Audi SQ5 vs Maserati Levante
What's the difference?

Audi SQ5

$49,990 - $89,950

2022 price

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Maserati Levante

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2021 price

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Summary

2022 Audi SQ5

2021 Maserati Levante

By Andrew Chesterton

By Stephen Corby

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Diesel Turbo 6, 3.0L

Twin Turbo V8, 3.8L

Fuel Type

Diesel/Electric

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

7.0L/100km (combined)

0.0L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Style with little sacrifice
Plenty of on-board tech
SQ5 is a fun and engaging drive

That engine
Surprisingly capable on track
Rear-biased AWD

Dislikes

Price penalty for Sportback
Regular Q5 Sportback more premium than performance-focused
Cabin not quite premium at every touchpoint

Not the prettiest Maserati
Seems strange to want to track one
Expensive

2022 Audi SQ5 Summary

The Audi Q5 now has a sportier-looking sibling, with the German brand's all-time best-selling SUV welcoming a sleeker, more aggressive solution it calls its Sportback range.

And look, spoiler alert, it looks better than the regular Q5. It's as simple as that. So if that's all you're here to find out, feel free to close the laptop, put the phone away, and move on with your day.

But you'd be doing yourself a disservice, because there are more questions to be answered here. Like will you paying in on-board comfort for this new raked roofline? Do the Sportback's sporty intentions make for a more annoying daily drive? And how much does Audi want you to pay for one?

All these questions and more answered. So stay with me.

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2021 Maserati Levante Summary

Driving a whopping great SUV down the straight on a race track at more than 200km/h sounds like fun, but it actually feels a bit wrong, like entering a baby elephant in a dog show.

These are strange times, of course, and the Maserati Trofeo Levante is a suitably strange vehicle - stylish, classy, expensively appointed family hauler that also has the heart and soul of a race car.

Indeed, while performance SUVs are an increasingly commonplace vehicle, the Levante - which was actually getting along in the tooth as a model before this significant upgrade - has higher performance credibility than most.

That's because it has a big Ferrari V8 driving all four of its wheels and delivering a properly supercar-like 433kW and 730Nm.

It's not what you might call a typical Maserati buyer's car, but then only those who know what the Trofeo badge stands for - shouty insanity, basically - will be interested in this end of town. It is a lot of car, but is it worth the large load of money on the sticker ($330,000)?

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Deep dive comparison

2022 Audi SQ5 2021 Maserati Levante

Verdict

Let’s forget the money, for a second, because yes, you’re paying more for the Sportback variant. But if you can afford it, then why wouldn’t you. This is a sleeker, sportier and more stylish answer to the regular Q5, which was already a super-solid offering in the segment. And as far as I can tell, the practicality sacrifices you have to make are minimal at best.

So why not?

Verdict

Maseratis are built for a fairly specific niche buyer; someone with a lot of money, someone slightly older and certainly someone who likes the finer things in life and appreciates Italian style, quality and heritage.

They are not, typically, the kind of buyers who want to tear around race tracks like fiends in big, shouty SUVs. But apparently there is a niche within the niche of Maserati fans who do, and they are willing to invest big dollars in vehicles wearing the Trofeo badge, like this Levante.

It might seem a slightly strange creation, a track-mad SUV with a screaming Ferrari engine, but surprisingly, it really does work.

Audi SQ5 vs Maserati Levante What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Audi SQ5 vs Maserati Levante
What's the difference?