The Audi Q5 SUV, and its sportier version, the Audi SQ5, just got a full makeover and I don’t know where to start. The squircle steering wheel on the SQ5? I’d pick this model even with a significant price difference, which also includes a larger, more powerful engine and other upgrades.
The new tech system that Audi calls the “Digital Stage?” It looks, functions and feels advanced and thankfully, is included across the entire lineup.
New drive modes include a sportier Balanced mode, which is halfway between comfort and sport, and Off-Road Plus, which improves the SUV’s capability off road and automatically activates hill descent control. Overall, there are more options for all the ways we like to drive.
And that’s just the start of what Audi crafted for the 2025 model of its most popular SUV. But of course, there is a lot more.
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks. Additionally, I was Audi’s guest for this test drive.
A New Design Keeps the Audi Q5’s Classic Lines
Probably the thing we love most about the Audi Q5 from any year is its compact size and SUV DNA, such as all wheel drive, which is standard because, yes, SUVs should have AWD (which Audi calls Quattro). It also has a nice ground clearance of about 8” (which grows to 9” in off-road mode) that makes it both comfortable to get in and out of, and adds capability for snow and dirt.
New for 2025 is a flatter, more pronounced front end with a wide new grille—there are unique grilles for the Q5 and SQ5 models—and new headlights and tail lights, which carry a little magic on their own. They aren’t just nice looking, they are part of a bigger story.
Read: How the Audi Q7 and Q8 are Alike and Different, Plus a Few New Details for 2025
A Light Game Like No Other Sets the Q5 and SQ5 Apart
One of the most iconic details in the Audi Q5 and Audi SQ5 for 2025 are its lights. Sleek new headlights frame the front end and a new tail light bar caps the lift gate. But it gets better than that: the digital head lights and tail lights can be customized with one of 8 settings.
Included on Audi Q5 Premium Plus and Prestige models and standard on all SQ5 models, you can toggle through 8 different lighting signatures and pick the one you like best. Then, as you approach with your key or lock the car as you walk away, the lights deliver a bit of a show. This is a feature Audi has rolled out on other models and it delivers a nice bit of fun and fancy.
Read: BMW X3 First Drive: New Design Details Make this Sporty SUV Even Better
But Wait, There’s Even More Great Lighting
The lighting story gets better: The “Quattro” badge on the SQ5 is a light signature just under the rear spoiler that illuminates when you tap the brakes; it’s the only indication on the car that AWD is part of the package. I really loved this subtle but strong feature, though you have to pay attention to find it since you can’t see if when someone does’t have a foot on the brake.
Inside, customizable ambient lighting frames the cabin’s lines, from footwells to door panels to center console and cup holders. Then, there’s a very subtle lighted line that flutters along the top of the dashboard to indicate a turn signal or as a welcome to the car. It’s so subtle that it creeps into your consciousness, and that’s the intention, to be a quiet reminder rather than a loud, flashing bulb.
Audi’s designers seem to really love lighting and I’m glad; its new models, now including the Q5 and SQ5, deliver an even more delightful experience thanks to great lighting.
Read: Genesis GV70 First Drive Review: Simple, Modern Design that Elevates Your Life
Always Great Tech Advances Thanks to the Digital Stage
Probably one of the things we’ve loved most about Audi has been its advanced tech features: Virtual cockpit, satellite maps, connected phones. And now, for 2025 it gets better. Audi has shifted to a dashboard-spanning screen strategy they call “Digital Stage.” There is a main screen that houses a 14.5” multimedia system that Audi calls MMI, or multimedia interface, as well as a 12” driver display.
In the top of the line Prestige trim Audi includes an 11” passenger screen that features many of the same functions as the main screen. Positioned right in front of the passenger, I could co-pilot by setting music, navigation or other functions, or I could zone out and stream a show while my drive partner took the wheel.
The all screens are customizable so you can move your favorite features to the toolbar on the left side of the screen. Along the bottom of the screen is a set tool bar for climate controls. I won’t get into the debate over ‘touch screen or buttons for climate controls,’ but I will say, it was cold when we started out each day and hot in the afternoon, and my drive partner liked a cooler temperature than I did, so switching off with my drive partner also meant switching climate settings. I quickly got used to tapping the fan button and adjusting the temperature.
Rear Seat Comforts and How Kids Car Seats Fit
Audi added 1.4” to the overall length of the Audi Q5 and SQ5, but to me, it didn’t feel like a lot more interior space. While there is extra legroom, it can be eaten up by front seat passengers enjoying a bit more space.
The space is a bit flexible, though; center row seats are on a rail and can move forward or back, but only so far. With the front driver’s seat set for me, and I’m 5’8”, I measured 28” from the rear seat shoulder to the front seat shoulder. That might not be enough space for a rear facing car seat to be installed behind my seat—depending on the driver’s height and the angle of the car seat—though a forward facing seat will fit just fine. The Q5 and SQ5 have lower car seat anchors in both outboard seats and three upper tethers on the backs of the rear seats.
Rear seat passengers, in car seats or not, will enjoy the two powerful USB C ports, air vents and in the Prestige trim, manual window shades and heated rear seats.
Upgraded Engines Are Part of the Makeover, Too
With any new model makeover we always look for engine upgrades and Audi didn’t disappoint here, though the company stuck with its tried and true formula: A 4-cylinder turbo for the Q5 and a 6-cylinder turbo for the SQ5.
The new engines deliver a bit more power and a bit better fuel economy; the 4-cylinder generates 268 HP and 295 lb.-ft torque, and the SQ5 delivers 362 HP and 406 lb.-ft. of torque.
Both models feature the full suite of driving modes, including Balanced and Off-Road Plus. And, both deliver confidence on the road. As a compact SUV the 4-cylinder turbo is plenty powerful enough to deliver a confident feel on the road and on the highway; we drove it over some nice mountain passes and country highways and it was capable.
The SQ5, however, was a lot more fun on all the roads we tested it on, and it delivers a nice grumbly sound both when idling and when soaring along the road.
It’s worth noting, though, that when passing another car or accelerating on the highway there’s a bit of a lag between flooring the accelerator and the engine kicking in. I didn’t exactly feel fear when passing a slow truck on a two-lane road, but once I discovered this I was a bit more cautious than I might be with that much power underfoot.
What We Loved
There is a lot to love in the 2025 Audi Q5 and SQ5. These popular SUVs keep their dedication to luxury and technology, even in the base model. Here are my favorite features:
- The squircle steering wheel in the SQ5 model
- The new wide multimedia screen, which is standard
- Hey Audi voice activated assistance
- A cooled wireless phone charger
- Head up display
- The Pearl Beige leather interior in our Q5 test model
- Audi offers 8 exterior colors and 6 interior palette options in the Q5
- All models, even the base Premium model, feature leather seating
- The lighting game, inside and out
- Significant under-floor storage in the cargo area, which is nicely sized
- The panoramic sunroof
- The base Premium model comes with a very long list of standard features, including AWD
What You Need to Know
As with any car, there are details and caveats to consider:
- A button panel on the driver’s side door holds headlight controls, side mirror settings, driver memory seats and individual child locks for the rear doors
- The SQ5 only has two interior choices: Black or Red, but there are 8 exterior color options
- The ‘turbo lag’ when accelerating can feel quite significant
- The passenger screen is only available on the Prestige model (sorry, passenger princess!)
- Not all car seats will fit in this rear seat
- Ambient lighting and customizable exterior lights are not available on the base model
What This Car Costs
There are three trims for the Q5 and SQ5, and here’s how they are priced:
- Audi Q5 Premium: $52,200
- Audi Q5 Premium Plus: $56,700
- Audi Q5 Prestige: $60,600
- Audi SQ5 Premium: $64,800
- Audi SQ5 Premium Plus: $68,300
- Audi SQ5 Prestige: $71,300
Luxury Is Not Having to Think Of What You Want or Need
Intuitive features, at-your-service voice assistant and a great drive experience makes the Audi Q5—and the Audi SQ5—even more fun. The new approach to digital technology lays the groundwork for future improvements and delivers an easy-to-use, easy-to-see digital experience. I’m not sure the passenger screen is a must-have, though long road trips in the passenger’s seat might change my mind.
Probably the most luxe detail, though? None of the improvements have the jarring feel of reinvention; this is still the Audi Q5 we’ve always loved, just a little more so.
