A mini Q8, at least until the next Q5.
After a brief leak, Audi has decided to fully release official images and information about their all-new Q3, the second-generation version of a crossover (and/or SUV, whichever you prefer) that sits below the Q5 and will now, due to an expanded line-up, be a bigger sibling to the Q2.
The original Q3 was in dire need for ‘from scratch’ redo, lasting 7 years since its debut in 2011, and this evolution pushes it much closer to the aesthetic of Ingolstadt’s newest and most high-end Q model, the Q8. It’s also grown up quite a bit in the process, now being a noticeably larger vehicle than its predecessor.
That added size and practicality will be useful as it locks horns with the new second-generation BMW X1, Jaguar E-Pace, and Volvo XC40 when first deliveries commence this November. As for its Australian debut, we expect that to happen further into 2019.
With an elongated wheelbase and wider stance, the all-new Q3 is most definitely a more substantial object on the road, but can equally boast of a roomier interior, more cargo carrying capacity, and improved passenger leg and headroom than before with a shot at being a class leader in these respects.
With the seats folded, owners will enjoy up to 675-litres of boot space thanks to a rear bench that can be slid forward. The cabin itself takes many cues from the Q8, and the result is quite a tech-laden interior that’s also very premium indeed, replete with Audi’s Virtual Cockpit digital instrument cluster and a tilted widescreen infotainment display.
A wider spectrum of variants are expected to gain access to a more comprehensive list of driver assist and active safety features, including a 360-degree camera, Adaptive Cruise Control and Traffic Jam Assist. Furthermore, most are expected to receive the company’s Adaptive Damper tech as well.
Under that more angular and arguably more aggressive looking body, the all-new Q3 sits on the Volkswagen Group’s ubiquitous MQB modular platform, the same underpinnings shared with everything from the burly VW Atlas to the petite Audi TT. As usual, the marque’s ‘quattro’ all-wheel drive system will be standard on higher end variants with most having to make due being front-drive only.
Lamentable, though also predictably so, is the Q3’s range identifiers. They use Audi’s new and confusing numbered nomenclature, untethered to specifications such as engine capacity or…..logic. It kicks off with the 35TSI, which is powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol unit that delivers an adequate 110kW and 250Nm.
Above that lives the 40TFSI and 45TFSI, both powered by a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-pot that produces 140kW or 170kW, respectively. There will, of course, be more engines added post launch, but initially Audi will offer only one diesel option: a 2.0-litre four-cylinder 110kW oiler called the 35TDI.
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