Audi Q3 brings Healthy Competition to Compact-SUV Market

Created Date: 08/11/2011

It seems Audi have really been paying attention to the public as of recent in relation to the rapidly growing Compact-SUV market. Not content with their already stellar line-up that covers almost all areas, they’re about to release a new Q series vehicle to the public which they hope will rival BMW’s X1 and Range Rover’s Evoque. The Compact-SUV market was previously regarded as a bit of a laugh mainly because these so called SUV’s couldn’t actually go off-road to save their lives, but these days they really are advancing quite quickly. The Evoque was not only a fantastic road going vehicle but a very capable off-road performer as well... and its styling was nothing short of stunning. With the competition in this sector heating up, does the Q3 have what it takes to be crowned the new king of the Compact-SUV’s?

To start with let’s look at the visual side, which pretty much stays faithful to the rest of the current Audi line-up. This is no outspoken risk taker like the Evoque; instead it prefers to keep its presence subtle and practical. Despite its relative uniformity and typical Audi styling, the Q3 still looks still highly premium and wouldn’t be out of place parked alongside any of its rivals. Interior is again another familiar affair if you’ve drove a recent addition to the Audi line-up, but the motto “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” definitely springs to mind. Audi’s are known for their smart and classy interiors, so there was no need to change an already working formula. The interior is awash with premium leathers and plastics, with various silver trims around the dashboard controls and door handles to give it a little bit of extra class. A screen even pops up from the dashboard to accompany the centre console, giving visual feedback for things such as satellite navigation - Audi have dubbed this their ‘Multimedia System Display’ (MMI). Versus the competition, this is definitely the class leader in terms of its interior.

The Q3 will ship in the familiar spec options ranging from SE to S line, and in the future probably beyond. Of the two versions above, the main differences between them will be a set of striking 18-inch alloy wheels, a more muscular styling pack and those signature Audi LED lights. Engine sizes are pretty impressive all round, with two takes on the 2.0-litre TFSI petrol engine and two takes on the 2.0 litre TDI diesel variant. The petrol motors both dish out 170bhp and 211bhp respectively, while the diesels give 140bhp and 177bhp. Of the four available, all will boast the Quattro four-wheel drive system bar the 140bhp diesel version. This one will instead offer a two wheel drive system to increase fuel economy, of which it is claimed to be somewhere around the highly remarkable 54.3mpg. Another impressive feature on offer is the optional S-Tronic transmission (Standard on the top petrol and diesel versions), which offers a de-coupling clutch that disengages itself if you overrun the engine. If you’re prone to stalling because of bad clutch control you probably shouldn’t be on the road anyway, but this is nevertheless a very clever feature to help stop one of those occasional driving mishaps.

The Audi Q3 is scheduled to go on sale in November, with prices roughly quoted to start around £25,000. This price will make it the cheapest off-road Audi vehicle by quite a margin; around £7000 less than the Avant and £3000 less than the Q5. Not only that, but it also undercuts most of its closest competition as well. The Range Rover Evoque retails at £27,995 for the cheapest model and the X1 only narrowly beats it at £24,420. With its class leading interior, functional styling and solid performance with impressive fuel economy, this is sure to be a big hit when it hits the dealers. 

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