Why Audi’s Q3 is better than ever
THE compact Audi Q3 SUV remains the best selling Q model on these shores since its launch seven years ago.
Now the second generation version is here and much of its new looks and styling is down to an Englishman.
Matt Baggeley has spent the past four years honing this latest Q3 to give it a fresher appearance with more distinctive styling at both the front and rear ends, with loads of new technology on board, some pinched from the big Q8 model.
“We wanted to preserve the character of the SUV, keeping the balance but making it look distinctively different from the first generation car,” he told me. “The aim was to give it more presence with more aggressive styling cues, such as on the new front grille, and I feel it’s now more grown up.”
This new Q3, which is 97mm longer, 18mm wider and with a 77mm wider wheelbase than before, has an all round bolder look with much better front and tailgate lights design and a noticeably more upright hatchback shape at the back, and not slanting styling as previously.
The bigger measurements have been fully utilised in the cabin which is now much roomier with more head, leg and elbow room in both front and rear seats, making it a genuine five adult seater.
Available in three trims – Sport, S Line and Vorsprung – the new Q3 has a much nicer interior too with the smart three-dimensional fascia’s sweeping interior lines, lots of chrome trim finish and soft plastic trim.
The sport-styled front seats provide good, all round lumbar support while the rear seats have a sliding facility offering 150mm of adjustment.
Boot capacity is now up to 530 litres, increasing to 1,525 litres with the rear seats folded down and easily accessible thanks to an electrically powered tailgate.
For the driver there’s all of today’s usual connectivity, from smart infotainment with a 10.1-inch touchscreen to Audi’s now traditional virtual cockpit, sat nav, lane departure warning and much more.
As for engines, the most interesting is a new turbocharged 1.5-litre 148bhp TFSI petrol engine with a cylinder on demand system which temporarily switches off two cylinders at low speed. It is coupled with a even-speed, twin-clutch S tronic automatic transmission driving the front wheels.
The CoD set up helps improve fuel consumption and Audi claims there’s no noticeable difference in passenger comfort between two and four cylinder working and that most drivers will not be able to detect the change in terms of gear, engine or road speed.
To sum up, subtle but significant changes to the Q3 and a wide choice of engines look set to continue its title as Audi’s best-selling Q car.