Audi RS Q3 revealed
Popular SUV gets sporty makeover, plus 395bhp
AUDI Sport has launched a new version of its baby performance crossover, the RS Q3. And since the German brand has added a more rakish Sportback body to the Q3 line-up, this will get an RS variant, too.
Audi Sport took the standard Q3 as a base, and the visual upgrades it applied are arguably at their most arresting at the front; a reshaped, aggressive bumper houses enlarged air vents either side of a new grille that’s not only more inset, but also features a gloss black finish and a honeycomb design. Also new is a bonnet vent that sits above the grille, in a nod to Audi Sport models of old.
Both front and rear wheelarches have been flared by 10mm to give a more squat stance, while at the rear there’s a new spoiler. For the first time on the RS Q3 there are two oval-shaped pipes – addressing criticism of the previous version’s single exhaust pipe design. These sit under a new bumper, and for a racier engine note, an optional sports exhaust system is available.
The RS Q3 Sportback, meanwhile, is being touted as the more sporting version. Like the standard Q3 Sportback, the RS Sportback features a roofline that’s 45mm lower than the more practical RS Q3’s. Moreover, the RS gets the same rising shoulder line as the Q3 Sportback that sits further down the body, giving the impression the car is sitting lower to the ground. The RS Q3 Sportback gets a different spoiler to the RS Q3, too – the coupé-SUV has a more discrete item.
Under the bonnet, both versions of the
RS Q3 use the same
2.5-litre five-cylinder turbocharged engine that’s also found in the TT RS.
In the new RS Q3 it develops 395bhp and 465Nm of torque – a significant hike over the outgoing model’s 335bhp output. Against the clock Audi claims that the latest RS Q3 can cover 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds – 0.4 seconds quicker than its predecessor.
In typical Audi tradition, the top speed is limited to 155mph, but can be bumped up to 174mph as part of an optional performance upgrade. The five-cylinder engine is hooked up to Audi’s seven-speed S tronic gearbox and quattro all-wheel drive and, as ever, there are a number of driving modes that adjust the car’s characteristics.
However, as on the recently revealed RS 6 Avant and RS 7 Sportback, there are two new modes in the Drive Select; RS1 and RS2 are the most hardcore of the driving settings and allow more ways for the driver to change the engine, throttle, suspension, steering and gearbox parameters.
As standard the RS Q3 comes with sports suspension that means it sits 10mm lower to the ground than the regular Q3. There are 20-inch wheels, while braking is taken care of by ventilated and perforated 375mm discs up front and perforated 310mm discs at the rear. Adaptive dampers, 21-inch wheels and carbon-ceramic brakes are all options.
Inside, the overall cabin architecture is carried over from the standard Q3; Audi’s Virtual Cockpit comes as standard, but it can be upgraded to a display incorporating shift lights. Both versions of the RS Q3 come with RS-specific displays, which feature g-force, tyre pressure, torque and lap-time information. As with the rest of the car, there are various interior options. Partleather, part-Alcantara sports seats come as standard, with RS sports seats among the options, and there are a handful of colour packages to brighten up the cabin.
Both the standard and Sportback versions of the RS Q3 arrive early in 2020, with pricing announced later this year. You can expect the RS Q3 to start from around £50,000 and the Sportback a little over £51,000.
These latest additions to Audi Sport’s line-up continue what will be a busy 12 months for the performance brand that celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Following on from the RS 6 Avant and
RS 7 Sportback, an all-new RS Q8 is also on the cards later in the year.
PAGE 30: Audi RS 7 Sportback driven