Audi turns new corner with Q3

SIZE, it seems, is important after all. You could say it’s one of the biggest issues in the car business right now. Cars are generally half as big again as they were and if proof is needed, get hold of an original Mini and park it alongside the new MINI.

For further confirmation, put it next to a Mini Countryman and it’ll look as though the original would fit in the boot. Even Porsche has done some tinkering with the tape measure to inflate the 911 and create the bulbous Panamera. But while they’ve been giving their models a bit of steroid treatment to pump up their presence, others like Audi have been downsizing some of theirs.

The Q3 is the latest example of scaling down. Audi has been busy of late. Just look around and if it seems there are a lot of iconic four rings about, it’s because there are. In the past five years, Audi has revealed no fewer than 12 brand new models. And there’s to be no let-up this year as it continues snapping at the heels of its seemingly bigger Teutonic rivals, BMW and Mercedes. Yet Audi has managed to avoid being seen as commonplace. Instead, they claim their image is “mature” and “premium”, terms which have slipped a wee bit with their competitors.

But back to the Q3, appropriately their third in the SUV sector, following on from the original and massive Q7 and its wee brother, the Q5, which has proved a big hit since it was introduced almost three years ago.

The Q range was a new departure for Audi and they’ve found that customers liked the style, security and stance of the SUV, but may have been put off by the size, off-road ability and high-tech grunt of the Q7 or the unnecessary capacity of the Q5.

However, as our winters seem to get more severe, buyers were attracted by the re-assurance of four-wheel drive in uncertain conditions on chilly morning school runs. So the designers and engineers scaled down the Q5 and merged it with the lines of the A1 hatch to come up with the stylish but still capable Q3. It was just beaten to market, of course, by the Range Rover Evoque which caused more than a minor storm and remains, however marginally, the winner in the looks department.

I’ve driven a couple of versions of the Q3, and for me the two-litre TDI diesel would be the one to go for. The Quattro SE S Tronic has a starting price which nudges the £30k mark but you do get a lot of kit as standard. Even so, the test car still had more than £5,000-worth of options to take the final price tag to a whisper off £34,000.

That wasn’t as bad as the two litre petrol version I tried. Its starting price was £27,650 but came with a vast array of toys including a panoramic glass sunroof and Xenon lighting package – both more than £1,000 each – such that by the time it finally got on the road, the bottom line was £40,520.

Soon there will be a front-wheel drive version aimed at people who want the look and feel of a 4x4 without the extra investment or running cost of a Quattro.

The Q3 may be scaled down but it still feels generous inside. It’s a full five seater with a good-sized boot, and because a lot of work has been done to reduce weight, including creating an aluminium bonnet and tailgate, the diesel’s economy is superb. With a light right foot, 50mpg is achievable.

Hard work on the part of the designers and engineers to reduce the cost of minor accident repairs has delivered the Q3 a lower insurance rating than the Evoque or the rival BMW X1. It’s sensible, stylish and the right size for most of us.

VITAL STATS

CAR: Audi Q3 2.0 TDI Quattro SE S Tronic 177PS

PRICE: £28,560

PERFORMANCE: Max speed 132mph; 0-62 mph 8.2 secs

MPG: 47.9 combined

EMISSIONS: 156 g/km