2013 Audi SQ5 349bhp

A petrol-engined Audi SQ5 has been unveiled at the Detroit show - but it's not coming to the UK

This is the petrol-powered version of the Audi SQ5, which has been revealed at the Detroit Motor Show. It won’t be sold in Europe, but has been built with the North American, Chinese and Russian markets in mind.

The SQ5 petrol is powered by Audi’s 3.0-litre supercharged V6, which develops 349bhp and 470Nm of torque. This is transferred to the road via an eight-speed automatic gearbox and Audi’s quattro four-wheel-drive system.

Performance for the new Q5 range-topper in the US is decent, with the SQ5 sprinting from 0-62mph in 5.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 155mph.

Thanks to its 650Nm of torque, the 309bhp 3.0-litre diesel Audi SQ5 sold in Europe takes 0.2 seconds less to complete the benchmark 0-62mph sprint, taking 5.1 seconds. It also hits a top speed of 155mph.

What’s more, the diesel SQ5 is more efficient, too, returning a claimed average of 41.5mpg and emitting 179g/km of CO2. The petrol car manages 33.2mpg and 199g/km respectively.

The petrol SQ5 features the same enhancements as the diesel model sold in Europe, which includes 30mm lower suspension, 20-inch alloys and plenty of gloss black trim. It will go on sale in the US in the autumn.