Best of both worlds

Once considered to be as strange as Frankenstein's monster and not to be mentioned without inverted commas, the sport utility vehicle (SUV) coupe is now pretty mainstream.

The latest of this genre-bending kind to arrive is the Audi Q5 Sportback, a mid-sized crossover about as big as the BMW X4 and Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe. In form and function, though, the Q5 Sportback is closer to the X4 than the GLC Coupe.

Compared with the Q5 SUV, the Q5 Sportback stands apart by having a roofline which slopes towards the rear, resulting in a thinner C-pillar and a more tapered rear-quarter window.

This gives the car a coupe-like silhouette (if you squint hard) and changes its dimensions by a few millimetres. The car measures 4,689mm (9mm longer) by 1,893mm (unchanged) by 1,660mm (2mm shorter) tall.

A bolder grille flanked by five-sided (four-sided previously) chrome fog-lamp housings dominate the front section. The grille's honeycomb feature now has embellished surfacing, which gives the whole assembly a more three-dimensional appearance.

Viewed from the back, the Q5 Sportback has a gently curving boot-lid crease, versus the Q5's straight-as-an-arrow design element. Look down and you will notice a thick chrome-lined bar shaped like the horns of an African buffalo. This sits above the diffuser. The tailpipes are not visible - perhaps a nod to the inevitability of electrification.

The Q5 Sportback gets the same drivetrain as its non-Sportback twin. A 2-litre turbo with 249hp and 370Nm is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Power goes to all four wheels, sending the car to 100kmh in a GTI-rivalling 6.3 seconds and a top speed of 237kmh.

Audi may have done something to the car because it appears smoother than the Q5. Power delivery is deliciously linear and gear changes are imperceptible. The ride is also more settled than the jiggly Q5's.

But its consumption is a tad poorer, averaging 10.1 litres/100km versus the Q5's 9.8 litres and Audi's stated 8 litres (for both cars). Like the latest Q5, the Sportback is assisted by a 12-volt mild hybrid system, which effects engine-off coasting under rare circumstances to conserve fuel.

Like most Audi SUVs, the Q5 Sportback has decent build quality. You are unlikely to find misaligned panels, noisy switches or sticky covers.

$285,511 with COE

ENGINE

1,984cc 16-valve turbocharged inline-4

TRANSMISSION

Seven-speed dual-clutch with shift paddles

POWER

249hp at 5,000rpm

TORQUE

370Nm at 1,600-4,500rpm

0-100KMH

6.3 seconds

TOP SPEED

237kmh

FUEL CONSUMPTION

8 litres/100km

AGENT

Premium Automobiles

But in this test-car, one flaw has resurfaced. In a 2017 review of the pre-facelift Q5, I noted that the test-car's brake pedal made a "thung" sound in its spring action. The Q5 Sportback test car betrays this too, which may point to an issue which is not one-off.

Like the Q5, the Sportback has more cubby compartments in its centre console after it did away with a touchpad control. Boot space, however, is 10 litres less than the Q5's at 510 litres. This is because of the sloping roof. With rear seats folded, you get 1,480 litres instead of 1,520.

But unless you need to pile up stuff to the ceiling, this reduced space does not make a difference. The floor space is still fairly adequate.

The Sportback also features Audi's latest LED lighting and all-wheel-drive system. This means fanciful dancing light sequences and a chassis which reacts to changes in terrain and driving style more swiftly.

But the main proposition of the newest iteration of the Q5 remains its sportier styling. You will have to really like what you see, though, because the cosmetic tweaks amount to an almost $20,000 price premium.

Before you bring out the pitchforks and torches, know that BMW X4 2.0 is also priced about $20,000 more than its more angular X3 equivalent.