The Audi Q3 gets a smooth makeover with added features
German car maker Audi has had a good ride so far in the Indian luxury car space in the last couple of years. One of the major reasons for this is the introduction of some affordable yet stylish models by the brand, including cars such as the A3 sedan and the Q3 SUV. Both these cars have their USPs that cars from rival German brands have been unable to match. The A3 scores over the BMW 1 series and the Mercedes A/B Class being a sedan, since the rest are hatchbacks. The Q3 also rides high over competitors like the Mercedes GLA and BMW X1, purely because this is the only one that looks like a proper SUV and can also perform like one. That is why the Q3 has been the segment leader and now in a bid to broaden its appeal, Audi has hit the upgrade button on this baby SUV. We were back in Goa a few weeks ago where we first drove the car back in 2012 incidentally, when it was first launched in India, to get a first hand feel of the changes incorporated in the latest Audi launch in the country. The Q3 is a car that makes its owners proud when it comes to dimensions. In some cases, it falls short of its more fancied siblings like the Q5 and the Q3 by small margins.
There have been a few design changes on the exterior. The cladding on side skirts appeals to a lot of consumers these days and this certainly makes the car look sportier. LEDs find a place both in head and tail lamps — daytime running LEDs and dynamic turn indicators have been exclusively designed for this new Q3. The lights themselves are sleeker than before, but the single frame grille is now wider, which is something we’re increasingly seeing with the Q series cars from Audi. Of course the Quattro badge on the grille brings a big smile to your face. The front bumper is new and all in all, you can see the clear intent to give the Q3 a more premium feel.
Space is the first thing that impress- es you about the Q3. The SUV offers decent interior space thanks to its dimensions, making it comfortable for all the occupants. The boot space at 460 litres is generous as well and if you fold the second row it goes up to 1,365 litres. The famed Audi Multimedia interface finds a place here again, but this time with additional features of navigation and a rear parking camera. Both are very useful features; in fact, when tested, navigation was spot- on while driving through the confusing roads of Goa. In addition to this, the infotainment system gets 20 GB of free storage along with two additional card slots. The instrument cluster gets a coloured screen that provides a lot of useful information to the driver. LEDs find a place inside too, with a premium lighting package as does a panoramic sunroof which did the reverse job of saving us from the Goa monsoon. The car also gets
rear AC vents but misses out on a start stop button, a feature that is now seen on many lower segment cars. One thing that hasn’t changed on the Q3 is its engine. The 2.0 litre diesel engine that churns out a rather stretched 174 bhp has done its duty well for the brand and does the job here too. It’s mated with a sevenspeed s-tronic transmission that comes with paddle shifters, another great addition to the car. The Q3 is the only car in its segment to offer a permanent all-wheel drive Quattro system. You can go off the road with an equal ease therefore as you would like to take controls of the gearshifts in your hands. The car does 0-100 kmph in just over eight seconds and can achieve a top speed of 210 km/hr. Audi claims a mileage of 15.7 kmpl on the Q3 which means on a full tank of 64 litres the car may well go over a distance of 700 kms. But that purely depends on your driving style and traffic conditions.
The boot space at 460 litres is generous as well and if you fold the second row it goes up to 1,365 litres. The famed Audi Multimedia interface finds a place here again, but this time with additional features of navigation and a rear parking camera.
The Q3 handles both tarmac and uneven broken roads with equal finesse. The Quattro comes into play along with fine-tuned suspension to handle the bad and slippery roads and the car provides a comfortable ride to its occupants. There are also three driving modes to choose from that adjust the engine, steering and gearshift modes. These are Comfort, Sport and Dynamic and each give a different driving experience. The Q3 also comes with the hill descent control, a very useful safety feature, especially while going off the road. Six airbags along with ESC round up an impressive list of safety features on the car.