AUDI EXPANDS THE Q RANGE IN INDIA WITH THE NEW Q3

The Q3 has been one of the most popular cars for German luxury brand Audi in India. The car wasn’t on sale in the country for the last couple of years, and now the SUV has been re-in troduced with an all-new look. It also gets a lot more features, but this time it misses out on a diesel heart. The new Q3 expands Audi’s Q range in India, which also includes cars like the Q5, Q7, and the Q8 flagship SUV. The car is available in two variants – Premium Plus and the more feature-laden Technology.

DESIGN

A lot has changed in the new Audi Q3 when it comes to looks. It does look sportier than its predecessor and has grown in all dimensions. The single frame grille in octagonal design is divided up by vertical bars and is one of the highlights upfront. The large air inlets add to the sporty appeal, while the narrow headlights run inwards with their wedge shape. The 18-inch 5-arm style alloy wheels mark the profile of the SUV. The car also gets a panoramic glass sunroof, a high-gloss styling package, and a comfort key with a gesture-controlled tailgate. The new Q3 is available in five exterior colour options – Pulse Orange, Glacier White, Chronos Grey, Mythos Black, and Navarra Blue.

INTERIOR

In the cabin, you can choose between Okapi Brown and Pearl Beige colour options. The higher Technology trim gets many features like MMI Navigation Plus with MMI Touch, Audi Virtual Cockpit Plus, Ambient lighting package plus in 30 colours, Audi phone box with wireless charging system and a 10 speaker, 180 W Audi sound system. The trim also gets an aluminum look with elements on the mirror adjustment switch, the power window switches, the parking brake control button, and door strips. The lower Premium Plus gets power adjustable front seats with four-way lumbar support, seat upholstery in a leather/leatherette combination, a leather-wrapped 3-spoke multifunction plus steering wheel with paddle shifters, decorative inserts in silver aluminum dimension, an ambient lighting package in a single colour, a frameless auto-dimming interior rearview mirror, a 2-zone climate control system, and parking aid plus with rearview camera. Other features include power-adjustable, heated & power folding exterior mirrors, digital instrument cluster, bluetooth interface, Audi smartphone interface and an electromechanical power steering. The SUV gets the largest boot in the segment with 530 litres, which comes with a space-saving spare wheel.

ENGINE

The new Q3 comes with just a petrol engine option. The tried and tested 2.0 L TFSI petrol unit delivers 190 hp and 320 Nm of torque.

The SUV goes from 0-100 km/h in 7.3 seconds. It works with a 7-speed automatic gearbox and the car also gets quattro all-wheel drive as standard. It offers a boost in terms of traction, agility, stability, and dynamic handling in all road conditions. Additionally, to enhance and adjust the driving characteristics, the new Q3 also gets different driving modes. For a better ride, the car is equipped with comfort suspension.

SAFETY

The new Q3 gets many safety features. These include Hill Start Assist, Cruise control system with speed limiter, 6 airbags, tyre pressure monitoring system, ISOFIX child seat anchors and top tether for outer rear seats and Anti-theft wheel bolts.

PRICES

The new Q3 is priced starting at Rs. 44.89 lakh for the Premium Plus variant, while the Technology is priced at Rs 50.39 lakh, ex-showroom. Deliveries for the car will begin towards the end of the year. Audi is offering a 5-year extended warranty and a 3-year/50,000 km comprehensive service value package for the first 500 customers.

The author is a senior editor at carandbike.com