The Audi Q5 Sportback is one part SUV and one part coupe. After introducing a plug-in hybrid earlier this year, Audi expands the Q5 lineup again with a Sportback variant. The new “SUV Coupe” (as Audi calls it) will arrive in the first half of 2021. 

Styling & Design

Audi wanted the design of the Q5 Sportback to stand out from the crowd. Designers worked explicitly on the shoulder lines and side sill trim to lend more credence to the Q5 Sportback’s stance and overall character. To achieve the correct look, the downward slope of the greenhouse begins earlier than usual so that the third side window tapers sharply to the rear.

OLED lighting technology will be available on the SQ5 Sportback. The OLED taillights are split into three tiles of six segments each. This allowed Audi’s designers to create different light designs and signatures from a single item of hardware.
Audi Q5 Sportback. Photo: Audi of America, Inc.

Audi Q5 Sportback: Engine & Powertrain

Under the hood of the Q5 Sportback is a 2.0-liter TFSI engine paired with a 12-volt mild-hybrid electric system. The combination delivers 261 horsepower and 273 lb-ft. of torque. The SQ5 Sportback has the more muscular 3.0-liter TFSI V6, which produces 349 horsepower and 369 lb-ft. of torque.

Both the Q5 Sportback and SQ5 Sportback are standard with Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system. The standard automatic transmissions are different, however. The Q5 ...