WHEN we first tested the Q3 2,0T FSI Quattro in 2012, the team walked away thoroughly impressed with Audi’s first stab at the compact-crossover segment. The combination of solid build quality, stylish packaging and a blend of urban wieldiness and nimble handling bestowed serious cred upon the Q3. Back then, our one reservation was an asking price that, at around R430 000, rendered it the preserve of the well-heeled.
On the back of a recent subtle facelift, Audi has introduced a brace of entry-level models, manual and automatic, featuring a 1,4-litre turbo-petrol engine in a more wallet-friendly package.
It’s always a bit of a gamble for luxury car manufacturers to downscale established products in a bid to capture market share. But, with its latest entrée, it appears Audi may just have executed a masterstroke.
Given the positive reception with which the pre-facelift model was met, Ingolstadt’s designers were never going to overly meddle with the Q3’s styling. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to recognise any significant changes. Only the tail- and headlamps and bumpers have undergone some minor cosmetic updates. But it’s the change beneath the bonnet that crowns a new bevel-framed grille that’s the real talking point.
With outputs of 110 kW and 250 N.m pitted against a 1 484 kg kerb weight, we expected the new engine would struggle to emulate the 2,0-litre’s fizz, but that wasn’t the case. Gelling favourably with a smooth-shifting six-speed dual-clutch transmission and unencumbered by a heavy all-wheel-drive system, the engine is flexible and surprisingly punchy. It concedes only half a second to the outgoing 125 kW model in each stage of our overtaking acceleration measurements up to 120 km/h – with a satisfying burble to boot.
Underpinned by the VW Group’s PQ35 platform, previously utilised by the Golf 6 and current Tiguan, the Q3’s compact dimensions and light steering ask little more from the driver to park and manoeuvre than that of a C-segment hatchback.
These underpinnings also translate into a reasonably roomy cabin, with a bias towards occupants up front – where the driving position is as commanding as the modest height allows – and only an adequate amount of knee- and headroom for those in the rear.
The rest of the cabin is typical Audi fare. It’s conservatively styled but solidly built from high-quality materials, and is impressively resistant to road noise (at least on smooth tar; the larger wheels on our test unit kicked up a ruckus on coarse tar).
If there is a black mark against the Q3’s packaging, it has to be a shallow boot limited to 272 dm³ due to the rear’s sharply sloped profile.
Of late, Audi has made a concerted effort to better equip its entry-level models. That said, while this Q3’s standard features include such niceties as a Bluetooth-enabled audio system, multifunction steering wheel, cruise control, LED daytime-running lights and air-con, it’s still conservatively equipped and ticking the options boxes can prove a costly exercise.
For instance, our test unit was fitted with almost R135 000 worth of optional extras, including more than R70 000 spent on styling addenda, sat-nav, sports seats clad in a leather/Alcantara combination and climate control. Overall, this bumped the sticker price to more than R550 000.
However, pick a couple of useful extras such as sat-nav (R22 200) and the R4 840 rear PDC – handy given the Q3’s narrow, high-sited rear glazing – and the price remains reasonably sensible within its segment.
On-road, the positives of those Golf-based foundations make themselves known, especially when it comes to the Q3’s driving manners. Dynamically, this model’s lack of Quattro all-wheel drive doesn’t have a big impact on proceedings. There is some body roll, but the steering, although light, is responsive, while good front-end grip and handling that gently defaults to manageable understeer when really pressing on mean the Q3 feels reassuringly planted.
Even with its optional 19-inch rims and stiffened sports suspension, our unit’s ride quality was commendable. The choppiness expected of a short-wheelbase crossover emerged only on badly corrugated road surfaces; elsewhere, the suspension setup proved pliant and well damped.
The Q3’s performance during our 100-0 km/h braking tests proved equally impressive, with the 2,87-second average garnering it an “excellent” rating.
