Audi details third-gen Q3 SUV

AUDI has released full details of its all-new Q3 compact SUV for the European market, the model range expected to make its way Down Under before the end of this year.

Offering what the German manufacturer says is its most dynamic and muscularly styled body yet, the third-generation Q3 provides a more spacious interior replete with the latest connectivity and safety features.

Visually, the Audi Q3 is characterised by a wider Singleframe grille, sleekly tapered headlights, a crisp horizontal shoulder line, and tail-lights designed to “visually divide the car into two parts”.

This distribution of light and shadow exaggerates the visual proportions of the Q3, which in Sportback form arrives lower (-29mm) and more rakish than before, offering, Audi says, a “sportier appearance and faster silhouette”.

As is now de rigueur elsewhere in the Audi range, the Q3 features OLED digital tail-lights complemented by a continuous LED strip across the tailgate.

At the front, Matrix LED headlights feature micro-LED technology for improved illumination, while the daytime running lights – also with LED technology – create a “distinctive light signature” that make the Q3 easily recognisable on the road.

New wheel designs are available ranging in diameter from 17- to 20 inches. Tyre width increases from 215- to 235mm. The body is available painted in a choice of 11 colours.

Moving back inside we find a new steering wheel control unit that frees up real estate in the centre console, offering drivers what Audi says is a new user experience and a better sense of space. Two column levers provide gear selection and indicator/light/wiper control, mirroring the arrangement offered by Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, and others.

Acoustic glazing is available for the first time, reducing noise levels in a cabin that is now enhanced by so-called Softwrap finishing to soften the appearance and feel of the dashboard and doors.

Upholstery choices will be determined by the trim grade selected with cloth, artificial leather, and genuine leather alternatives.

Audi’s curved Digital Stage instrumentation and infotainment screens measure 11.9- and 12.8 inches respectively and are accompanied by a head-up display system in select variants. Multiple USB-C charging ports are joined by a wireless device charging pad, an LED ambient lighting package, optional 420-watt Sonos premium audio bundle, and much more.

Standard safety technologies include adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, driver attention and fatigue monitoring, lane departure warning with emergency assist, traffic sign recognition, and more.

Further back, the Q3 offers 488 litres of cargo capacity and up to 1386 litres with the rear seats folded flat. Audi says the new Q3 boasts a towing capacity of up to 2100kg (braked), though it is not specified which variant this figure applies to.

Under the bonnet, the Q3 family is offered with a choice of petrol, diesel, and plug-in hybrid powertrains familiar to other models from within the Volkswagen Group.

These include a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol with 110kW/250Nm using 6.6 litres per 100km on the combined cycle and a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel with 110kW/360Nm sipping 5.8L/100km in front-wheel drive configuration; a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol developing 150kW/350Nm and consuming 8.4L/100km alongside a 195kW/400Nm alternative using up to 9.0L/100km in all-wheel drive configuration; and the e-hybrid PHEV which combines a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor driving the front wheels and developing 200kW/400Nm of system output.

The e-hybrid is said to consume as little as 2.2L/100km on the combined cycle with DC charging of the 19.7kWh (net) battery available at up to 50kW “in ideal conditions”. Charging from 10-80 per cent can be completed in less than 30 minutes with an all-electric driving range of up to 119km (WTLP).

In addition to the engines, Audi says it has also significantly improved the driving dynamics of the new Audi Q3, tailoring both the steel sprung arrangement and twin-valve damping to provide a driving experience “suitable for everyday use” that also “impresses with its agility”

The arrangement is said to continuously react to the characteristics of the road surface and the current driving situation, while considering parameters such as steering, braking, and acceleration.

“With a total of more than two million vehicles sold worldwide since the launch of the first generation, the Audi Q3 is one of our best-selling models and has a high status in our product portfolio,” said Audi chief executive officer Gernot Döllner.

“With the third generation of the Audi Q3, we are renewing an important model family as part of our product initiative and strengthening our range with a powerful plug-in hybrid and efficient combustion engines.

“The new model combines efficiency, driving dynamics, and comfort.”

In its home market, the new Audi Q3 will be priced from €44,600 ($A80,460) and is available from October. The Q3 Sportback will follow in November priced from €46,450 ($A83,800).