Part of the compact luxury performance SUV segment, the 2026 Audi SQ5 Sportback has a shortlist of competitors, including the BMW X4 M40i, the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43 Coupe, and the Porsche Macan S. The SQ5 Sportback received a complete redesign in 2025 and features a tech upgrade for this model year. Like most other Audis, the 2026 SQ5 Sportback comes in three trims: Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige.
2026 Audi SQ5 Sportback Pricing, Specs, and Release Date
- What’s New for the 2026 Audi SQ5 Sportback
- Design
- Powertrain
- Interior
- Technology
- Safety
- Pricing and Release Date
- Further Research
What’s New for the 2026 Audi SQ5 Sportback
The entire Q5 lineup underwent a full redesign for the 2025 model year, including the SQ5 Sportback variant. That included new exterior styling, updated LED lighting signatures, a restyled interior, and more tech. Even so, the 2026 Audi SQ5 Sportback features a digital redesign with a Multi Media Interface (MMI) upgrade, an updated multifunction steering wheel, a newly available Audi dashcam system, and standard Audi Signature Care scheduled maintenance. Additionally, the SQ5 Sportback Prestige models have a new Carbon package that includes carbon fiber exterior mirror housings and side-sill inlays.
Design
The Sportback version of the Audi SQ5 essentially has a steeply raked rear roofline and coupe-like styling. The base Premium trim comes with 20-inch alloy wheels, while the Premium Plus and Prestige trims have 21-inch wheels. While the Premium trim doesn’t offer any appearance packages, the Premium Plus and Prestige trims both offer a Black Optic Package ($1,900) with 21-inch wheels, black exterior trim, and dark chrome exhaust. The Prestige trim also offers a Carbon Package ($2,500) with carbon fiber exterior mirror housings and side sill inlays.
Powertrain
The 2026 Audi SQ5 Sportback is equipped with a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6 that delivers 362 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. The only transmission available is a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch automatic, and Audi’s quattro all-wheel-drive (AWD) system is standard. The EPA estimates that the SQ5 Sportback will get 19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway, and premium fuel is recommended. Like the regular Q5, the SQ5 Sportback has a maximum tow rating of 4,400 pounds when properly equipped with an optional trailer hitch ($650).
Interior
The 2026 Audi SQ5 Sportback has a modern look with a minimalist dashboard, ambient lighting, and a large screen that controls most of the vehicle’s functions. It comes standard with leather and suede seating surfaces, aluminum interior accents, heated front seats, stainless steel pedal caps and footrest, panoramic moonroof, and a black cloth headliner. Nappa leather upholstery, ventilated and massaging front seats, and heated rear seats are available with higher trim levels. The SQ5 Sportback seats five and offers a maximum cargo capacity of 53.3 cubic feet. The space behind the second row measures 25.4 cubic feet.
Technology
With its 2026 tech overhaul, the Audi SQ5 Sportback debuts a new, simpler MMI touch display interface and adds new features such as an available dash cam, expanded voice control capabilities, and the return of the steering wheel scroll wheel. The 2026 SQ5 Sportback features a single-screen setup that houses the 11.9-inch virtual cockpit driver display and the 14.5-inch infotainment screen. Other standard tech features include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, ambient lighting, an updated Audi digital assistant, SiriusXM satellite radio with a three-month trial, and a 10-speaker audio system. Available features include a 10.9-inch passenger display, a head-up display, a Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system, digital OLED taillights, and an adaptive air suspension. Audi also offers “experience worlds” scenarios with lighting, sound, massage, and climate-control settings to relax or invigorate. Buyers who go for a model with the passenger screen get in-car gaming options with the ability to connect controllers and headphones via Bluetooth.
Safety
The 2026 Audi SQ5 Sportback comes with a long list of standard safety features, including rear parking sensors, lane-departure warning, front and rear cross-traffic alert, a driver-attention monitor, automatic emergency braking, and blind-spot monitors. Neither the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) nor the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had crash-tested the 2026 SQ5 Sportback at the time of writing. However, the IIHS gave the 2025 Q5 Sportback mostly Good ratings in its testing, and NHTSA gave the 2025 Q5 Sportback an overall safety rating of five out of five stars.
Pricing and Release Date
The 2026 Audi SQ5 Sportback went on sale in the first quarter of this year. The base price for the Premium trim was $68,095 at the time of writing, while Premium Plus and Prestige started at $70,395 and $74,395 respectively. Those figures include a $1,295 destination charge. Buyers who want adaptive cruise control on the base Premium trim need to add the $1,000 Convenience Package, which also includes a heated steering wheel and the surround-view camera system, while every exterior color except white adds $595.
