SQs Us, Please! 2014 Audi SQ5 Starts at $52,795

It’s taken some time for the SQ5 to get here, and now we know how much it will cost: the new 2014 SQ5 high-performance crossover will be priced at $52,795. The new entry is significant for two reasons: it’s Audi’s first-ever S-variant crossover, and the SQ5 we’ll be getting in North America is actually more powerful than the diesel-powered TDI version sold in Europe.

The European SQ5 TDI is certainly no slouch with 313 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque, but we are instead being treated to a tuned version of Audi’s gasoline-powered, supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 which develops 354 horsepower and 347 lb-ft of torque. Audi estimates a 0-60-mph time of 5.1 seconds, while top speed is limited at 155 mph. The Q5 3.0T, by comparison, uses a detuned version of the same engine that makes 272 horsepower; pricing for a Q5 3.0T start at $45,295.

Of course the SQ5 cannot live by engine alone. It also features an eight-speed transmission, Quattro all-wheel drive, and a unique roof-rack detection system that works with the stability control system and adjusts it for possible changes in vehicle dynamics from roof loading. The SQ5 rides on 20-inch wheels and is visually distinguished by unique fascias with a gray grille up front and rear diffuser, aluminum mirror housings and roof rails, and quad exhaust tips.

• Instrumented Test: 2011 Audi Q5 2.0T Quattro
• Comparison Test: 2013 BMW X3 xDrive28i vs. 2013 Audi Q5 2.0T, 2013 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
• Photos and Info: 2014 Audi SQ5

Interior touches include leather and faux-suede sport seats, a flat-bottom steering wheel with paddle shifters, special instrumentation, aluminum insert pedals, and a special leather and aluminum shifter. A new aluminum and black wood inlay is also offered.

While we’d still love to see the diesel version of the SQ5 offered here, we’ll take the gas-powered SQ5 and its extra dash of sport with its utility. Dropping the kids off at school just got a little faster.



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