Audi Q3 2.0 TDI SE quattro

Has the smallest SUV in the Audi range been worth the wait? Take a look at the Q3, and it’s difficult to see why it has taken so long to arrive, as it resembles a smaller version of its Q5 and Q7 stablemates.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, and Audi fans will find little to complain about with the trademark grille, familiar rounded roofline and wraparound tailgate. Ordinarily the Q3 comes with contrasting anthracite trim on the wheelarches and side sills for a tougher 4x4 look, but our test car had the full paint finish option (£100), and its Samoa Orange paint covered all the bodywork.

Video: watch CarBuyer's video review of the Audi Q3

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The Audi is conservative compared to the pretty Ford and ungainly BMW, and is comfortably the shortest car in this test – the Kuga and X1 are 58mm and 69mm longer respectively.

Climb aboard and the ride height puts it between its rivals, with the Ford offering the tallest driving position and the BMW the lowest. Visibility is good, but you won’t be eyeballing drivers of high-riding Ford Transit vans from behind the wheel.

Instead, you’ll be feasting your eyes on the best cabin in the test. Audi leads the world for interior quality, and the Q3 provides another masterclass. Its instrumentation is a picture of clarity, its switchgear operates with confidence-inspiring solidity and the layout is simple and uncluttered. Plus, SE trim has plenty of equipment, although we’d like to see items such as cruise control (£225) and a DAB radio (£305) fitted as standard.

A screen for the stereo pops up manually from the top of the dashboard with a beautifully damped action, and it makes controlling the car’s various settings using the MMI dial on the stereo an absolute doddle.

In the back the Q3 is spacious enough, without being especially generous. There’s easily enough room for two adults, while the 460-litre boot is the largest on test. It could have been even bigger had Audi not chosen to fit a large subwoofer for the stereo beneath the boot floor.

If practicality really matters, you can specify a flat-folding front passenger seat to help accommodate extra-long loads (£130). The clever packaging doesn’t end there, as the Q3 is the only Audi SUV to feature a transversely mounted engine, which helps to make the most of the compact dimensions.

The 2.0-litre TDI diesel comes with 138bhp or 175bhp, and the higher-powered engine in our test car is available only with quattro four-wheel drive and an S tronic gearbox. It’s a brilliant combination, but carries a hefty £3,900 premium over the front-wheel-drive 138bhp diesel.

The extra money buys you plenty of performance, as the seven-speed transmission makes the most of the Q3’s power and torque. It changes gear crisply and smoothly, and the extra ratio does wonders for the new car’s responses and economy.

Against the clock it was faster than the Ford, and even trumped the more powerful BMW during our in-gear tests. Steering wheel paddles provide manual control of the gearbox, and the S tronic has another trick up its sleeve...

Buyers who specify the optional Audi Drive Select system (£220) have the opportunity to maximise fuel returns using the new Efficiency mode. This tunes the throttle and gearbox settings to optimise economy, and features a new ‘coast’ facility, which disengages drive every time you lift off the throttle to save fuel.

It seems to work, too, because we recorded 37.8mpg during our test – a figure which included our high-performance assessments. In comparison, the less powerful Ford could manage only 31.9mpg over the same distance. As if this wasn’t enough, the Q3 also strikes an excellent balance between handling agility and comfort.

Our SE model’s well judged suspension absorbed everything the testing North Yorkshire roads could throw at it, and while you’ll have more fun in the Kuga, the Q3 is faster and just as capable.

There’s lots of grip, precise steering and a set of powerful and progressive brakes. The Audi is also the most refined choice at cruising speeds, as well as being easy to drive in town, where the compact proportions make it simple to thread down narrow roads and park. Four-wheel-drive hardware ensures the Q3 can also tackle mild off-roading – so it’s a talented, if unexciting, addition to Audi’s SUV family.

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WHY: The ever-expanding Audi line-up now has a baby SUV. Is the new Q3 good enough to beat its BMW rival and the most dynamic mainstream model, the Ford Kuga?