Audi Q3 Sportback SUV overview 2022

A ‘coupe-SUV’ may seem to be a contradiction in phrases however the idea has proved in style sufficient for a number of corporations to supply sleeker, sportier variations of their best-selling SUVs. Audi is the newest producer to have a crack at it; buoyed by the BMW X2 and Mercedes GLC Coupe, it has taken the Audi Q3 and turned it into the Q3 Sportback. Each are bought side-by-side, so you’ll be able to take your choose between typical SUV and coupe-SUV.

The unique Q3 was one in all Audi’s most essential fashions, even late into its life, because it was supposed to provide many consumers their first expertise of proudly owning an Audi. The present mannequin takes a lot of the luxurious from the Q5 and Q7 and places it right into a smaller, extra attainable bundle, and the Q3 Sportback brings additional type to the combo.

Whereas the BMW X1 and X2 are styled very in a different way, the Audi Q3 Sportback is designed to look just like the Q3. The familiarity is evident from the entrance, because the headlights, grille, bumper and air intakes are all carried over. From the windscreen backwards, nevertheless, a lot of the components are new. The roof form is glossy and curved as an alternative of straight, and the bootlid, rear bumper and rear wings are all distinctive to the Q3 Sportback.

You’d suppose that the coupe form would massively have an effect on practicality however, in most respects, the Q3 Sportback could be very spectacular in that division. The boot measurement is identical as the conventional Q3 at 530 litres however it’s a special form because of the Sportback’s additional size and decrease experience top. Because the rear seats are mounted decrease, rear headroom needs to be ample for many however the common Q3 does really feel a bit extra spacious in that regard. With the rear seats folded down, the Q3 Sportback does lose some boot house in contrast with the Q3 however the distinction isn’t sufficiently big to rule out the coupe.

Up entrance, the Sportback is almost all borrowed from the Q3; Audi was unlikely to fiddle with a well-designed structure for the brand new automobile. Within the centre of the dashboard is a big touchscreen show that may mirror Apple and Android telephones and, should you obtain an app, you’ll be able to preset the sat nav instructions and unlock the automobile out of your cellphone. The Q3 Sportback is the primary Audi to supply the flexibility to point out you the place free parking areas are and whether or not visitors lights are about to alter, due to knowledge shared by different customers.

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The engines are acquainted from the Q3 and different VW Group vehicles, and there are at present three to select from. Two diesels, badged 35 TDI and 40 TDI, produce 148 and 197bhp respectively from the identical 2.0-litre engine, whereas the petrol selections supply 148, 187, or 242bhp and are often known as the 35 TFSI , 40 TFSI or 45 TFSI respectively. The entry-level petrol comes with a handbook gearbox and front-wheel drive as customary, whereas the opposite selections are fitted with Audi’s quattro four-wheel drive and/or an automated gearbox as customary.

The most cost effective petrol joined the vary in late 2019, and it’s a 1.5-litre with mild-hybrid expertise (on the automated model) to permit the engine to chop off when coasting to avoid wasting gas. The system has been borrowed from dearer Audis however it works simply as properly within the Q3 Sportback and it might find yourself because the best-selling mannequin.

You received’t be having as a lot enjoyable as a BMW driver on a twisty street however the Audi Q3 Sportback makes up for that by providing a really polished driving expertise. For probably the most half, it’s precisely what you’d count on from an Audi – it’s stress-free, quiet and deceptively fast – though the seven-speed automated gearbox actually wants some tweaking. There’s a noticeable pause once you put your foot down because the gearbox realises you need extra energy, and it’s very sluggish to alter down a gear. We suspect that is to make it as economical as potential however it makes the Q3 Sportback really feel a bit sluggish once in a while and taints the way it drives in consequence.

A minimum of its security credentials are glorious; when the Audi Q3 was examined by Euro NCAP in 2018, it acquired the utmost five-star rating with spectacular scores throughout the board. The Q3 Sportback will not be examined as the 2 vehicles are so related – each have the identical security package.

Audi completed twenty first out of 30 producers in our 2020 Driver Energy proprietor satisfaction survey, which was a couple of locations forward of BMW and Mercedes. Round 20% of consumers reported a fault within the first yr of possession, and homeowners weren’t too eager on the operating prices of their vehicles.