2021 Audi Q5 PHEV vs SQ5: is the Hybrid Better for You?
Q5 PHEV vs SQ5. When two cars have the same overall power figures, how do performance and efficiency set them apart?
We know that if you want impressive performance, you do not need a big thirsty V8, and in MotormanTV’s recent Video, George J. Notaras proves this very point.
“Believe it or not, there are still broken car guys and girls like you, and I that select their rides based on output figures. Knowing that what if I told you that there was a green choice that had more horsepower and the same torque as the performance flavor of the same vehicle. Would you buy a hybrid?” asks George.
The car in question is the 2021 Audi Q5 PHEV, which is powered by its parent company, Volkswagen’s turbocharged 2-liter four-cylinder internal combustion motor, and comes mated to a 141 HP electric motor. The plug-in hybrid drive-train also features a 14.1 kWh lithium-ion battery pack and a dual-clutch 7-speed automatic gearbox. The overall combined system output stands at 362 HP of power and 369 lb-ft of peak torque.
George compares the performance figures of the Q5 PHEV with Audi’s SQ5, “The SQ5, which was a V6- 349 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque”
It is also worth noting that the impressive performance comes at the cost of additional weight. Like many hybrid drivetrains, The Audi Q5 PHEV is almost 300 lbs heavier than the SQ5, which affects its acceleration. Interestingly enough, the hybrid Q5 does offer impressive driving dynamics, and we can hear the car squealing its 20-inch wheels going around corners on the mountain roads.
Notaras also plays the “Absence Game” in which he lists out a wide range of features that distinguish the Q5 PHEV from the standard SUV and the SQ5. Audi offers its 2021 Q5 55 plug-in hybrid with level 2 autonomy advanced cruise control as part of the optional premium package. The hybrid SUV’s total price comes down to $60,740, which is still less than the cost of a 2021 SQ5 with the premium package and optional District Green metallic paint scheme (featured in the video).
With the growing popularity of electrified SUVs and Q5 PHEV’s impressive 50 MPG (combined) fuel economy, we will have to agree with Notaras and consider that the hybrid high-rider might offer more value to a traditional Q5 buyer.
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