Audi Q3 : Official Review

[formel_eins]

Was waiting for this review, superb insight to details As a product it has the upper hand when compared to its closest rival the BMW X1 now only if they can match it up with competitive commercials this could well be a game changer for Audi.

There is a small light which is visible in the picture of outside right mirror, what does it do?

You mentioned a term "coasting" does it mean if one removes foot from accelerator vehicle goes neutral?? Personally I would not like that, car feels dead in such conditions and coupled with equally dead steering it would be a murder of drive feel.

[S2!!!]

Nice review anshuman.

The launch of the Q3 just got me wondering that why would anyone buy the VW Passat after all??
You have more or less the same features in the Q3 with a classier looking interior and a badge that can make a common man (Volkswagen- peoples' car)- a rich man (Audi- actually it is the abbreviation for auto union but never mind) Yes the Passat has the park-assist and the superb climatic seats but you do get the same tune for the engine and the auto hold feature and the biggest advantage is that the Q3 is an SUV and those 3 letters do give you bragging rights if nothing else. I just wish the amazing climatic seats would have been added in this car as well.

BMW X1 owners do have a sportier SUV resembling a crocodile from certain angles but the Q3 is cute though not pretty looking nor butch and masculine IMO. Its like the Beetle of the premium SUV world and has a promising future in India atleast.

[urajkumar]

Awesome Review! Very detailed & helped me clear all my questions!

I have seen Q3 reviews in various forms and wanted to see one thing which i was never shown in any other review! Of course only Team BHP covered it as i expected!

I wanted to see the Q3 next to existing SUV to get a sence of how compact (or Big) it is! Very happy to see pics of Q3 next to Q5 - To my eye it does not look very small in comparion!

I am sure this is far ahead of X1 but i get a feeling it will be the same with the OTR cost as well! It will do well only if priced well! It can be priced well only if its sold as CKD kit which it is not the case initially!

So the million dollor question is will Audi price it considering the CKD cost initially to get a good momentum on sales & garner positive word of mouth ? or will it sell at the CBU price which could give a very negative start? Guess its not going to be a long wait! Lets wait and watch

[vvijay]

That is one awesome review Anshuman, rated it an excellent 5 stars!

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

However in the ORVM pic, I noticed a light (?) on the right bottom corner. Is that a puddle lamp? Or something else?

Originally Posted by formel_eins

There is a small light which is visible in the picture of outside right mirror, what does it do?

I guess that should be sensors for Blind Spot Information System if I'm not wrong.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Luggage space is flexible. When required, the rear seat can be folded away to make for a flat cargo bay:

Excellent review Anshuman. Sorry if I missed this point but I don't think I could see what the actual luggage / boot space is in the vehicle. Could you please clarify this if this info is handy?

Thanks

[suhaas307]

Great review Anshuman! Very detailed and intricate. I need to learn a thing or two from you.

Originally Posted by GTO

Very few SUVs get the ride quality & handling aspect correctly. To control body roll (due to height / high center of gravity), they need a firm suspension. If they focus on ride comfort, then the body roll is excessive & handling very poor (e.g. Tata Safari).

Two SUVs that have managed the ride & handling well are : Mitsubishi Pajero (old, not Pajero Sport) & Skoda Yeti. On the other hand, most others (including the Fortuner & Endeavour) suffer from a bumpy ride.

In short, most SUVs built on ladder-frame chassis have average/poor ride-quality. SUVs built on monocoque-frames tend to handle better and ride better too. But the suspension is still stiffened to counter the height that translates to body-roll.

Low-speed ride isn't bad in any car these days. It's the ability to absorb undulations and not transfer it into the cabin that counts here. And most SUVs fail not just in that, but in the handling department as well.

The Safari's ride is very supple, and arguably the best ride I've experienced in any SUV below 20 lakhs. But that immediately translates into vague handling characteristics.

The CR-V is not bad at all in terms of ride and handling, and is one SUV that scores in both counts, IMO.

I'd like to see how the Ford EcoSport and Renault Duster turn out.

[shankar.balan]

Size Spec of Skoda Yeti and Ford EcoSPort - for comparison with the Audi Q3 - it would be nice to add in the correct Q3, Duster and XC60 Specs here if possible and if anyone on the forum can oblige:

(Have put in the Yeti specs as per my manual and have hijacked the EcoSport specs courtesy AutoIndian from the EcoSport thread)

Just for comparo and interest!

Skoda Yeti 2 litre TDi, 103KW, 4x4, Manual Transmission:
Length - 4223mm
Width - 1793mm (without wing mirrors)
Width - 1956mm (including wing mirrors)
Height - 1691mm
Wheelbase -2578mm
GC - 180mm
Kerb Weight- 1543kg
Gross Vehicle Weight -2075Kg
Fuel Tank capacity - 60 litres
Turning Circle diameter - 10metres

FORD EcoSport:
Length………… 4,241 mm
Width…………. 2,057 mm
Height………… 1,696 mm
Wheelbase……… 2,521 mm

[ashis89]

Nice review. The car looks real promising. Unlike the X1, Q3 sports a real SUV look(no offense to X1 lovers). The interiors are also very premium again unlike the X1.

The overall looks similar to the Q5 but the narrow front headlamps don't do justice to the large SUV. Also the rear lamps could have been different.

The thing to look out for would be the pricing. Price it at par the X1 or lower(am I asking too much) and watch it literally fly off the shelves.

PS: In the 5th pic from the top, the Q5 and Q3 standing back to back. They look similar to the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport brothers. Both the Q3 and the Sport have a more slanting rear door compared to their respective elder brothers.

[dkaile]

Great review Anshuman. I feel the Q3 will definitely eat into the X1 pie which had no competition till date. Whether it will beat the Fortuner sales, is highly improbable. It is a fine lifestyle vehicle but not a true SUV under any circumstances. For the Indian customer clamoring to get a 'niche' brand, this is one of the entry level vehicles to beat.

But, if reasoning sets in, then other VW group vehicles (like the Superb for instance) definitely provide much more cake for the price, with quite similar (if not higher) build quality.

[deetjohn]

Great review .anshuman.

The Q3 in that dark blue shade looks very good indeed. The X1 is simply no match on aesthetics. But the alloys could have been better!

The Q3 is only 1 cm away from the Fortuner on width. Wonder why Audi couldn't manage a bigger bench at the rear. Is it due to those huge door pads? I think narrow rear seats will an issue in our country.

[SrikantDora]

A very detailed write up as always Anshuman, deserves a 5 star rating. It will be interesting to watch the Compact SUV segment post the launch of Q3. I do not carry a high opinion on Audi products & will pick a Bimmer over an Audi at any given but Q3 is undoubtedly an winner over X1. It all depends on Audi's pricing but if Q3 is priced right it is going to be irresistible product for buyers in the 25 Lakh category. I am curious to see BMW's strategy to go in hunt for the number one spot again.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by vinj14

Audi India has repeatedly mentioned that this isnt a direct competitor for the X1. Im guessing that means the price is definitely going to be way higher and around the 40 lakhs mark! Which is extremely pricey for a compact SUV!

Audi India head Micheal Perschke clearly mentioned that they are not getting into price wars and hinted at slightly premium pricing. But i expect lower variants with 140hp FWD after the CKD assembly starts in India.

Also, does the fully loaded Q3 come with memory seats?

No memory seats for any variant.

Originally Posted by smartcat

- The interiors are a pleasant surprise. They actually look a bit BMWesque, especially with the wood finish and lower part of the center console.

Even with the BMW X1 the interior design is not not an issue, its the choice of materials which lend it a poorer feel. Q3 in comparison has typical Audi choice of materials.

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Brilliant review anshuman. The missing memory for seats and mirrors is astounding, and I wonder how Audi can leave such a good and important feature out. I wonder what VAG is upto, really.

As i mentioned people sharing their cars with other family members will miss this function. In BMWs(including base X1) the seat settings can be linked to the keys, you would get your set seating position as soon as you plug in the key.

How does it compare to the Yeti, which I think also shares the platform with this. The layout in general looks very similar. Is the ride much better than the Yeti, what about the dynamics?

Originally Posted by vb-san

Though X1 is the closest direct competitor, how do you rate the Q3 in comparison with the other small cross-over (in India) from the same family – the Yeti 4x4?
Apart from the slightly more powerful engine with AT, Audi badge and some additional comfort features, does the Q3 justify the premium pricing over the Yeti? Especially because, both the cars share same platform, internals, safety features etc.

Overall Ride in Yeti is more absorbent but with initial stiffness, Q3's stiffness starts showing up on medium to bad roads but on good roads the ride is better than Yeti. Q3 scores better in dynamics, its a better handler than the Yeti. Surprisingly Yeti's steering has more weight and feel than Q3.

The Quattro system in Q3 is full time AWD with ability to split power, whereas Yeti's 4X4 system is FWD based torque on demand system which takes more time to respond than Quattro.

For the price, if you don't mind the badge and the quirky styling, pick up the Yeti with your eyes closed, you will still get 90% of what Q3 delivers at twice the price.

Originally Posted by Thilak29

"Never, ever fill premium diesel in a German car. Regular diesel does just fine"
-Why so?

The additives in premium Diesels damage the internals of modern CRDI engines, not only for Germans, avoid premium additive laced Diesel for all CRDI engines. Most manufacturers have this mentioned the owner's manual. Please search the forum for details.

[Utopian]

Stunned by the review. This would look just too god in my porch.
Audi should quickly bring in the more VFM variant. At a competitive price, it has every ingredient to outsell the Bavarian.
When can we expect the Ertiga review? Long time, eh!!

[androdev]

Great review there .anshuman and fantastic pictures with beautiful location to match!

Originally Posted by .anshuman

The Quattro system in Q3 is full time AWD with ability to split power, whereas Yeti's 4X4 system is FWD based torque on demand system which takes more time to respond than Quattro.

I was under the impression that Q3 will come with the same AWD as that of Yeti because I thought only longitudinally mounted engines can be mated with Torsen based futll-time AWD, and transversely mounted engines will have Haldex based AWD. Audi still uses quattro tag for both AWDs so quattro doesn't mean Torsen based AWD.

I am also surprised that Q3 2.0 TDI is coming with 7 speed DSG. Both A4 and A6 come with CVT for models with 2.0 TDI engines. And isn't 7 speed DSG a dry clutch AT that does duty in Superb 1.8 TSI? I hear 6 speed wet clutch AT is relatively more robust than the 7 speed dry clutch AT.

How is the rear-bench recline and thigh support for long journeys? Hope they include arm-rest in the back soon.

Overall looks to be a very competent car. I am skeptical about price though - DSG+quattro always cost a bomb in the Audi range.

Even though it is a direct competitor to X1, I suspect potential buyers won't waste a lot of time debating between the two choices. If I am in the market for a car in Q3, X1 range, it will take me just one quick pass at these two cars to decide what suits me.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

For the price, if you don't mind the badge and the quirky styling, pick up the Yeti with your eyes closed, you will still get 90% of what Q3 delivers at twice the price.

Compared to the Q3, the Yeti does in fact look as a great VFM option, but how many people think with their heads while buying premium brands. Its mostly heart vs the head and the heart wins mostly.

Originally Posted by androdev

I am also surprised that Q3 2.0 TDI is coming with 7 speed DSG. Both A4 and A6 come with CVT for models with 2.0 TDI engines. And isn't 7 speed DSG a dry clutch AT that does duty in Superb 1.8 TSI? I hear 6 speed wet clutch AT is relatively more robust than the 7 speed dry clutch AT.

I presume the 7 speed DSG is the same as on Superb but they have, post Mid 2010 manufactured vehicles, solved all reliability issues with that gearbox. That is why they had the confidence to place it in a flagship product like the Q3.