Audi Q3
Witness a new era of modern urban mobility and experience the excitement of the new Audi Q3.
Embodying a new way of thinking: it’s athletic, progressive and surprisingly compact. The front is characterized by low-lying air intakes and distinctive headlamps, whilst a coupe-like silhouette with a flat rear window reinforces the car’s sporty character. Innovative and energy-efficient LED technology underscores the progressiveness of the Audi Q3.
All engines offer excellent refinement and levels of performance that at worst is decent and at best excellent, so the choice comes down to your individual preferences and priorities.
If low fuel bills are top of the list, then the base diesel consumes just 5.2 liters per 100km. You’ll just have to trade off quick acceleration, with this model taking nearly 10 seconds to reach 100km/h on the Speedo from standstill.
Looking for the sportiest option? Well, that’s easily the 155kW 2.0 TFSI flagship.
The Audi Q3 arrives to provide direct competition to the BMW X1 and Range Rover Evoque, though the manufacturer from Ingolstadt, Germany, believes its latest product will follow other SUVs by luring buyers from passenger car segments.
Audi took its time to produce its first SUV – the Q7 in 2006 – but hasn’t wasted any time since, expanding its luxury soft-roader line-up to three within five years (Q3 was released last year in Europe).
An even smaller SUV based on the A1 is expected – and, sorry, no prizes for guessing the model name – but that’s another review for another day.
Here, the Q3 is a relative of the Volkswagen Tiguan, with a slightly wider footprint but sharing an almost identical wheelbase, though from nose to tail it wipes off a noticeable 244mm from the length of Audi’s mid-sized SUV, the Q5.
There are no surprises with the styling, which is either a positive or negative depending on your viewpoint. The Q3 is clearly recognizable as an Audi for its classy but conservative design, with the smallest Q model following the Q5 in looking more like a hatchback on steroids than the more SUV-like (but still ungainly-looking) Q7.
