AUDI Q3

Sharing underpinnings with the last generation of Audi A3 hatchbacks, the Audi Q3 is a compact SUV that although smaller than the Audi Q5 still packs a punch in terms of speed and style and I would as far as saying that this is the city-centric answer to its bigger brothers aggressive, road dominating presence. The Q3 could be the best of both worlds as in city traffic it won’t leave you feeling like a gruff rhino surrounded by sheep while on the motorway you’ll be scraping Smart Cars and Mini Coupes off the roaring grille.

WRITTEN BY JACK SLATER

SUPERIORITY WHERE IT COUNTS

hit. Compact enough to fit in a city centre parking space but mean enough to leave other off road vehicles plastered with your mud this is a blend of handsome metrosexual good looks, upmarket appeal and rough and tumble grunt.

Front wheel drive and with a choice of six speed manual or six speed S Tronic transmissions you’ll get 0-62mph in 9.2 seconds and with a top speed of 124mph. Audi Q3 is the latest beneficiary in the Vorsprung durch Technik brand’s drive to increase efficiency by resizing the car without hampering performance. Combined fuel economy stands at 47.9mpg and CO2 emissions match the efficiency focused 140PS version of the 2.0 TDI engine which means that the Q3 1.4 TFSI stands in very good stead as a good company car as its 19% BIK figure equates to a tax liability for a 40% taxpayer accounting to £1,800 per annum (for the first year).

Good Looks Inside And OutBig brothers Q5 and Q7 were very successful and so Q3 borrows

many of the styling cues such as the brand’s trademark grille and swept back headlamps, the flanks lead into a clamshell tailgate with rugged looking plastic wheel arches and sills. But beauty is not just skin deep and inside the Q3 the standard S Line cloth and leather combination upholstery has been replaced by a perforated leather and Alcantara mix in S Line Plus Models. And accessing cruise control, the Audi parking system plus and the SD card-based satellite navigation is all via the 6.5 inch colour display.

The list of S line equipment that is integrated into the new top specification is extensive, including Xenon Plus headlights with LED daytime running lights, exclusive S line body styling, light and rain sensors, four sports seats with power fed lumbar support, the Audi Music Interface, Bluetooth interface and voice control system for many infotainment functions. Default comfort-orientated ‘dynamic

suspensions’ and the offer of a no cost option of S line sports suspension with a 20mm lower setting if that’s what blows your hair back.

DrivingThere are enough roundabouts in Britain to make the roads

as streamlined as shoelaces with knots tied into them which can make for frustrating driving when you’re in a rush. In no way am I saying that I took the roundabouts at a dangerous speed but I will say that if I had done so the Q3 would have taken this departure from road safety with grace and confidence. A car of this size has no right sticking to the road so strongly and driving something so mechanically sound gives you an inflated sense of your own driving ability.

As a very taller than average driver, the only quirk I found with the Q3 is that despite its size (in comparison with other road cars) there wouldn’t be much room for someone sitting behind me, also the seats are quite high so long distance journeys with a car full of adults may feel a bit cramped overall.

EconomyToday fuel economy is one of the major key points that many

owners look to when selecting a vehicle and the Q3 may be thirstier than some of the smaller, family orientated, less fun, less impressive cars that you’ll find on the road but at about 500 miles on a tank of petrol while using all of the extras available is nothing to quibble with.

Besides, if you’re looking to buy an Audi Q3, it isn’t to have a simple day to day city car, it’s to get stuck into having some fun while you’re driving.

If you’re looking to buy an Audi Q3, it isn’t to have a simple day to day city car, it’s to get stuck into having some fun while you’re driving.

Having lost the chance to drive the Q7, (article available March 2014) to my Managing Director I initially didn’t know what to expect of the smaller Q3, but I think

that this gem of motoring engineering is in many superior in all the areas that count. Audi offers the Q3 in three trim-levels, the SE, S Liner and S Line Plus and they supplied us with the six geared Q3 1.4 TFSI S Line, a gleaming beauty of metallic black. Plus with all the trimmings and toys you could want for.

Now, all models come with plenty of space and a standardized kit and while optional extras can be on the pricey side depending on what you’re looking for this Audi to do the extras may very well add something special to the car that you’ll soon find yourself unable to go without. Nothing extra on this car will ever be superfluous.

Petrol Or DieselPetrol buyers can elect the Q3 with either a 1.4 litre or a 2.0

litre engine, but those wanting diesel can only have their Q3 with Audi’s 2.0 litre TDI unit which comes with various power outputs. The Audi Quattro four-wheel-drive-system is available on all the cars with 2.0-litre power and both diesel and petrol engines can be mated with Audi’s A Tronic automatic gearbox while those owners who aren’t looking to take the Q3 off road can select a more fuel efficient front-wheel drive system.

If you’re looking for something that could offer an extra growl to this beast, Audi offers a powerful RS Q3, which has a 306bhp 2.5 litre five-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. While it does cost a hefty £43,000 the RS Q3 is one of the fastest compact SUVs on sale today and there is little as joyous as feeling that extra, startling thrust when you put your food down.

Yes, out of all the cars, this could very well have been my favourite and it is no surprise that the Audi Q3 has been an instant