Audi is getting serious with its performance line of SUVs. The RS Q3 concept debuted less than two months ago, and now the German premium manufacturer is using the 24 Hours of Le Mans race to launch the production version of a high-performance Q5 diesel called the SQ5 TDI. Based on the recently face-lifted Q5, the SQ5 TDI is powered by the twin-turbo 3.0-liter diesel V-6 in the A6 TDI Avant. The turbo-diesel engine makes 313 hp at 4500 rpm and 479 lb-ft of torque from 1450 to 2800 rpm. That’s too much torque for Audi’s seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, which is why an eight-speed torque-converter automatic is used. Audi estimates the sprint from 0 to 62 mph will take just 5.1 seconds, while top speed is a governed 155 mph. These figures stand in remarkable contrast to the SQ5 TDI’s consumption habits—the SUV gets 33 mpg in the European cycle, a figure that sounds realistic based on our experience with an A6 Avant featuring this very powertrain.
