Audi Q3

Audi has launched the facelifted version of its smallest SUV Q3 in India. Now the vehicle is BS6 compliant. This cute and beautiful vehicle now available in two variants. The price starts for the base Premium Plus variant at Rs.57.03 Lakh and goes up to Rs.63.95 Lakh ex-showroom for the fully loaded Technology variant.

From the front it is a nice and bold vehicle. The beautiful octagonal grille with Audi logo and Quattro badging, LED headlamps with DRLs, a skid plate, all these are making it a good looking SUV from the front view.

When come to the sides, you can see the 18 inch alloy wheels, body coloured door handles and rear view mirrors of the Q3. The Silver coloured grab rails and high ground clearance gives its an SUV look from sides.

At the rear, we can see the beautifully designed LED tail lamps, a rear wiper and a spoiler on top. Quattro badging is provided on the tailgate. Large bumper with a skid plate are making it muscular from the rear portion. Overall the Q3 looks bold and has a well proportioned design elements.

Q3 comes with a beautifully designed dashboard. The center console is slightly tilted to the driver side. Fit and finish of the cabin elements are good, afterall it is a baby Q7.

A 10.1 inch touch screen with Android auto and AppleCarplay is provided at the center of the dashboard. Please note that the system don't have wireless connectivity, its a wired system.Rear view camera and the 180W Bang & Olufsen sound system are configured through this touch screen system. 

Also a 12.3 inch digital instrument cluster is provided to the driver, which is called the Digital Cockpit by Audi, is a nice system. Driver can access various information about the car from this system. Navigation display is also provided in this digital cockpit.

At the storage front, all the doors are provided with large bottle holders, also there are two cup holders on the front center console and also on the rear arm rest. A storage space is provided under the front adjustable driver arm rest too.

For charging the mobile and other devices, you will get a wireless mobile charging pad and two Type C charging sockets at the front and two Type C charging socket for rear passengers.

The car is provided with well contoured seats. Even though it is a premium car, the Q3 lacks ventilated seats. Driver seats can be adjusted electrically. 

The Q3 is provided with 2-Zone A/c. Physical control knobs of A/c are of good quality and are very easy to use even while driving.

The rear seats are also well cushioned and having slanting adjustments. So you can adjust it for your maximum comfort. The 2680mm wheelbase ensures sufficient legroom for rear passengers. Headroom is also very sufficient. Even though the Q3 is a five seater, the large transmission tunnel of the car making it a perfect four seater in real world condition. The large sunroof provided on the Q3 makes the cabin more airy, which also makes it to feel more spacious too.

It has a boot capacity of 530 liters, and can be expanded to 1550 liters by folding down the second row seats. A space saver tyre is well placed under the boot floor without affecting the storage space.

Engine and performance

As always Audi Q3 is a fun to drive machine. It's compact size and peppy engine makes you smile everytime you drive it. The Q3 comes with 1984cc turbo petrol engine, which shells out 187bhp power and 320Nm torque, is paired with a 7-Speed Dual Clutch transmission. Power is sent to all four wheels by the Quattro All Wheel Drive system. The steering wheel can be adjusted telescopically to find the right driving position, cruise control and paddle shifters are provided on this steering wheel.

The power comes in a very linear manner. The Q3 can accelerate 0 to 100kmph in 7.3 seconds. Drive modes namely-Comfort, Dynamic, Efficiency, Auto and Off-road modes are provided with the Q3. Response from the steering, engine and gearbox changes as per the mode selection.

The car feels very stable and planted on higher speeds and the Quattro will ensure the grip on all four wheels in every road conditions. Moreover the higher ground clearance and the Quattro system will give a confidence to take the Q3 through any rough roads without much worry.

NVH levels inside the cabin is excellent. The engine sound will be audible at higher rpms only, other wise the cabin is silent. The tough build quality, nice seats, good NVH levels and the well tuned suspension set up etc. will make your ride very comfortable with the Audi Q3.

Important Figures

• Length: 4485mm
• Width: 1849mm
• Height: 1616mm
• Wheelbase: 2680mm
• Boot space: 530 Liter
• Engine: 1984cc Turbo-Petrol
• Power: 187bhp
• Torque: 320Nm
• Acceleration(0-100kmph): 7.2 Seconds
• Top speed: 222kmph
• No.of gears: 7-speed DCT
• Mileage: 14.93kmpl
• Seating capacity: 05

The Audi Q3 has scored 5 Star in Euro NCAP safety rating. It is equipped with six airbags, ABS,EBD, Hill start assist,Rear view camera and sensors, ISOFIX at rear seat etc. But the car is not provided with ADAS features even at its premium price points.

To conclude, the Audi Q3 is a nice tough built All Wheel Drive SUV, and it is the only SUV in its segment which comes with AWD technology. Definitely you can consider it if you are in search of an SUV in its price range.

As always, Happy driving.

Note:All images used in this blog has been taken from Manufacturer's website for presentation purpose.