Audi has unveiled a sports version of its popular SUV the Q5 named the SQ5 TDI at the 24-hour Le Mans. Unlike most sports variants which are petrol powered the Q5 gets a 3 Ltr twin-turbo V6 diesel Engine which develops 313bhp and 66.2kgm of torque. The car boasts of an astonishing 5.1 seconds 0-100 timings and an electronically limited top speed of 250kph.
The SQ5 gets Audis Quattro permanent all-wheel drive which now comes with torque vectoring. It has an 8 speed tip-tronic gearbox with paddle shifters for better driver involvement. The highlight of the car is the sports tuned suspension that lowers the vehicle body by 30 mm. 20 inch wheels with 5 parallel spoke design come as standard and 21 inch alloys are also an option for the more enthusiastic buyers. To add to the sporty feel of the car Audi has used a sound actuator in the exhaust system which amplifies the sporty exhaust note.
The Front of the car gets restyled LED day time running lights. They now form continues pattern similar to the one found on the Q3 and the Face lifted A4. The bumper is modified slightly and the exterior mirrors are now in an aluminium look to make the car sportier. Platinum grey single frame grill with galvanised double bars in an aluminium-look finish which is also colour coded with the roof spoiler and double flow dual exhaust tips are the other changes to the car. There is an S badge on the radiator grille, V6T badge on the front fenders and SQ5 emblem on the front brake callipers to differentiate the car from the normal Q5.
The interiors gets sports seats in Alcantra leather as standard but fine heated Nappa leather seats with ventilated anti-climate control are available as an option. The multi-functional sports leather steering wheel has a 3-spoke design. It is equipped with an S badge and SQ5-colored stitching. Instrumental dials get a grey background and 3 D design with S badging and white needles. The S badging is also present on door sill trims, gear lever knob and there is an S welcome screen too with lighting Package.
The Multi Media Interface (MMI) is retained but it now comes with optional satellite navigation with 3D map display. There is Bluetooth connectivity for your phone and you can even have a wireless hotspot in the rear to surf the Internet.
The SQ5 will be perfect for Indian conditions as it an SUV and given the road conditions in India, one will neither have to worry about the broken roads nor about bottoming the car on large speed breakers. You will be able to extract and enjoy the performance in normal driving conditions unlike other sports cars which need smooth tarmac and special attention. And given the dimension of the SQ5 which are not too large, not to small, the SQ5 could well be the next Big thing in the Indian Sports car segment. The only Question now though is, will the car come to India? Indications are positive and we expect it to be launched somewhere in mid 2013 with a price tag which is around 20 lakh premium than the existing 3-ltr TDI variant .
