The Q3 was one of the first small upmarket SUVs and it proved an enormous success for Audi. Over the original model鈥檚 seven-year lifespan the company shifted 100,000 examples in the UK. None of them is newer than the Volvo XC40. In fact, this is our favourite small premium SUV on sale, so if the Q3 wants to follow in the footsteps of its forebear, this is the car it has to overcome. Audi is also facing pressure from below, because the Mazda CX-5 has been refreshed for its 2019 model year with a new trim line-up that鈥檚 more premium than ever. Look at this car next to the Q3 and you鈥檒l see that these two vehicles are incredibly close when it comes to boot space, power, performance and price - plus the level of equipment on offer. Read on to find out. Audi has updated its Q3 with a fresh chassis and tech, and we鈥檙e testing it in 35 TFSI S line guise. Initially, all cars will get the S tronic dual-clutch auto (from 拢34,150), but a manual is available to order.
As with so many front-engined, front-wheel-drive models in the VW Group stable, the latest Audi Q3 is based on its parent firm鈥檚 MQB architecture, which is a versatile modular matrix that鈥檚 scalable. Here, it鈥檚 just under 4.5 metres in length and just over 1.8 metres wide, which puts the SUV on par for its physical footprint with the two rivals it鈥檚 going up against. Just as with the chassis, the 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine is familiar. In 35 TFSI guise (the name refers to its power output in kW, not engine size) it produces 148bhp and 250Nm of torque here and sends that power to the front wheels only through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. This transmission will make up the wave of early deliveries, while a six-speed manual and quattro four-wheel drive will follow later. Going for the manual gearbox will save you 拢1,580 and put the Q3 closer to the manual-only XC40 T3 R-Design.
Although it鈥檚 pricier, it feels good for the money, because the quality inside is of the typically high standard we鈥檝e come to expect from an Audi interior, even if there are some areas where pennies have been pinched. Still, it鈥檚 no worse than in the XC40 and in the most part the plastics are premium, while the mix of textures and materials creates the right feel, and the technology is superb. S line spec offers parking sensors, climate and cruise control, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, sat-nav, a digital dash, a power tailgate and half-leather seats - plus some great standard safety tech. In fact, the included kit list is so comprehensive that wireless charging (拢150) and a reversing camera (拢395) are the only extras truly worth considering. The Q3鈥檚 engine is better exploited in the mid range rather than revved right out, because it feels punchier and keener to deliver its performance.
The in-gear tests showed the Audi鈥檚 advantage, where it edged the Volvo from 50 to 70mph in sixth, taking 10.1 seconds compared with 12.7 seconds in the Swedish model. The XC40 only matched the Audi in third gear between 30 and 50mph, taking 3.9 seconds. With launch control and swift shifts thanks to its dual-clutch gearbox, the Q3 was the fastest car on test from 0-60mph, taking 9.0 seconds. The gearbox slurs changes well to keep things smooth, while taking manual control delivers snappy shifts. Rev the engine and it sounds strained, but it is refined enough thanks to the mid-range torque, so you don鈥檛 have to work it as hard as the Mazda. The ride and therefore comfort is acceptable, too, thanks to the standard passive dampers鈥?ability to mostly smooth out the impact of all but the worst bumps. These do cause a jiggle, but the set-up tones this down well so it still rides with a decent level of maturity. This doesn鈥檛 come at the expense of agility, though, because the Q3鈥檚 steering is light but quick and accurate; it鈥檚 the roll that creeps into the driving experience that limits the dynamic ability here.
