Audi has taken the wraps off its striking new Q3.
In terms of design it’s an aggressive step forward for Audi. The previous-generation car wasn’t ugly by any means, but it never stood out in a parking lot. With sharper lines, LEDs and 11 colours to choose from, the new Q3 makes a bold statement.
The interior seems to be a scaled-down version of what you’ll find in Audi’s larger and more expensive models. It’s bound to be made of high quality materials, as Audi is well-known for producing some of the best interiors around. Analogue instruments have been consigned to history in the new Q3 – its operating and display concept has been overhauled from the ground up. In Sport and S line versions the fully digital MMI touch display with 10.1-inch screen in the centre of the instrument panel is standard, as is MMI navigation plus and the Audi Virtual Cockpit with a 10.25 inch screen within the binnacle.
It is 4485 millimetres long, making it 97 millimetres longer than its predecessor, and has grown in width by 18 millimetres to 1849 millimetres, but at ,585 millimetres it sits five millimetres lower than the first-generation Q3. Its wheelbase, which has been stretched 78 millimetres to 2681 millimetres, facilitates the inclusion of considerably more knee room, headroom and elbow room.
Four engines will be available from launch, though it’s not clear what we’ll get in South Africa.
All four engines (three petrol, one diesel) are four-cylinder direct injection units with turbocharging, and all are fitted with a particulate filter. Outputs range from 110kW to 170kW, with both manual and automatic transmissions available. Naturally, the famous quattro all-wheel drive system is standard on higher end models.
No official release date has been set, but we can expect to see the Q3 in South Africa sometime during the first quarter of 2019.
