Evelyn Reynolds

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Slick is seductive, slick is satisfying, and slick sells. The 2021 Audi SQ5 is slick.
The performance model in the Q5 lineup, the 349-hp SQ5, isn’t the most powerful Q5. That honor goes to the new, 362-hp plug-in hybrid Q5 55 TFSI e. But the SQ5 is lighter, accelerates more quickly (according to Audi), and its turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 has manners that escape its four-cylinder compadre. It also has a better name.
Audi fits a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission to the V-6, instead of the regular Q5’s seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. From a stop, the difference is the conventional automatic allows the SQ5 to pull away smoothly and with controllable ease—real slick-like. Audi claims a zero-to-60-mph time of 4.7 seconds, which is 0.4 second quicker than before, thanks to recalibrated launch-control programming and shorter gear ratios for first through fifth. Power is on the right side of effortless, and even if you work it hard, the V-6 remains in the background, unerringly smooth from idle to redline.

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Audi

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Body motions are controlled and tight—leave the adaptive dampers in the auto setting and there’s not a lick of harshness in the ride. Despite 21-inch wheels and performance tires with thin sidewalls on our test car, the SQ5’s optional adaptive air suspension glides over broken roads, never complaining or protesting, its structure never issuing a peep or a shudder. As with every modern Audi, it’s easy to flirt with the cornering limits, and the all-wheel-drive system makes hole shots possible in slippery conditions. The optional Dynamic steering ($1150) adds a gearbox in the steering column to alter the ratio on the fly but goes largely unnoticed, as the steering goes from quick to slightly less quick, lively to calm.
Even the simple act of opening a door—the weight of the handle pull and the way the door swings through its detents—is remarkable in its grace. Like the regular Q5, there are comfortable seats, good rear-seat space for two adults, and plenty of cargo space. A new 10.1-inch touchscreen that’s larger and higher resolution than the 7.0- and 8.3-inchers it replaces sits atop the dashboard like a drive-in movie screen. The rotary knob that controlled Audi’s previous infotainment systems is gone in favor of the touchscreen. Audi’s extra-cost virtual gauges enjoy a slight redo and a larger, 12.3-inch screen. Start touching things and you’ll notice richness and click, click precision. The rest of the cabin largely carries over. The design remains restrained, and there is just enough of the optional Carbon Atlas trim—it’s real carbon-fiber composite—to remind you that your Q5 has an S in its name.

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Audi

Changes to the exterior are also minor; this is pretty much the SQ5 we’ve known since 2018. Spotters will notice the small changes to the front bumper and the new grille treatment. In back, the taillights are now connected by a chrome spear.
The plug-in Q5 (I’m not typing its name again) outpowers the SQ5, delivers superior fuel economy, and costs less. Prices open at $53,995 and rise quickly with the available trim levels, the plug-in starts at $52,995. You write a check for $1000 more for the SQ5 (and give up federal tax credits that come with the plug-in) because you want the smoothness that comes with two additional cylinders. For making that very adult choice, you get a very adult performance SUV that doesn’t boast about its potential. The SQ5 delivers versatile luxury: isolation and comfort when you want that and a fun and hard-charging side when you’re in the mood.
Only a handful of SUVs could be considered legitimate replacements for a sports sedan. The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, the Mercedes-AMG GLC63, and the Porsche Macan Turbo come to mind. The SQ5 isn’t nearly as powerful as any of them, but despite that deficit, we’re adding the SQ5 to the list. What it lacks in power it makes up for in slickness.

Specifications

Specifications
2021 Audi SQ5
VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
BASE PRICE Premium, $53,995; Premium Plus, $58,395; Prestige, $63,595
ENGINE TYPE turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injectionDisplacement 183 in3, 2995 cm3Power 349 hp @ 6400 rpmTorque 369 lb-ft @ 1370 rpm
TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 111.0 inLength: 184.3 inWidth: 74.5 inHeight: 65.6 inPassenger volume: 99–103 ft3Cargo volume: 26 ft3Curb weight (C/D est): 4400 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST) 60 mph: 4.7 sec100 mph: 12.9 sec1/4 mile: 13.5 secTop speed: 155 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/city/highway: 20/18/24 mpg

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Despite the fast-paced growth at the subcompact end of the SUV marketplace, many of the players in this segment are really small hatchbacks masquerading as crossovers. They may speak the language of SUVs but less than fluently. Given their lack of available all-wheel drive, we’re tempted to classify these models as subcompact cars even though they feature slightly higher driving positions and more rugged designs. Among this group of wannabe SUVs is the Nissan Kicks, which gains a bit more style and sensibility for the 2021 model year, thanks to a modest mid-cycle refresh.
The latest Kicks is distinguished by a larger grille and pinched headlamps, both of which lend it a little more attitude on the road. The rear bumper and liftgate also have been massaged, and a new light strip between the taillights helps hide the wee Nissan’s relatively narrow proportions. New wheel designs and revised paint colors round out the visual updates.

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Nissan

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Inside, the center console has been reworked to include reconfigurable cupholders with removable inserts, an armrest between the front seats, and an optional electronic parking brake. While these enhancements provide a more premium vibe to the cabin, the new center armrest sits lower than we’d like, and the faux-leather upholstery in our test vehicle had a rubbery feel commensurate with the 2021 model’s $20,595 starting price.
The most important improvements for the Kicks come by way of added technology, including standard Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot across the lineup. A larger 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment display replaces the standard 7.0-inch unit in mid-range SV and top-spec SR trims, both of which also have a new USB-C port. Our test vehicle, an SR model with both the Technology and Premium packages, also came with an upgraded Bose stereo with speakers in the front-seat headrests.

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Nissan

Under the hood, the front-wheel-drive 2021 Kicks continues unchanged with a 122-hp 1.6-liter four-cylinder mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). This arrangement is borrowed from the Versa subcompact sedan and feels adequately responsive for most city driving. We wish a power bump was among the latest revisions, however, as the Kicks is still rather pokey in getting up to highway speeds. During our testing of a 2018 model, we recorded a lazy 9.6-second run to 60 mph and a 17.4-second quarter-mile pass at 80 mph. That said, it’s not the slowest of its kind. The last Toyota C-HR we tested required a glacial 11.0 seconds to reach 60 mph.
Fuel economy is clearly more important here. The outgoing 2020 Kicks earned respectable EPA estimates of 31 mpg city and 36 highway, which Nissan expects to carry over for 2021. (Nissan has yet to release full pricing and fuel-economy ratings for the updated model.) While we wouldn’t describe the Kicks as entertaining to drive, its stable handling and comfortable ride should satisfy buyers who are attracted to its efficient packaging, updated technology, and fuel-sipping powertrain—qualities that are easy to appreciate in any class of affordably priced vehicle.

Specifications

Specifications
2021 Nissan Kicks
VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
BASE PRICE $20,595
ENGINE TYPE DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injectionDisplacement 98 in3, 1598 cm3Power 122 hp @ 6300 rpmTorque 114 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm
TRANSMISSION continuously variable automatic
DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 103.1 inLength: 169.1 inWidth: 69.3 inHeight: 63.3–63.4 inPassenger volume: 94 ft3Cargo volume: 25 ft3Curb weight (C/D est): 2700–2750 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST) 60 mph: 9.6 sec100 mph: 36.5 sec1/4 mile: 17.4 secTop speed: 110 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST) Combined/city/highway: 33/31/36 mpg

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