Road test: Audi’s smallest SUV right on Q

Audi has a knack for making motoring journalists feel a little silly. Few gave the behemoth Q7 much of a chance when it was launched and many wrote the Q5 off as too expensive and not spacious enough, but both models have outstripped even Audi’s most optimistic sales projections. Cue the Q3.

Audi reckons this is a model with potential annual sales of 100,000 units, so given its SUV track record to date, the Q3 should comfortably exceed that. Mind you, it enters the market at a time when Land Rover is looking to shake things up a bit with its dashing Evoque, and, compared to the British car, the Q3 appears deeply conservative. Perhaps I should quit the doubting. Wasn’t it Einstein that reckoned the definition of madness is doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome? The Audi method is tried and tested.

The Q3 is launched with a choice of three engines. The petrol units comprise a 168bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged, available in front or four-wheel drive guises, and a 208bhp 2.0-litre that’s only offered in quattro all-wheel drive form.

Iffy traction? Nah, get a grip!

Benefiting from formidable traction off the line, this 208bhp engine will deliver a sprint to 60mph in just 6.9 seconds. And with extensive use of aluminium to keep weight down (Audi claims 1500kg for the entry-level car), the Q3 promises decent agility.

Choose diesel and you get a 175bhp version of Audi’s 2.0-litre common-rail engine, with four-wheel drive only. There’s talk of a 138bhp diesel with a front wheel drive option, but you’ll need to speak to your dealer about that.

The Q3 features numerous technical highlights. The seven-speed paddle-shift S-tronic dual clutch gearbox uses a lightweight clutch to disengage the engine and allow the Q3 to freewheel without the drag of turning the engine over when the driver selects efficiency mode – a welcome relief after the gloopy trailing throttle feel of many vehicles fitted with regenerative charging systems. While the bigger Q5 and Q7 models get a heavy duty Torsen-based full-time four-wheel drive system, the Q3 opts instead for the simpler and lighter Haldex multi-plate clutch setup. You shouldn’t want for grip, however, as this fast-acting system is augmented by an electronic differential lock that works in parallel with the ESP stability control system.

We’ll want the options, right?

Pricing starts at around £25,000 for the entry-level front-wheel drive petrol model, but if you want four-wheel drive, a diesel engine or are tempted by Audi’s rather beguiling options list, expect the asking price to climb quite steeply. Like many of its premium class rivals, the majority of Q3 models will be priced some way north of £30,000.

The options could severely dent the bank balance. I’m wondering how I’ve got this far without a Bose surround sound system with 14 individual speakers, a hard-drive-based navigation system with seven-inch colour screen, mobile wi-fi hotspot capability, and a parking assistant that features no fewer than 12 ultrasonic sensors to guide the car into a tight spot.

And those comfy residuals?

Like most Audi models, once you’ve taken the pain of the initial asking price, ongoing costs should be manageable. We’ll need to wait until official figures have been released to put some meat on those bones, but as long as you don’t go berserk when choosing options, you’ll have those reassuringly plump Audi residual values to fall back on, by far the biggest ticket item when it comes to overall cost of ownership in this corner of the market.

Hang style, give me substance

The R8 supercar may be the only truly visually arresting model in Audi’s range, but while the Q3 might not feature too many outrageous styling details, it’s a look and feel that many potential buyers will aspire to.

This quietly understated badge of pecuniary advantage features exactly the right engineering for its target market. It’s not an off-roader, instead being a vehicle that will gobble up the school run, mega-shop, weekend away and that family ski trip to Meribel.

Audi’s SUVs come in small, medium and large. The small one, despite its low-key detailing, might just be the most desirable of the lot.