Audi Q3 Estate

• Body Glass
  • Acoustic windscreen
  • Front and rear electric windows
  • Rain and light sensors
  • Rear wiper
  • Variable front intermittent wipers
• Brakes
  • Electromechanical parking brake
  • Electronic stabilisation control including ABS, ASR and EDL
  • Hill descent control
  • Hill hold assist
• Carpets/Rugs
  • Front and rear floor mats
• Chassis/Suspension
  • Standard suspension
• Communication
  • Audi connect safety and service
  • Audi smartphone interface includes wireless Apple carplay/Android Auto
  • Bluetooth interface
  • Voice control system with natural language interaction
• Driver Aids
  • Audi drive select
  • Audi lane departure warning
  • Camera based traffic sign recognition
  • Distraction and Fatigue warning
  • Progressive steering
• Driver Convenience
  • Power operated tailgate
  • Start stop system with recuperation
• Driver Information
  • Amazon alexa Integration
  • Audi Virtual Cockpit - 10.25" display
  • Legal emergency call
  • MMI Navigation Plus with high resolution 10.1 inch touchscreen colour display
  • Service interval indicator
• Driving Mirrors
  • Auto dimming door mirrors
  • Auto dimming frameless rear view mirror
  • Electrically folding, adjustable and heated door mirrors with integrated LED side indicators and kerb view function for passenger side
• Embellishment Trims
  • Aluminium look interior elements
  • Detail dashboard around MMI touch colour display in glass look, black with surround in aluminium look
  • Micrometallic silver inlay
• Entertainment
  • 2 USB-C ports with charge and data functions
  • 6 passive loudspeakers
  • DAB digital radio module
• Exterior Body Features
  • Aluminium roof rails
  • Aluminium window trim
  • Anthracite black radiator grille
  • Front and rear bumpers, wheel arch trims and side sill trims in contrasting Manhattan grey paint finish
  • Front side air inlets in matt selenite silver
  • Front spoiler in matt selenite silver
  • Grille vertical bars in aluminium silver/Matt
  • High gloss black finish B and C pillars
  • Rear diffuser strip in matt selenite silver
  • Rear side wing doors
• Exterior Lights
  • Front fog lights
  • LED headlights with LED daytime running lights
  • LED third brake light
• Heating/Cooling/Ventilation
  • Dual zone electronic climate control
• Interior Features
  • 12V socket in rear centre console
  • 3 spoke multi-function leather steering wheel
  • Door sill trims with aluminium inlay
  • Front centre armrest
  • Height and reach adjustable steering wheel
  • Lunar silver cloth headlining
  • Stainless steel luggage compartment sill finisher
• Packs
  • Non smoking pack - Q3
• Safety
  • 3x3 point rear seatbelts
  • 6 airbags - Driver, front passenger, curtain and side windows
  • Audi pre-sense front with pedestrain and cyclist recognition
  • Electrically operated child locks on rear doors
  • Front seatbelt reminder
  • Pre sense basic
  • Seatbelt monitoring
  • Tyre pressure warning
  • Warning triangle and first aid kit
• Seats
  • 3 seat bench in 2nd row
  • 40:20:40 folding with manual adjustment for 60:40 forwards/backwards position and backrest angle
  • Electric lumbar support
  • Front and rear headrests
  • ISOFIX child seat mounting for front passenger with airbag deactivation and outer rear seat including top tether attachment point for outer rear seats
  • Manual front seats with height adjustment
  • Single front passenger seat
• Security
  • Anti theft alarm
  • Anti theft wheel bolts
  • Immobiliser
  • Remote central locking

• Emissions - ICE
  • CO2 (g/km): 134
  • HC+NOx:
  • Particles:
  • Standard Euro Emissions: EURO 6
  • WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb: 150
  • WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb - TEH: 162
  • WLTP - CO2 (g/km) - Comb - TEL: 150
• Engine and Drive Train
  • Camshaft: DOHC
  • Catalytic Convertor: Yes
  • CC: 1,498
  • Cylinder Layout: IN-LINE
  • Cylinders: 4
  • Engine Layout: FRONT TRANSVERSE
  • Fuel Delivery: TURBO DIRECT INJECTION
  • Gears: 7 SPEED
  • Number of Valves: 16
  • Transmission: SEMI-AUTO
• Fuel Consumption - ICE
  • EC Combined (mpg): 48.7
  • EC Directive 1999/100/EC Applies: No
  • EC Extra Urban (mpg): 55.4
  • EC Urban (mpg): 40.9
  • WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Comb: 6.6
  • WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Comb - TEH: 7.1
  • WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Comb - TEL: 6.6
  • WLTP - MPG - Comb: 42.8
  • WLTP - MPG - Comb - TEH: 39.8
  • WLTP - MPG - Comb - TEL: 42.8
• General
  • Alternative Fuel Qualifying: No
  • Badge Engine CC: 1.5
  • Badge Power: 150
  • Based On ID:
  • Coin Description: TFSI
  • Coin Series: Sport
  • Generation Mark: 2
  • Insurance Group 1 - 50 Effective January 07: 24E
  • Man Corrosion Perforation Guarantee - Years: 12
  • Manufacturers Paintwork Guarantee - Years: 3
  • NCAP Adult Occupant Protection %: 95
  • NCAP Child Occupant Protection %: 86
  • NCAP Overall Rating - Effective February 09: 5
  • NCAP Pedestrian Protection %: 76
  • NCAP Safety Assist %: 85
  • Safety Concerns?: No
  • Service Interval Frequency - Months: 24
  • Service Interval Mileage: 18,000
  • Special Edition: No
  • Special Order: No
  • Standard manufacturers warranty - Mileage: 60,000
  • Standard manufacturers warranty - Years: 3
  • Vehicle Homologation Class: M1
• Performance
  • 0 to 60 mph (secs): No
  • 0 to 62 mph (secs): 9.4
  • Engine Power - BHP: 150
  • Engine Power - KW: 110
  • Engine Power - PS: Yes
  • Engine Power - RPM: 5,000
  • Engine Torque - LBS.FT: 184
  • Engine Torque - MKG: 25.5
  • Engine Torque - NM: 250
  • Engine Torque - RPM: 1500
  • Top Speed: 128
• Test Cycles
  • Emissions Test Cycle: WLTP
  • RDE Certification Level: RDE 2
• Tyres
  • Alloys?: Yes
  • Space Saver?: No
  • Tyre Size Front: 235/55 R18
  • Tyre Size Rear: 235/55 R18
  • Tyre Size Spare: TYRE REPAIR KIT
  • Wheel Style: 5 DOUBLE ARM
  • Wheel Type: 18" ALLOY
• Vehicle Dimensions
  • Height:
  • Height (including roof rails): 1,616
  • Length: 4,484
  • Wheelbase: 2,680
  • Width: 1849
  • Width (including mirrors): 2,024
• Weight and Capacities
  • Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres): 58
  • Gross Vehicle Weight: 2,070
  • Luggage Capacity (Seats Down): 1525
  • Luggage Capacity (Seats Up): 530
  • Max. Loading Weight: 575
  • Max. Roof Load: 75
  • Max. Towing Weight - Braked: 2,000
  • Max. Towing Weight - Unbraked: 750
  • Minimum Kerbweight: 1,495
  • No. of Seats: 5
  • Turning Circle - Kerb to Kerb: 11.8

Ten Second Review
Audi continues to target the ever-growing market for premium-badged mid-sized five-seat SUVs with this second generation version of its stylish little Q3. This car's now cleverer, smarter and more efficient, all of these being attributes it'll need if it's to make headway in this increasingly crowded segment. When it comes to this kind of car, there are certainly cheaper options. The question though, is whether there are really any more desirable ones.

Background
Sales of five-seat Qashqai-class Crossovers have certainly taken off in recent years. Nor is it only the mainstream brands that are offering us cars of this kind - family hatches with raised ride heights and a dose of SUV-style attitude. The premium makers are at it too, with cars like this one, Audi's desirable second generation Q3. This model has been a useful seller for the Ingolstadt maker since the MK1 model's original launch in 2011, but these days, it's facing tougher competition. Its closest rival, BMW's X1, has upped its game, Mercedes also does well in this profitable market niche with its GLA model and the more recent Jaguar E-PACE and Volvo XC40 models have already found a ready band of buyers. For all these reasons, this Audi needed to evolve - as it has in the MK2 model guise we're going to look at here.

Driving Experience
To start with, there are four engine options - three petrol TFSI units and one TDI diesel - with power outputs ranging from 150PS to 230PS. All four engines are four-cylinder direct injection units with turbocharging. Things kick off with the '35 TFSI' front-driven derivative, which offers a 150PS 1.5-litre engine that uses the cylinder on demand efficiency system, which temporarily switches off two cylinders at low load. Buyers choose between a six-speed manual or a seven-speed S tronic automatic. Next up is the 2.0-litre TFSI petrol unit, offered with 190PS in the '40 TFSI' and with 230PS in the '45 TFSI'. Either way, you get S tronic auto transmission and quattro 4WD as standard. For folks still wanting a diesel, there's the '35 TDI', which gets you the usual 2.0-litre TDI powerplant with 150PS. Here, the choice is between a front-driven manual variant or a quattro auto. You can also talk to your Audi Centre about a 190PS version of this diesel engine. Adaptive damping is optional and you can adjust it via the settings of the standard Audi drive select dynamic handling system. Also standard is progressive steering, the ratio of which becomes gradually more direct as the steering angle increases. Hill descent control is also optional, to help you down slippery slopes, should you ever use your Q3 'off piste'.

Design and Build
This second generation Q3 is significantly larger than its predecessor, its 4.48m total length being 97mm longer than the original model. It's also 18mm wider, but sits 5mm lower. The styling's more purposeful this time round and the trademark Singleframe grille is more prominent, with an octagonal design and eight vertical bars. It's flanked by slimmer LED headlamps. Inside, much of the look and feel is borrowed from the brand's larger models, with a reductive instrument panel divided into two levels, the top part including the air vents and the bottom section the large octagonal area with its black-panel look. There's a fully digital instrument panel and an MMI centre-dash touch display surrounded by high-gloss black trim. The other thing that previous Q3 buyers will notice about the interior is the extra spaciousness on offer, made possible thanks to the 78mm of extra wheelbase added to this second generation model. The three-seater rear bench can be moved fore/aft by 150mm and its 40:20:40-split backrest can be tilted in seven stages. Boot capacity totals 530 or 675-litres, depending on the position of the rear seats and backrests. With the backrests completely folded down the figure rises to 1,525-litres. The loading floor can be adjusted in three levels, and the low loading sill of 748 millimetres makes stowing heavy luggage easier.

Market and Model
Prices haven't moved too far. Expect a similar span to the previous model, which means that this Q3 will sit mainly in the £29,000 to £40,000 bracket. For that you'll expect cutting-edge media connectivity - and you'll get it. Take the 'MMI navigation plus' package for example, which recognises the driver's preferences based on previous journeys, allowing it to generate suitable route suggestions. Buyers get a 3 year subscription to the usual 'Audi connect' media package which uses the super-fast LTE Advanced standard and provides its services like high resolution satellite images of Google Earth, a traffic information online system and a point-of-interest search function. Hybrid radio is also included in the specification. Depending on a station's signal strength it automatically switches between FM, DAB and the online stream to ensure optimum reception at all times. The Audi Q3 is near the top of its class when it comes to assist systems. Audi Side Assist blind spot monitoring and a lane departure warning function. Plus Audi's 'pre sense front' autonomous braking system is also included. To suit the mood of the moment, there's a bit of autonomous driving tech too, courtesy of the optional adaptive cruise assist, which works with the S tronic auto transmission and incorporates the functions of adaptive speed assist, traffic jam assist and active lane assist.

Cost of Ownership
The Q3 improves on the already impressive figures of existing models and the Cylinder-on-Demand technology for the latest 1.5-litre engine spells an almost diesel-like return of over 50mpg on the combined cycle. With the front-driven manual version of the 2.0 TDI diesel, expect over 60mpg on the combined cycle and well under 130g/km of CO2. As for maintenance, well servicing your Q3 should be no more taxing than is the case with one of the company's larger cars. As usual with Audi models, there's a choice of either a 'Fixed' or a 'Flexible' servicing regime, the choice between the two depending on the extent of your likely annual mileage. Like most Audi models, once you've taken the pain of the initial asking price, ongoing costs should be manageable. As long as you don't go too berserk when choosing options, you'll have those reassuringly plump Audi residual values to fall back on, by far the biggest ticket item when it comes to overall cost of ownership in this corner of the market.

Summary
Audi knows better than most manufacturers that there's never a one-size-fits-all solution to modern motoring, hence the range of options offered by its various Q-series models. This one could well be all the car you actually need. Don't think of it as a shrunken version of its Q5 compact SUV stablemate. It isn't really any kind of SUV, instead offering a smarter, more up-market take on the current trend towards lifestyle-orientated Qashqai-class five-seat SUVs. Sensible, stylish, fashionable cars that are striking such a sweet spot in the current market. As with almost any model of this kind, this one can easily manage the school run, an extended shopping trip, a weekend away or the annual family ski trip to Chamonix. The difference here though, lies in the quality, the depth of engineering and the sheer feel-good factor that you'll get by having this car on your driveway. Yes, you can certainly buy something slightly bigger and SUV-ish for this kind of money. But after trying a Q3, you probably won't want to.