SUV Comparison: 2021 Audi SQ5 vs 2022 Genesis GV70 3.5T Sport Plus

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Peter Bleakney: Not only is the Audi Q5 the best-selling premium compact SUV in Canada, it also wears the crown of best-selling luxury vehicle , period. In fact, this boxy crossover has pushed Audi to the top of the luxury mountain, eclipsing Mercedes-Benz as Canada’s top premium brand . Who would have thought this somewhat staid but practical crossover would gain those bragging rights? Ah, but those at the top can never rest easy, and here we pit the Audi against the fresh-off-the-boat 2022 Genesis GV70. Both are wearing their most sporting duds — the Audi in SQ5 guise packing an eager 349-horsepower, 369 lb-ft single-turbo 3.0L V6, and the GV70 in top Sport Plus trim brandishing 375 horsepower and 391 lb-ft from a 3.5L twin -turbo V6. Both have AWD, an eight-speed auto, and the Audi SQ5’s as-tested price of $74,640 is within spitting distance of the Genesis’ all-in $75,500 tab.

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A decade ago, Genesis wasn’t much of a threat to the luxury establishment, nipping away at the ramparts with nice, but not-quite-there efforts that traded mostly on good value. My, how things have changed. The GV70 is arguably the most important vehicle for Genesis, as the premium compact SUV segment is red hot, and while it might be late to the party, this overachieving GV70 enters with enough ammo to put Scarface on alert. Genesis is blurting “Say hello to my little friend!” and the competition might want to duck and cover.

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SUV Comparison: 2021 Audi SQ5 vs 2022 Genesis GV70 3.5T Sport Plus Back to video

Jonathan, am I overdoing it here, being blinded by the Genesis’ fetching skin and stellar interior?

Jonathan Yarkony: You bet your sweet guitar-pickin’ ass you are! Genesis might be getting all the ink and pixels for its successively better vehicles, but it doesn’t even crack the top 10 when it comes to luxury vehicles sold in Canada… yet. Genesis has just begun the long, slow battle through the luxury sales turf wars, and they have done it in the most calculated way, working out the kinks in small volume niches (sedans) and working their way up to the now-dominant SUV segment, with EVs and other niche products set to round out their lineup in the near future.

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However, people don’t buy sales charts, they buy cars, and they certainly buy a lot of compact crossovers. The breed in general provides a happy medium of practicality, value and comfort for small families or commuters, and consumers are beyond spoiled for choice in this segment, with an abundance of models and a parade of the latest features and tech from both mainstream and luxury brands. While the base engines are almost always the more popular choice because of price, these top trims are the most desirable, with the full suite of features and that extra firepower that help a car feel a little more prestigious when you put the foot down.

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When going by driving feel, the Genesis GV70’s twin-turbo torque makes it feel more luxurious and effortless as it ramps up speed, where the Audi is full of anger and fury, thanks in no small part to the optional sport exhaust. It did make me think at the time we were driving them back to back that the Genesis was outright quicker, but both take a similar five seconds to reach 100 km/h from standstill.

PB : Yeah, there is a distinct difference in the way these two go down the road. The Audi is definitely the more athletic with its rorty, eager engine and tight body control. It is an “S” model after all, and it wears its sporty mojo with pride. The GV70 is fast for sure, but it likes the cruise better than clipping the apexes. In sport mode, the Genesis’ suspension stiffens, steering firms up and shift points sharpen — but to me it feels like it’s doing this out of protest. It’s happier coddling its occupants in sybaritic wonderfulness, which it does exceptionally well.

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You have to admit the Genesis’ artful interior, swathed in creamy leather and awash in exquisite detailing puts the SQ5’s dark, austere cabin on the trailer. And when did we ever say that about an Audi interior? The fact is, the SQ5 shows some cheap plastic in the lower reaches, suggesting a bit of cost-cutting. Genesis goes the other route, giving us Bentley-esque appointments. And as good as the Audi front chairs are, the Genesis are better — and they are ventilated, a feature omitted on our Audi.

The GV70’s infotainment system comes off as being the more slick and modern, featuring a wide dashtop screen, pin-sharp graphics and an easy-to-use rotary controller with push and swipe functions. I love the default screen that features an artistic rendering of the current weather to the left and navi screen on the right, and I have to give the nod to the GV70’s stellar Lexicon audio too, although by a slim margin as the Audi’s Harman Kardon is very good.

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JY: Well, seeing as you are our resident audiophile and expert, I will accept your stereo verdict without reservation, but I do want to raise one point about the ride. While the SQ5 does have the athleticism that the S badge confers, with excellent agility in corners and responsiveness in its steering, its stock suspension is still just a little too tall for my tastes. Although the ground clearance proved a benefit on my camping excursions, some rutted parking lots, and some vicious speed bumps in my suburb, I would gladly accept the risk of dropping that suspension about an inch and a stiffer suspension to go along with it. Between the engine and snappy transmission (sometimes a bit too snappy and into jerky territory), the SQ5 would be an absolute carver with a lower, stiffer setup that would contribute to flatter cornering. As it is, it just leans a bit too much and keeps the fun in check. The $3,750 Dynamic package with its air suspension and sport differential would no doubt address that, but in my opinion a more aggressive setup should be standard in the SQ5. Or just give us an S4 Allroad…. (Is my wagon bias showing, Peter?)

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Anyhow, let’s get back to interiors, where you are slagging Audi for plastics that I haven’t even noticed in the past three months, but now that you point them out, I won’t be able to un-notice them! I long ago got used to Audi’s MMI and Virtual Cockpit with the knob controller, but Audi ditched the knob and went full touchscreen for the MMI and I have to say I miss the knob controller. It was ergonomically perfect, falling into one’s hand when resting your elbow on the armrest and allowed easy control over the screen without looking at one’s hand, and the menu system was more intuitive. Even after a few months, the multiple screens and small icons on the left just weren’t as intuitive as the control dial and a few fixed buttons like the Genesis GV70 and Audi’s old system.

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The Genesis feels more like Audi’s old system, and I was instantly familiar with its combination of console scroll knob and shortcut buttons and sharp, attractive graphic interface. Top it off with that 3-D gauge cluster, which is a bit gimmicky but still really cool, and the GV70 should make anyone feel welcome and at home from the first weeks behind the wheel. The only complaint I have about the GV70’s interior is that the rotary transmission knob is too close and too similar to the infotainment knob, so that led to a bit of confusion.

PB: Yes, those two rotary knobs caused me some confusion at first, but after a few days I was okay. Both have the expected practicality of spacious second row seating and moderate cargo capacity to make them suitable family vehicles for small families, so that category is a wash.

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Where the Genesis GV70 really leaps ahead is the technology and convenience features at this $75K price point. They both have the expected adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and 360-degree parking cameras (and all those systems work flawlessly in both), but the Genesis boasts a lane-change assist (though you need a fair bit of patience to wait for it), head-up display, and 3-D gauge cluster, not to mention cooled and massaging seats and the $75K includes the freight & PDI charges. Getting the cooled seats, head-up display, the Dynamic package mentioned above, and factoring in the freight charge, the SQ5 blows right past the $80,000 mark.

So I guess we’d better pick a winner. For me, it’s hands down the Genesis GV70 Sport Plus for its style, content, execution and value. Throw in a killer warranty and no-haggle, no-extra-fees price and you’ve got a mighty compelling package. Sure, the Audi SQ5 is ultimately more sporty, but if I want sporty in this segment I’m looking at the Porsche Macan or BMW X3 M40i.

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JY: I really can’t argue any of the points you make, and for me, objectively, the Genesis GV70 is also the winner of this comparison because of its value, performance, luxury, and seamless technology. Despite all of that, I’ve been incredibly satisfied with the Audi SQ5 during this long-term test and it’s the one I’d probably buy in this segment (with the Dynamic Package and cooled seats of course) because of the design and the driving dynamics. It continues to prove why the Q5 deserves to be the best-selling luxury vehicle in Canada, and Genesis has done a spectacular job of matching and exceeding the standards set by the benchmark in this segment, making it a new option that should be considered if you’re shopping for a small luxury crossover.