I have to admit to immediately taking a liking to the shape of the new Audi Q3 when I saw it at this year’s Shanghai Motorshow. I liked the beefed-up look of it, despite its relatively small exterior dimensions. I like the fact that it has a relatively aggressive stance, with its enlarged family grille, big wheels and raised body, even though it is actually only slightly larger than an A3. In fact, had it not been for the birth of the Q family of Audi SUVs a few years back, this could just as easily have been called the A3 Allroad.
Having driven the new Audi Q3 around the neat roads of Zurich, Switzerland, today, I am pleased to confirm that those same solid, beefed up exterior lines are successfully complemented by the rest of the package. The raised driver’s seating position not only offers impressive all-round visibility, but also adds to the sense of occasion while driving Audi’s first entrant into the newly christened A-SUV segment. New, because, to date, the only other obvious player in this segment, and the one obvious competitor of the Q3, is BMW’s X1. Or is there perhaps another competitor within the ranks?
The new Q3 fits in, somewhat obviously, below the Q5 range and, in keeping with the family trend, sports slightly smaller dimensions than the Q5. In fact, after passing a few Volkswagen Tiguan models during our test drive, I decided to take a look at a few of the figures in order to see exactly where the new Q3 fits into the family tree. As it turns out, the new Audi is only slightly shorter than the Tiguan (4 390 to 4 427 mm), while being 240 mm shorter than the Q5. Of more interest is that the Q3 and the Tiguan share the same width and wheelbase. Given the fact that the Volkswagen is bound to share the same engine and transmission technologies as the Audi, perhaps the Tiguan should be considered the more natural rival to the new Q3?
Audi has once again come to the party in terms of producing a simple but neat – and apparently extremely well put together – interior for the new Q3. The same wrap-around facia design so prominent in the new A6 range finds its way, if slightly more subtly, into the new baby SUV, while, depending on your budget, the new Q3 is able to feature much of the latest gadgetry as featured in the company’s top saloons. From the front two seats, the cabin feels nice and roomy, even though rear legroom was always going to be sacrificed with the shortening of the wheelbase on the new car. I was able to sit fairly comfortably behind my own driver’s seat and, despite the fairly dramatic downward slope in the vehicle’s profile past the D-pillar, rear passenger headroom remains respectable. None of the vehicles that I drove on the launch had spare wheels of any kind positioned below the boot board, which means the luggage area remains reasonably sized. It remains to be seen whether Audi South Africa will opt for this same layout, however.
The new Q3 feels nicely planted and wide on the road, wider perhaps, than it actually is. This fact will no doubt please potential owners as the vehicle definitely exudes a sense of presence and purpose to other road users, yet remains nice and easy to manoeuvre.
It’s going to be a bit of wait before we see the new Audi Q3 on South African showroom floors as the first allocation is only due in the second quarter of 2012. Audi South Africa will launch six models – all of which will feature four-cylinder engines (two TDI and two TFSI options). A 130 kW/380 N.m TDI Quattro version will be offered with either six-speed manual or seven-speed Stronic transmissions, while petrol options will include a 125 kW/280 N.m Q3 (mated with either the manual or Stronic ‘box) or a 155 kW/300 N.m model, available exclusively with the dual-clutch Stronic transmission and featuring Quattro all-wheel drive.
While you can be sure that Audi will have the X1 in its sight come pricing time, I am very interested to see how the local Q3 models stack up against their equivalent Tiguan cousins. I have a feeling that, as nice as the new Q3 is to drive, and no doubt to own, there may be some bargins to be had by opting for the less glamorous of the two family members. Watch this space…
* Have a look at Audi’s promotional video of the Audi Q3.
