Into the Blue
For just a couple of thousand bucks more, you can upgrade the Audi Q3 to the attractive coupé version – perfect if you prefer extravagance to luggage space. GQ motoring editor Dieter Losskarn tests the gorgeous turbo-blue Bavarian
WHETHER IT’S IN THE Q7, A4,
A5, A7 OR S6, WHENEVER I’m driving an Audi,
I feel so much closer to Porsche than Volkswagen. Isn’t it all in the same family? e sophistication, precise cra smanship and build quality of an Audi is legendary, not to mention it’s good looking. Once considered conservative, it’s now a trend-setting style statement.
When BMW surprised car nuts with the rst-ever SAV (sports activity vehicle), the X6, a couple of years ago, there was nothing like it. But the niche product caught on big time as other German car manufacturers followed the lead. e Mercedes-benz GLE is now as successful as the Porsche Cayenne Sport Coupé. And then Audi nailed it with the mighty, full-size Q8, a rock star Coupé version of its Q7.
Audi has given its mid-sized Tiguan opponent, the Q3, a similar style treatment – and, boy, does it work magni cently. Especially with a mesmerising turbo-blue paint scheme.
e new Q3 Sportback is for people who prefer extravagance to luggage space (don’t worry, there’s still plenty) and street cred to rear visibility.
e front view is similar to the standard Q3 but with a new bold, black grille design.
Its resemblance to its big brother, the Q8, is uncanny. e rear side view resembles the
Audi Avant. e Sportback is 16mm longer, 29mm lower, and 6mm thinner. Combine that with its 19-inch wheels and you’ve got the most delicious Bavarian eye candy.
It performs as well as it looks. ere are two petrol engines for the Q3 available in
South Africa: a 1.4-L. turbo-charged petrol with front-wheel drive, and the one I’m currently driving around the numerous bends of Clarence Drive, a coastal road of the Cape Peninsula. e car is in sport mode, and while
I’d love some more power, 132kw is enough to have fun with this car.
But, to quote Audi: ‘performance is an attitude’. So, the Audi RS Q3 Sportback with its 2.5-L. 5 cyl. engine has an output of 294kw, 480Nm of torque and an acceleration from
0 to 100km/h in
4.5 seconds.
e Q3 Sportback features the latestgeneration hi-res all-digital instrument cluster, with MMI infotainment and razor-sharp map displays. e soothing sound in the lush cabin is by Bang & Olufsen.
is entrylevel Q8 is a style statement with tons of street cred.
‘Combine a new bold, black grille design with 19-inch wheels and you’ve got the most delicious Bavavian eye candy’