanced rear collision warning and rear cross-traffic alerts. Adaptive cruise control and a Surround view camera are optional extras.
How Much Do the 2021 Audi Q5 and SQ5 Sportbacks Cost?
Both models will have three trims that correspond to the regular Q5s: Premium, Premium Plus and Prestige. As usual buyers pay about 8 to 10% over the more regular Q5s.
The Q5 Sportback Premium starts at $48,895, the Premium Plus at $52,095, and the Prestige at $57,595 (all prices include destination fees). The SQ5 Sportback will start at $57,195 for the Premium, $60,595 for the Premium Plus and $65,795 for the Prestige. Audi has not finalized the exact equipment specs, but a spokesperson said they would be broadly similar to the existing Q5 trims.
Notably, those figures undercut both the BMW X4 and the Mercedes GLC Coupe, which should bode well for Audi sales.
The market for small coupe crossovers is still small, with BMW selling just 7,677 X4s in 2020 compared with nearly 60,000 X3s, according to Motor Intelligence. That could be due in part to the loss in cargo space in what is still an SUV, style pretense or not.
As the Q5 and SQ5 Sportbacks require less cargo compromise compared to their non-coupe equivalents, they may have broader appeal. The company sold 50,495 Q5s in 2020 according to Motor Intelligence, good enough for sixth place in the small premium SUV market. It’s likely to get a boost from these stylish new entries in 2021.
The two new Sportbacks should hit dealer lots in late spring.