2026 Audi Q5 TFSI 150kW Sportback review

Audi has always been one of the big three luxury European brands in Australia, alongside Mercedes-Benz and BMW. At least in my eyes, when I was a child, you had some serious status credits if you were picked up from school in a four-ring-badged car.

However, the brand has morphed from this unattainable luxury image to offering a wider range of entry points into the brand. Which I think is still really important for the brand image as a whole.

Sure, you’ve got Audis that have a price tag in the $300,000s. But you also have models that start below $50,000, seemingly defying inflation, and bringing more models into the brand overseas, including to Australia. The Q5 is one of those cars that goes with the trend, offering more options and a wider range of price points to suit everyone.

Entering its third generation in 2025, the medium SUV is now sporting nearly two decades of development, but it's now in a tougher field of cars at this size, whereas it once sat with a small class of peers.

Even the 'Sportback' coupe-SUV option isn’t unique anymore, with plenty of brands ranging from Germany/France to China/Japan offering to cut some interior space in lieu of a more streamlined look.

Although this generation is still very fresh in 2025, some parts remain similar to its predecessor, which can make the spec list look a little empty compared to cars with more tech than a modern-day iPhone.

Still, it’s got decades of development behind it and a trusted badge on the front – but is it enough to poke its head up above the field of new players and modernised historic nameplates?

Including the SQ5, mild-hybrid, and Sportback variants of the Q5, there are a total of 14 different versions to choose from, starting with the Q5 TFSI 150kW for $81,000 before on-road costs. That sees the entry-level TFSI 150kW petrol turbo increase in price by $7400 compared to the previous generation.

Sportback versions see an increase in price of $3500 over their standard shape trim level, while diesel models (the old base engine) now start at $87,600 before on-roads, since they are solely all-wheel drive.

The Q5 Sport starts at $94,100 plus on-roads for the diesel and $96,900 plus on-roads for the Sport with a 200kW petrol engine.

The badging can make it a bit difficult to understand for non-seasoned Audi buyers. TFSI means petrol, TDI means diesel, quattro means all-wheel drive, unless it's an SQ5, then it is all-wheel drive without a quattro badge.

The Sportback I had on test was a base-model TSFI front-wheel-drive 150kW version with some small additions, such as 'lime-sediment' natural dash inlays and sunblinds for the rear windows. However, there are a plethora of additions you can add from the base, such as a panoramic sunroof ($3500), Premium Package ($5400), Style Package ($4900), premium paint, dress-up panels and more.

Standard equipment without any options in the base model is okay. You get that 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine that powers the front wheels only, a mild-hybrid setup (which isn't a real hybrid), and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, which is the same gearbox across all trim levels.

Standard equipment sees a 14.5-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 11.9-inch full-colour instrument cluster, an inductive phone charger, an eight-speaker sound system, part-leather across the interior, power-adjustable front row, adjustable rear seats, and a full suite of safety aids expanded on further below.

External standard equipment for the base model includes 19-inch wheels, matrix LED headlights, LED tail-lights, and an electric tailgate.

The pricing of the Q5 positions it against the Genesis GV70 2.5T Advanced (base model) at $80,300, the Lexus NX450h+ Luxury from $84,500, the BMW X3 20 from $87,300, and even the Mercedes-Benz GLC200 from $90,200, all prices plus on-road costs.

You can click here to find your nearest Audi dealership to check out a Q5 in the flesh.

If you're looking for more pricing, specifications, and the latest offers on the Audi Q5 range, click here.

The Audi Q5 sits in the medium SUV segment, which means it’s of a similar size to a Toyota RAV4, BMW X3, and Volkswagen Tiguan.

It’s slightly longer and wider than the outgoing generation, looking slightly intimidating to a first SUV buyer from the outside – that feeling seemingly drops away once you jump in the driver's seat.

There are only certain cars that can feel small while being dimensionally large, thanks to a wide view around the car and a dash that sits low enough to see the front of the car.

Despite being dressed in part-leather, the dash and door cards have a very nice Audi-like feel to them. The material has a nice level of give to it, like it has already been broken in and isn’t overly stiff.

I especially appreciate that everything my elbows touch is coated with something soft, such as the armrest and centre console.

The full-colour 11.9-inch instrument cluster is also an excellent touch. It is a massive positive that you can muck around with it to show as much or as little information as you need at one time.

Both front seats have electric adjustment with memory settings, contorting in ways you’d find only in upper-spec models from other brands.

I found it quite easy to find a nice and comfortable seating position as the seats hug you just enough to hold you in without feeling cramped, and the under-thigh support is plentiful without extending your legs out too far.

The seats are not perforated, nor do they have ventilation, which is almost a deal-breaker for someone who runs hot, like me.

It’s no lie that automotive journalists hate not having physical buttons. Audi takes it to the next level with a somewhat F-14 fighter-jet-inspired button panel on the door, the majority of which controls things you’ll rarely use. But you’ll be ecstatic that you don’t need to search through a touchscreen to find them.

With that in mind, it's a shame that I turn my head to the left to find out the plethora of physical buttons do not include climate controls; they’re on the screen.

As for the rest of the interior, if it hasn’t been coated in part leather, then it’s made out of hard plastic that feels like a base-model Toyota Camry.

If it isn’t a matte hard-plastic, it’s piano black, which seems to get smudged with fingerprints even if you just look at it too long.

The Q5 I had on test was equipped with the $600 lime sediment natural dash panel – a dark piece of wood. It looks pretty classy, but I can't help feeling it's out of place in an interior that has a lot of hard plastic.

The steering wheel sits on the thinner side, which is a preference for some people, but it again takes away from some of that luxury appeal.

A wireless charging pad is standard across the board, and it has ventilation, which helps keep your phone cool when on charge and running another process like Apple CarPlay.

The rear seat is surprisingly spacious, despite the fact that the sloping roof bites into your head room. I'm 184cm tall and my head still doesn’t hit the roof when sitting normally.

Leg room is awesome for the second row. There’s more than enough space for two adults to sit comfortably, and with my seat set to a driving position, I still had enough between me and the back of the driver’s seat. That's nice considering the map pocket is hard plastic and I want to be as far away from that as possible.

Second-row passengers get their own little climate-control panel to adjust the temperature, two USB-C ports, a fold-down armrest with cupholders, and hard plastic on the back of the front row headrests, which is just weird.

The boot space is obviously impacted by the sloping back, yet the specification sheet quotes just a five-litre difference at 515L (Sportback) and 520L (standard). Where the space is impacted further is with the seats down at 1415L (Sportback) versus 1473L (standard).

Accessing this space is easy thanks to a standard electric tailgate.

The Audi Q5 has the ability to run Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wired or wirelessly through a gorgeous 14.5-inch OLED touchscreen display. It is easily one of the clearest and prettiest on the market. It’s not overly large, and it's lightning fast.

The infotainment made me take a step back. Looking at other vehicles from a lower price point, I really notice the difference between a tried-and-sorted screen in a car with a tall price tag, versus one I’d consider to be stacked full of tech for the price point.

The Q5 does take a moment after starting the car for your phone to connect, but it stays connected the entire time, and I did not experience any dropouts or disconnections throughout my test.

The screen is also programmed with Audi’s sat-nav, FM/AM/DAB radio, and several different toys to play with, like setting up your profile on the screen to save all of your settings for when you enter the car, and having the option to add another profile if you share it with another person. It will all be very familiar if you are an Audi customer, as it uses the same Multi-Media Interface (MMI) as other models from the brand.

Everything you’ll use most, such as sat-nav and Apple CarPlay, is laid out with shortcuts to the right of the screen, which is thoughtful, making it relatively basic to navigate major functions. Although, it does get confusing when you really start diving into menus.

The controls on the steering wheel are next-level frustrating. They are a mixture of haptic touch and buttons, meaning you’ll go to change a song or lower the volume, and it seems like the car has a mind of its own as your finger accidentally drags across the microphone setting, causing the car to say its voice activation prompt.

Luckily, there’s a little toggle stick and dial underneath the screen to adjust volume or skip songs.

The Q5 can be connected to your smartphone via the Audi Connect app, which allows for some remote functions and information. Audi will throw in three years of Connect Plus for free to add a car finder, remote lock and unlock, online traffic information, online roadside assistance and more. Emergency SOS call and automatic service reminders are included for 10 years.

The Audi Q5 scored a five-star rating when it was tested by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program in 2025, which is a rating that covers all variants including the Sportback.

Utilising dual frontal, side chest-protecting, centre and side head-protecting airbags, along with a full suite of driver aids, means the Q5 saw 85 per cent for adult occupant protection, 86 per cent for child occupant protection, 79 per cent for vulnerable road user protection, and 80 per cent for its safety assist.

You don’t need to upgrade the Audi Q5 to receive more safety features or assistance systems as they are standard across the board.

For the most part, everything applied to the car is well calibrated. It makes for a nice change of scenery to not have the speed limit warning beeping constantly, or the driver monitoring system telling me off for head checking.

It does have a few pitfalls. The autonomous emergency braking (AEB) cuts in very early, much like other vehicles from the VA Group. It made me question if I had just been braking too late or not paying enough attention, but other vehicles I've driven do not brake this early or freak out when a car is stopped ahead.

The lane-departure assistance is also quite highly strung. It’s very quick to snap you back to the middle of the lane if it feels you’re getting too close to a median, which is quite far away in reality.

The only other issue I had was with the 360-degree reversing camera. The gorgeous screen exposes a low-resolution camera, which tends to lag slightly, meaning extra caution needs to be taken.

Instead of a capped-price servicing scheme, Audi offers a prepaid option that will see the Q5 cost you $3520 for five years.

Intervals are set to 12 months or 15,000km, which works out to be $704 per service for the first five years.

This seems reasonable when compared to similarly sized Japanese-made cars (usually the leaders in affordable servicing), with the Lexus NX running you $3225.

For European competitors, you have the BMW X3, which is prepaid at $2595, and the Mercedes-Benz, which will break the bank at a prepaid cost of $7350.

For insurance based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW, the Audi Q5 TFSI 150kW Sportback will cost you $4824. However, insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

The Audi Q5 follows a similar route to many vehicles in this class now, fitting a relatively small engine and matching it with a 48-volt hybrid system, which isn’t really a hybrid. It just gives a little boost from standstill and takes some of the load off the internal combustion engine by handling accessories.

Audi claims the Q5 will return a reading of 5.7 litres per 100 kilometres with a mixture of freeway and city driving. The dash returned a reading of 7.2L/100km when travelling to and from work at speeds between 40km/h and 90km/h, while up to around 7.5L/100km on some longer stretches of highway-speed roads.

Because the mild hybrid helps best in city/traffic conditions, I don’t doubt that it could drop into the realm of 6L/100km, but for inter-city travel, I would be banking closer to what I returned.

It’s not terrible when compared to other cars in the segment. The BMW X3 20 returned a reading of 8.2L/100km when we tested it in 2025, while the Mercedes-Benz GLC200 returned a reading of 8L/100km – although both of these cars are weighed down by an all-wheel-drive system.

The Q5 is a pointed and balanced car to drive without being uncomfortable and harsh over bumps, which is something that new brands still haven’t figured out.

It’s not a sports car, but when push came to shove, and I tested it through some turns, it felt marvellously pointed, planted, and just basic to drive. If you were to swerve out of the way of some sort of animal on the road or debris, it would handle it without a peep of stress from the chassis.

It helps that Audi is weird in its packaging, longitudinally mounting the engine and gearbox despite the fact that it is a front-wheel drive, shifting the balance of the car backwards ever so slightly, so all of the weight isn’t over the front end.

While the odd, crashy, harsh bump would make noise throughout the cabin, the weight balance provides more damping to all four corners than an SUV with a traditional transversely mounted engine.

You can feel it in the steering too. While teetering on the light side of things, it really does go where you want it without needing to put in too much input, driving similarly to a small hatch at speed or around town.

It’s a very easy car to drive if you’re new to SUVs, but it might feel small to those coming out of a 10 to 15-year-old medium SUV. I’d put this in the positive category, because the last thing you want is a car to feel like a tank when it's really not that large.

The road can be heard through the tyres at times, but only really on harsher surfaces. Audi has done a great job of sound-deadening the majority of the car.

The engine is a strange one. Putting out 150kW/340Nm, you expect the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder to have low-down grunt when you step on the accelerator, which it seems to for a second, then it drops off.

However, higher in the rev range seems to really open the car up. While an initial rush of power is great for overtaking and a quick take-off, the lack of that in the Q5 could be seen as a positive to some when it comes to ease of driving. However, do not expect a quick car by any means.

The weird part of the lack of low-down grunt is that on take-off, there’s a rush of power and then nothing – likely the mild-hybrid system giving a little boost from a standstill – and it squeals the front tyres. It makes it difficult to have a swift exit from traffic lights.

Audi utilises its seven-speed dual-clutch, which has become a staple across most of its cars. The gearbox seemed to get confused at slow speeds, clunking and engaging the clutches either too late or too early, so when you’re on a hill or approaching a speed bump slowly, it can shudder through the car.

The noises can be heard from outside the car as it gets confused whether the clutch should be engaged or not, making a creaking mechanical sound.

When you’re moving, the shifts are smooth and unnoticeable, adding to a nice drive experience. It’s just a real shame it seems to get confused at low speeds.

The brakes are another sticking point for the Q5. The pedal isn’t really linear and seems to have a different bite point every time you press it. It can be strange, and doesn’t allow you to get into a groove when cruising in traffic.

Besides those issues, the Q5 feels like a very refined car to drive, and really beats out other brands that use a stacked interior to almost distract you from a chassis that needs work.

The Audi Q5 is rated to tow a load of up to 2000kg with a braked trailer, which does not change whether the car is front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, nor does it change across any of the trim levels.

With that being said, if you tow up to the limit, I recommend a quattro to make the load pulling a lot easier for the car.

That maximum rating of 2000kg is a lot for a front-wheel-drive car to handle, and some additional rear grip/balance will go a long way for those looking to tow.

If your heart is set on a European SUV, the Q5 is a decent choice. Sure, it has its mild annoyances, but it goes against the 'showroom appeal' that other brands are zeroing in on, and focuses more on delivering a car that does a good job of simply being a car.

With that being said, I recommend checking out the car in its quattro drivetrain, which offers a slightly more refined experience, and then take a look at the BMW X3 range.

It might also be worth checking out a few Japanese counterparts, as a top-specification Mazda CX-60 and a Lexus NX offer more equipment for a lower price.

For those tossing up between a Sportback and a normal Q5, it’s also not a huge difference, even when it comes to interior size, so it will simply be a matter of personal choice.

Zane Dobie comes from a background of motorcycle journalism, working for notable titles such as Australian Motorcycle News Magazine, Just Bikes and BikeReview. Despite his fresh age, Zane brings a lifetime of racing and hands-on experience. His passion now resides on four wheels as an avid car collector, restorer, drift car pilot and weekend go-kart racer.

Read more about Zane Dobie