Audi has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of the SUV craze of the last 15 years or so. Q3s and Q5s heavily populate the roads, so it makes sense that they’ve been two of the first to get a refresh in Audi’s recent onslaught of car releases. The new Audi Q3 has all the hallmarks of Ingolstadt’s latest products, so prepare to see a lot of similarly slick cars in your rearview mirror.
No Visual Surprises Here
Snarly Singleframe grille? Tick. Thin lights? Yep. Muscular creases at the side? Absolutely. Rear lightbar? Of course. Fancy customisable lights? This is an Audi, after all.
Prepare for more Audis in the same vein, as the German brand has clearly had the idea and run with it. It seems the run they elected was more of an ultramarathon than a sprint.
Audi exterior bingo card ticked off pretty swiftly, let’s move on to a rather familiar interior.
Premium, Practical and Posh Inside
Helpfully, Audi hasn’t provided a picture of the cabin, so you’ll have to trust me on this one. The Audi Q3 features an 11.9-inch display for the driver and a conjoined 12.8-inch touchscreen. The former has trickled down from more expensive Audis, while the latter is slightly smaller than the mammoth 14.5-inch unit found higher up the range.
The Sound & Vision Pack adds a premium Sonos sound system and a head-up display, while ambient lighting is standard, offering a more premium feel to the cabin. Sustainable wood features throughout, while most of the upholstery is derived from recycled polyester.
Space has been prioritised, with the gear selector being moved to the steering column to free up centre console space. This makes room for charging facilities and cupholders, although it swaps the indicator stalk for a button. Cars these days, eh?
A boot capacity of 488 litres, increasing to 575 litres with the rear seats all the way forward or 1,386 litres with the rear bench folded, is par for the course.
There’s No Shortage of Engine Options
The new Q3 has 4 powertrains available from launch, with a fifth joining later this year. The entry-level option is a four-cylinder petrol engine with mild-hybrid assistance, putting out 148bhp, and is paired with a seven-speed S tronic gearbox. The second and third cylinders can be shut down at lower speeds to enhance efficiency.
A more powerful variant of this engine, with 201bhp and 320Nm of torque, will arrive later with quattro all-wheel drive. The most powerful combustion engine is a 2.0-litre four-pot, also with quattro, delivering 261bhp and 400Nm.
The sole diesel makes do with front-wheel drive and 150bhp and 360Nm of torque, and is best suited for long-distance driving.
Surprisingly, for Audi, the e-hybrid is available from launch. Pairing a petrol four-cylinder with a 113bhp electric motor, the Q3 e-hybrid is the most potent launch variant, with 268bhp and 400Nm. The 25.7kWh battery provides an electric-only range of up to 74 miles.
Phew, it’s Pretty Reasonably Priced
Despite the obvious upgrades, the base price of the new Audi Q3 is only around £3k more than before, sitting at £38,300 for the entry-level petrol engine equipped in the Sport trim.
The diesel option starts at £40k on the nose, while the 201bhp TFSI-engined Q3 can be had from £42,000.
Surprisingly, the e-hybrid is not the dearest of the new Q3s, with a base price of £45,800 (rising to £51,350 in top-of-the-line Edition 1 spec), as the 2.0-litre quattro model doesn’t have the option of Sport. In S line guise, it starts at £48.9k, with Edition 1 setting buyers back £52,450.
Sales of the TFSI and TDI models will begin in July, with the e-hybrid following in August. The first deliveries will commence in ‘late summer’.
