New Audi Q3 SUV on track for summer launch with classy looks and Q5 tech
The next iteration of the popular compact SUV will be one of Audi’s last petrol-powered cars
We’re expecting the new, third-generation Audi Q3 to be revealed this summer, ready to compete against premium small SUVs such as the BMW X1, Mercedes GLA, Volvo XC40 and, our current class favourite, the MINI Countryman.
The first examples of the next Q3 should then start arriving with customers before the end of the year, with the regular SUV and more rakish, coupe-esque Sportback versions likely to go on sale at the same time.
Prototypes of both bodystyles have been spotted on public roads out and about testing – or in one instance last year, off the road and buried in a ditch after a failed escape into the wilderness.
Despite this incident, and the usual swathes of camouflage on the test cars we’ve seen, we have a very clear idea of what the new Q3 will look like. For starters, the front end will be more aggressive than before, and is going to draw heavily from the Audi Q5 mid-size SUV that’s just been launched.
The Q3 will get a wider, more vertical front grille with a similar honeycomb pattern to the Q5, flanked by a large set of air intakes. The new model’s LED headlights will be much slimmer, with individual pixel-like segments. The pure-electric Audi Q6 e-tron also features this technology, which lets drivers of top-spec models customise the daytime running signature of their car, while another unit lower down takes care of the dipped and high beams.
The rear will get more rounded, curvaceous bodywork plus slimmer lights that are almost certainly connected by a full-width LED light bar. The fairly subtle roof spoiler incorporates another brake light, also like the Q5, that will project onto the rear window to increase visibility at night.
Interior and technology
The new Q3 is likely to be longer than its predecessor, which should translate into extra cabin space. The interior should also feature Audi’s latest ‘Digital Stage’ cockpit design that sees the ‘Virtual Cockpit’ instrument panel and central touchscreen (both OLED panels) housed in a single curved panel in front of the driver.
The more compact, less pricey Q3 will probably get smaller displays than the Q5’s enormous 14.5-inch touchscreen and 11.9-inch driver’s display, and almost certainly won’t be available with the separate 10.9-inch front passenger screen found in the top-spec versions of its big brother. Although Audi’s latest, very slick infotainment system will be carried over.
Platform and engine options
The new Q3 will sit on a heavily updated ‘evo’ version of the MQB platform – the same as used by the Volkswagen Tiguan and Cupra Terramar – instead of Audi’s Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) that the company has used for its latest Q5, as well as the new A5 and A6 saloon and estate.
The new Q3 is destined to be one of the last cars Audi launches with an internal-combustion engine under the bonnet, and should be available with a choice of petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid set-ups. Those looking for an upmarket all-electric SUV from the brand will be catered for by the similarly sized Audi Q4 e-tron.
We expect the Q3 to have the same engine line-up as the mechanically related Tiguan, meaning it’ll be available with 1.5 and 2.0-litre TSI petrol engines assisted by 48-volt mild-hybrid technology to help boost efficiency, plus a 2.0-litre TDI diesel. Base models should be front-wheel drive, with the option of four-wheel drive for more potent engines.
The plug-in hybrid powertrain offered in the Q3 will be the same as in the Tiguan and Terramar, consisting of a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine and six-speed automatic gearbox, working together with a 113bhp electric motor and 19.7kWh battery. Equipped with this running gear, the Q3 PHEV should offer more than 70 miles of pure-electric range and nearly 300bhp.
The hot RS Q3 was removed from Audi’s UK line-up in 2023, but it could return with the next-generation model, potentially powered by the 394bhp five-cylinder petrol engine from the latest Audi RS 3 hyper-hatch.
Prices and rivals
The Audi Q3 currently starts from £35,685, so the new model line-up, with its extra technology and more sophisticated design, will probably start at closer to £37,000.
For comparison, the BMW X1 is priced from £36,200 and the Mercedes GLA is available from £35,600, although it’s worth noting an all-new generation of the latter is due to launch by the end of next year.
Other direct rivals, the Volvo XC40 and Alfa Romeo Tonale, start from £36,560 and £37,175 respectively. Meanwhile, the reigning Auto Express Premium Small SUV of the Year, the MINI Countryman, is priced from £28,820 and significantly undercuts its competition.
Something else worth noting is that production of the Audi Q2 is coming to an end either this year or next, and while there are plans for a similarly sized electric SUV to serve as a successor, it’s still some way off. Until it arrives, the Q3 will be Audi’s entry-level SUV.
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