Overview
The third generation Audi Q3 has landed in Australia, ready to take the mantle of the German importer’s highly popular small luxury SUV model.
Last year, Audi sold 4209 Q3 examples locally. This represents 636 more sales than the mid-size Q5, despite the latter being sold in Australia’s most popular segment.
From launch, the new Q3 range comprises 10 different variants, spread across the SUV and Sportback body styles and three powertrain options.
Kicking off the range are the TFSI 110kW models priced at $61,600 for the entry-level SUV model, proceeding through to the Sportback ($64,600), SUV Launch Edition ($67,000) and the Sportback Launch Edition ($69,000), all excluding on road costs.
They are powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine paired with a mild hybrid system sending power to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. Its 110kW and 250Nm is good for a 0-100km/h time of 9.1 seconds, while claimed combined fuel efficiency sits at 5.7 litres per 100km in the SUV model and 5.8 litres per 100km for the Sportback.
Standard exterior features on the 110kW models include 18-inch alloy wheels (19-inch wheels for the Sportback), LED headlights, tail-lights and daytime running lights, illuminated rear Audi rings, acoustic glass for the front door windows, electric heated, folding, and auto-dimming side mirrors with memory, and a power tailgate.
S Line exterior styling is also standard on the Sportback model, which adds an S line design for the grille and the front and rear bumpers.
Inside you’ll find a 12.8-inch infotainment touchscreen, an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster, brushed aluminium inlays (whitewood inlays are also available optionally), leather upholstery, heated and power adjustable front seats, an adjustable rear bench, a wireless phone charger, a 10-speaker sound system, and interior ambient lighting.
A space saver spare wheel is also offered as standard across the Q3 range.
Moving up to the 150kW quattro models and the S line SUV variant is priced at $70,200, joined in the line-up by the Sportback ($72,700), the SUV Launch Edition ($74,600), and the Sportback Launch Edition ($77,100), again, all +ORC.
Unlike the 110kW variants, the 150kW variants are not equipped with a mild-hybrid system, but with a larger 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder under the bonnet – producing 150kW and 320Nm – and quattro all-wheel drive, these models complete the 0-100km/h dash in 7.1 seconds. Fuel economy is a claimed 7.3 litres per 100km.
The 150kW models get 19-inch wheels as standard for both body types and front sports seats.
Available for the first two months of production, the 110kW and 150kW Launch Edition models get extra kit S line exterior styling as standard for the SUV, 19-inch Sport alloy wheels, black exterior elements, metallic paint, red brake callipers, adaptive dampers, and a sound actuator.
The 195kW models sit atop the range, priced at $81,900 + ORCs for the SUV and $84,400 for the Sportback variant. In these models, the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine produces 195kW and 400Nm, with a 0-100km/h time of 5.7 seconds. Audi claims a combined fuel economy of 8.1L/100km in the SUV model and 8.2L/100km for the Sportback.
The range-topping 195kW models come as standard with 20-inch alloy wheels, adaptive dampers, a panoramic glass sunroof, red brake callipers, privacy glass, stainless steel pedals, a heated sports steering wheel, dark aluminium inlays, black headlining, a 12-speaker Sonos sound system, a heads-up display, and a back lit ambient lighting section in the front doors.
Two options packages are available for the Audi Q3.
For the 110kW and 150kW models the premium package – available for $4400 – adds a panoramic sunroof, a heads-up display, a 12-speaker sound system, and higher charging capacity USB interfaces.
The advanced lighting package for the 150kW and 195kW models – priced at $3250 – adds digital matrix headlight and digital OLED tail-lights.
Standard safety features across the range include adaptive cruise assist with active lane assist, active front assist, side assist, rear cross traffic assist, hold assist, speed sign recognition, lane departure warning, proactive occupant protection, park assist plus, and a 360-degree camera. The Audi Q3 has been awarded a five-star safety rating by ANCAP.
Boot space behind the second row in both the SUV and Sportback models is quoted at 488 litres, extending to 1386 litres with the rear bench folded in the SUV and 1289 litres in the Sportback.
The Audi Q3 is offered with a five-year unlimited kilometre warranty, five years of roadside assist, and a 12-year corrosion perforation guarantee.
A five-year service plan – with intervals coming every 15,000km or 12 months – is also offered for the Q3, priced at $3330.
Driving Impressions
GoAuto tested four examples of the new Audi Q3 on its Australia media launch in the Gold Coast and Byron Bay: the 195kW SUV, the 110kW Sportback Launch Edition, and the 150kW Sportback Launch Edition in both SUV and Sportback body styles.
When it comes to exterior design, the new Q3 adopts Audi’s latest styling language, presenting a sleek, modern aesthetic.
However, some prospective buyers may prefer the more muscular design of the outgoing generation, and some may find the split tail-light design slightly awkward.
But the Q3 is far from ugly and the choice of both SUV and coupe-like Sportback designs provides further choice for customers.
Inside, the dual-screen display presents itself as the most immediately salient feature, but it’s not overwhelming.
The infotainment system is crisp, quick to respond, and relatively well laid out and easy to navigate, with key navigation options consistently displayed along the side bar.
While the cabin lacks physical air conditioning controls, the fan speed, temperature, window demisting and air recycling, and seat heating controls are consistently displayed along the bottom of the screen and are easy to interact with.
The dashboard inlay also acts as a useful shelf to rest your wrist on, making quick adjustments on the screen easier while on the move.
It’s not completely devoid of physical controls though. You’ll find push-down switches for things like the drive modes, the stop/start function, and accessing the ADAS system settings.
There’s also a physical media volume knob and while the unconventional window wiper and indicator stalk appears busy and slightly alien at first, it works just fine.
When it comes to cockpit storage, front row occupants have access to a modest centre console armrest storage, cupholders, and a trap door that covers the wireless phone charger.
Aside from the steering wheel controls – which feel and sound a bit cheap – the immediate cabin touchpoints have a high-quality look and feel.
The leather upholstery and the aluminium and wood inlays are pleasant both to touch and to look at, and the interior ambient lighting further adds to the sense of occasion.
From the driver’s seat, forward visibility is solid as is rear visibility in the SUV, although it suffers somewhat in the Sportback.
In the back seats, passengers have access to rear air vents, two USB-C ports, and centre folding armrest with cup holders.
The rear bench is also manually adjustable and can slide backwards and forwards, however, even in its rearmost position, knee room is good but not exceptional. Headroom for the outboard passengers is ok in the SUV but less so in the Sportback.
It’s the middle seat passengers that suffer the most, not only finding themselves straddling a large transmission hump but headroom in either body styles is essentially non-existent.
During our 195kW drive time – a large portion of which was spent on twisting backroads – the Q3 immediately proved itself to be extremely dynamically sure-footed.
The steering is linear yet direct, making it very easy to place. Coupled with solid body control and the Q3’s driving experience exudes confidence.
Its ride is on the firmer side, even with its driving mode dialled all the way to ‘Comfort’. It’s far from uncomfortable or unrefined, and undoubtedly has a hand in how well this thing handles, but don’t expect the cushiness of a Rolls-Royce.
Once the seven-speed dual clutch transmission kicks into gear, the 195kW engine has decent punch, solidly rounding off the dynamic experience.
While cruising, the cabin is kept quiet, with minimal road, tyre and wind noise to report.
The ADAS systems are largely well-tuned and non-intrusive, but aren’t immune from the odd slip up.
For example, the adaptive cruise control works largely as expected (although we noticed during a drive of the 150kW SUV that the system seems to slow up too abruptly when approaching roundabouts) and the lane centring interventions are light and appropriate.
The traffic sign recognition also occasionally mistakes advisory speed signs – such as those found on corners – as the actual speed limit.
If the safety systems aren’t to your liking, they can be customised via the infotainment touchscreen, with the settings easily accessible via a physical button.
The driving experience is much the same story in the 110kW and 150kW models, presenting a similarly dynamic yet polished experience to the range-topping 195kW variant.
Even the 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder mild hybrid in the least-powerful 110kW model is still an effective powertrain choice, and doesn’t feel underpowered.
There is a caveat that should be noted when it comes to the 110kW and 150kW models we tested.
All of the non-195kW cars on test were Launch Edition models – available for the first two months of production – which ride on adaptive dampers.
However, once the Launch Edition cars run out, there’s no guarantee adaptive dampers will be offered as an optional extra for the 110kW and 150kW models.
That means, if you’re reading this after the Launch Edition cars have sold out, our driving impressions of the 110kW and 150kW models on the Australian launch may not be entirely representative of a car you can walk into a dealership and buy brand new.
We’ll have to wait until non-Launch Edition examples become available to Australian media to see what the Q3 on standard suspension is really like.
When it comes to fuel economy, on a mix of largely backroads broken up by town driving stints, the Q3’s trip computer returned 10.3 litres per 100km in the 195kW, 6.8 L/100km in the 110kW (benefitting from mild hybrid assistance) and 9.1 L/100km in the 150kW Sportback.
However, on a motorway-dominated drive from Byron Bay to Gold Coast Airport, the 150kW SUV returned 6.9L/100km.
Overall, the Audi Q3’s on-road experience is both dynamic and relaxing when the occasion calls for either, complimented by a solid powertrain selection.
Furthermore, the cockpit is also very pleasant, effectively integrating both its physical and digital elements, its ADAS is largely well-tuned, and the selection of SUV and Sportback body styles offers two compelling choices for customers.
However, the back seat experience leaves a lot to be desired, and what the 110kW and 150kW models are like on standard suspension remains to be seen.
Its $3330 service price for five years is also arguably a little pricey, and the absence of ventilated seats across the entire line-up – especially in the $80K+ 195 kW models – feels strange.
But ultimately, the Q3 delivers the premium experience we’ve come to expect from the Four Rings.
