The SQ5 comes with air suspension as standard. Some petrolheads sound like broken records when it comes to Audi suspension, repeating old lines about shattered teeth, largely associated with S Line cars of a decade ago. But the SQ5’s set-up is lush.
Even in its firmest setting, I could use it day-to-day. It all feels very connected, well thought out. Comfortable but with enough heft and damping to not make it feel like a burly, two-tonne SUV.
The steering is a touch light but feedback is strong. Dynamic mode adds a bit of heft and a bit of feel too. Its surefootedness means you have to go a bit Asbo to have much fun driving it, but fun is possible.
The square steering ‘wheel’ is easy to use on a set of flowing bends, but I found it difficult to use on roundabouts. It almost forces you to not shuffle the wheel at all, which really isn’t ideal, because I, like most SQ5 drivers, am not blatting through Tertre Rouge but negotiating a Tesco car park.
When left to its own devices, the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox is pretty handy. When the drive mode selector is switched to Dynamic, it changes down quickly and with gusto; in Comfort, it’s less keen to swap cogs.
Things begin to fall down when you change gears yourself. Pull the left shifter in Dynamic when approaching a corner and you feel the whole car jump forward ever so slightly. It’s a BMW-esque thump in the back that’s supposed to say ‘hey, kiddo, you’re driving a performance car’, but it’s just jarring to me.
