When Audi launched its SQ5 in 2013, it added achievement to its mid-size SUV. This was the firm’s aboriginal anytime agent S model. However, for this Mk2 SQ5 it’s gone aback to petrol power. That still doesn’t anticipate this hottest Q5 bond pace, adventurous looks and practicality, but while a agent is coming, the 3.0-litre turbo petrol V6 puts the Audi up adjoin one of the best-driving achievement SUVs out there: the Porsche Macan GTS.
The Macan started a trend for hot 4x4s, and was followed by rivals from Mercedes and Jaguar. But if you appetite active responses, exceptional address and affluence of versatility, the GTS is one of the best choices, so the Audi has its assignment cut out.
Porsche alien the Macan SUV in 2014, but this GTS archetypal was added to the ambit later, in 2015. It was account the wait, because while it’s not absolutely the flagship Macan – that advantage is aloof for the Turbo Achievement Backpack version, which has an absurd 434bhp – the GTS is our aces of the line-up, accumulation able disciplinarian captivation and a added reasonable amount tag.
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With 355bhp it’s hardly abbreviate on pace. In our tests the Porsche managed a baking 0-60mph time of bristles abnormal exactly, assault the Audi’s 5.3 seconds. Both times were set on a clammy track, but the absorbing performances adumbration at the huge absorption accessible from both cars.
Launch ascendancy in the Porsche agency you artlessly blaze into the distance, helped by four-wheel drive, which gave the Macan absurd absorption in the wet. It additionally agency the car feels buried while cornering. The Porsche’s able-bodied abounding council is as absolute as you could apprehend from a big, four-wheel-drive SUV, and you can feel the avant-garde auto responding to your inputs added acutely than in the SQ5; by allegory the Audi’s council is aloof and doesn’t affect as abundant aplomb at speed.
The Macan’s accord and aciculate council acquiesce you to backpack added clip area the Audi feels added flustered, and it agency the anatomy stands up to harder cornering, involving you added area the SQ5 lacks this akin of acknowledgment detail.
With our car’s £1,044 alternative air abeyance with adaptive dampers in its firmer Action setting, the GTS resists anatomy cycle able-bodied for a 1,895kg SUV, although there’s no accepting abroad from the actuality that this is still a high-riding, abundant car.
Even on hardly abate 20-inch auto than the alternative 21-inch alloys on our SQ5 analysis car, the Macan was still hardly beneath acclimatized than the Audi on the road, alike in the adaptive dampers’ accepted mode. The accommodation for actuality so abundant bigger in corners is able-bodied account it, though, because the Porsche is still adequate abundant with the abeyance set to its atomic advancing mode.
The Macan’s V6 is absolutely the superior-sounding unit, though. Neither car’s agent is an best great, but with the GTS’s Sports bankrupt it has a sweeter note. It’s added fun to use as a aftereffect and feels freer-revving than the lazier Audi unit.
The abrupt seven-speed dual-clutch PDK box absolutely helps that; its accouterment are faster than the accepted auto’s in the Audi. It additionally deals with accustomed active serenely, but while it’s altogether refined, the added GTS touches, like the badging and atramentous chrome details, reinforce the antic intent.
This all-new adaptation of the Audi SQ5 is absolutely a altered hypothesis from before, and that stems from the about-face from agent to petrol power. The car still aims to mix acumen and abridgement (although this adeptness booty a hitover its predecessor), while this latest petrol SQ5 promises to bear added active enjoyment.
The 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 agent has 500Nm of torque, which helped serve up able achievement on test. The Porsche delivers an identical output, but it’s accessible over a added ambit in the Audi because the best balance comes in from as low as 1,370rpm, up to 4,500rpm. It accepted itself in our in-gear dispatch tests, demography 4.5 abnormal to go from 50-70mph in fifth accessory area the Macan took 5.2 seconds.
Just like the Porsche, the Audi boasts affluence of absorption off the band acknowledgment to its four-wheel drive. This meant it took 5.3 abnormal to awning 0-60mph – aloof three tenths slower than its rival. Both cars feel abundantly quick off the mark for their admeasurement because of their able automated transmissions that bear the absolute break every time. It was abutting abundant that you’d be hard-pressed to acquaint which was faster in the dart afterwards a timer.
While the SQ5 is a little quicker in-gear, through a alternation of aeroembolism it trails. The anatomy is composed, grippy and bigger controlled than a accustomed Q5’s, but for agog drivers it’s no bout for the Porsche’s. Slower, lighter council – alike in the car’s Dynamic ambience – agency it’s not abundant fun to bandy into a corner, and the abridgement of acknowledgment is frustrating.
There’s added anatomy cycle than in the GTS as well, but of advance the accommodation is the ride quality. Set the Audi’s adaptive anatomy to Comfort and it’s smoother over asperous roads, while it does a bigger job of assimilation up big bumps and abysmal potholes. However, the aberration amid the cars is marginal, and we anticipate the hardly firmer, added focused ride in the Macan is account it.
The SQ5’s accepted eight-speed automated gearbox is bland and manages airy low-speed accouterment nicely, as able-bodied as quicker changes back you’re accelerating hard. The agitation is, it’s not as acknowledging to chiral accouterment as the PDK accoutrement in the Macan, while it occasionally finds itself in the amiss accessory back you’re active about town.
Where the Audi absolutely makes strides adjoin its battling is with its superb interior. The high-quality, added avant-garde blueprint puts it advanced of the Porsche, alike if it doesn’t feel absolutely as special. It’s roomier, and the glossy infotainment arrangement is easier to use, additional both cars get an all-encompassing account of accepted kit.
If you’re afterwards a adventurous petrol SUV, the Macan GTS offers more. It feels active and composed, and is alone hardly beneath adequate and applied than the SQ5. It’s pricey, and while it demands some compromises, there’s no catechism that the Porsche has an amazing mix of ability.
Even admitting it’s cheaper, a bit added applied and hardly added comfortable, the SQ5 loses out here. The Macan GTS is a absolutely fun driver’s car, but the Audi feels added like a top-spec Q5 with a powerful, agog petrol engine; it’s competent and composed rather than fun. Next year’s agent will accomplish added sense.
Specs 2023 Audi Sq5 – 2023 Audi Sq5
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