Audi Q3

The Audi Q3 is a subcompact luxury crossover SUV made by Audi. The Q3 has a transverse-mounted front engine, and entered production in 2011.

Concept Vehicle: Audi Cross Coupé quattro (2007)
Designed by Julian Hoenig in 2006, it was a concept vehicle with Liquid Silver body colour, 20-inch wheels, fabric folding roof, electrically controlled hood, 4-cylinder 2.0 TDI engine rated at 204 PS and 400 Nm, diesel particulate filter and Bluetec emission control system, quattro permanent four-wheel drive system with Haldex clutch, Audi S tronic dual-clutch gearbox, MacPherson strut front axle and a four-link rear axle, Audi drive select system with 3 modes (dynamic, sport, efficiency), MMI control panel with touch pad and dual-view technology, sound system with the prominent extending tweeters.

The vehicle was unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show in April, 2007.

Audi Q3 (2011)
The car uses the Volkswagen Group A (PQ46) platform of the Volkswagen Passat B6, the same as the Volkswagen Tiguan compact SUV. The Q3 slots above the Audi Q2 subcompact crossover SUV. Compared to the compact luxury crossover SUV Q5 and mid-size luxury crossover SUV Q7, which are positioned more for family practicality and off-road performance, the Q3 is aimed as more of a lifestyle/sports automobile. Design and development began following board approval in the second half of 2007. Julian Hoenig's design was chosen for production and frozen in 2009.

The Q3 shares components, transmissions and engines with amongst other vehicles utilising the PQ35 platform, the Volkswagen Golf, Audi A3 and Škoda Yeti.

The vehicle was unveiled at Auto Shanghai 2011.

The vehicles went on sale in June 2011. Early models include 2.0 TFSI quattro (170/211PS), 2.0 TDI (140PS), 2.0 TDI quattro (177PS).

Indian models went on sale in 2012. Early models include 2.0 TDI quattro (177PS).

China models went on sale at the end of July 2012 as an import vehicle. The Changchun-made Audi Q3 entered market in April 2013, which included 35 TFSI (170PS), 35 TFSI quattro (170PS), 40 TFSI quattro (200PS), with 7-speed S Tronic transmissions.

2.0 TDI quattro with 103 kW was introduced in 2012 for Germany market as part of 2012 Paris Motor Show premiere.

2.0 TDI quattro (140PS) was introduced in 2012 for the UK market.

Audi Q3 Vail (2012)
It is a concept vehicle based on Audi Q3 with 2.5 TFSI (2480 cc I5 turbo) engine rated at 314 PS and 400 Nm, 7-speed S tronic transmission, Energy Red body colour, add-on body parts are in matt gray quartz-based paint, flared wheel arches and running boards, five-arm 8.5Jx20 wheels in matt quartz, 255/45 off-road tires, 40 mm wider front and rear track widths and 30 mm higher body ride height over production model.

The vehicle was unveiled in 2012 at the North American International Auto Show. The name Vail comes from the well-known town in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, United States of the same name. Vail, Colorado has a sponsorship coordination with Audi.

Audi RS Q3 concept (2012)
It is a version of Audi Q3 with blue body colour, 2.5 TFSI (2480 cc I5 turbo) engine rated at 360 PS, 25 mm lowered body, brushed and polished aluminum trim frames, single-frame radiator grille, Dark blue Alcantara on contrasting element on the seat covers, black CFRP door mirror housings, while matt aluminum trim at side windows, Ordos Blue body color, blue clearcoat and black CFRP at diffuser insert, clear glass rear lights and auxiliary lights in the bumper tinted in anthracite, black Fine Nappa leather interior upholstery on roofliner, floor carpet, floor mats, leather-upholstered instrument panel and on large areas of the seat upholstery; steering wheel upholstered in black Velvet leather, door trim panels in blue Alcantara, Chinese characters numerals in tachometer, 7-speed S tronic transmission, quattro permanent all-wheel drive, 8.5 J x 20 wheels with 255/30 tires.

The vehicle was unveiled in Auto China 2012 in Beijing, and later in 2012 Wörthersee Tour.

Audi Q3 Jinlong Yufeng (2012)
Q3 Jinlong Yufeng (金龍馭風) is a version of Audi Q3 with 2.5 TFSI (2480 cc I5 turbo) engine rated at 310 PS, 7-speed S tronic transmission, two kiteboards made of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer, Liuli Yellow body colour, body add-on parts in matt quartz, Vertical aluminum struts in the single-frame radiator grille, xenon plus headlights in anthracite, aluminum panels cover the upper sections of the air intakes, aluminum underbody guard, flared wheel arches, brushed stainless steel running boards, roofliner in titanium gray Alcantara, black interior surfaces, instrument panel upholstered in black Fine Nappa leather and decorated with yellow contrasting seams, fine aluminum accents at instrument cluster, leather-trimmed steering wheel with contrasting yellow seams and two large shift paddles, foot rests and pedal made of stainless steel with rubber caps, seats upholstered in woven leather (narrow strips of leather interwoven with yarn, yellow piping and contrasting seams), side panels of the seat cushions and seatbacks in yellow Velvet leather, Velvet leather in parts of the door trim panels, stainless steel mesh decorative inlays, five-arm 8.5Jx20 wheels in matt quartz, 255/45 off-road tires, 40 mm wider front and rear track widths and 30 mm higher body ride height over production model.

The vehicle was unveiled in Auto China 2012 in Beijing, and later in 2012 Wörthersee Tour.

Audi Q3 red track (2012)
It is a version of Audi Q3 with 2.5 TFSI (2480 cc I5 turbo) engine rated 340 PS and 450 Nm, 7-speed S tronic transmission, Energy Red body colour, five-arm 8.5Jx20 wheels in matt quartz, 255/45 off-road tires, 40mm wider front and rear track widths and 30mm higher body ride height over production model, headlining in titanium gray Alcantara, black interior, floor mats in black with narrow strips of red Velvet leather.

The vehicle was unveiled in 2012 Wörthersee Tour.

Audi RS Q3 (2013-2016)


It is the first production turbo model in a Q-series vehicle; based on the Audi RS Q3 concept. It features a 2.5 TFSI (2.5 L; 151 cu in) I5 turbo engine rated at 310 PS at 5200-6700 rpm and 420 Nm at 1500-5200 rpm, 7-speed S-tronic transmission with D and S modes, battery located in the luggage compartment, 4-link independent rear wheel suspensions, electro-mechanical rack and pinion steering, electro-mechanical parking brake and hill hold assist, 365 mm ventilated and perforated front brake discs with wave-shaped outer contours, black eight-piston calipers with RS logos, electronic stabilization control (ESC) with sport mode, 19-inch alloy wheels in German market (optional 20-inch wheels, with exclusive 5 dual-spoke V design from Audi RS Q3 concept), body accents and roof rails in matt aluminum, special door sill plates and door trim strips, a high-gloss black honeycomb front grille, RS front bumper and quattro emblem in the front air intake, roof spoiler, rear bumper with diffuser insert, elliptical tailpipe, a rear RS Q3 logo, choice of 8 body colors (including the exclusive Sepang Blue pearl effect), instrument cluster with gray gauges and white scales and red pointers, contrasting stitching in rock gray trim at flat bottom three-spoke multifunction steering wheel and gear selector lever, Multi Media Interface and driver information system with RS logo, RS menu with boost pressure, oil temperature and a lap timer; pedals and foot support in aluminum look, inlays in piano finish black (optional aluminum race or carbon), black (optional lunar silver) headlining, sport seats with embossed RS Q3 logos upholstered in black Alcantara/leather (optional Fine Nappa leather in black or lunar silver with contrasting stitching in rock gray or the design package with diamond stitching), reversible loadliner, optional towing bracket, RS-specific driver information system (park assist plus), Audi sound system with ten loudspeakers, xenon plus headlights, LED tail lights. The car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds and onto a limited top speed of 250 kph.

Infotainment options include MMI Navigation plus, Bose surround sound system with 14 loudspeakers with up to 465 watts of output power, Bluetooth car phone online advanced driver-assistance systems.

Optional styling packages (in matt aluminum or black) include flaps in the side air intakes, the trim on the diffuser, and the fins on the roof spoiler.

The vehicle was unveiled at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, followed by Wörthersee Tour 2013.

Deliveries of the German model began in the fall of 2013.

Deliveries in the UK started in early 2014.

It will not be available in Canada.

In late September 2015, it was found out that the Volkswagen Group had implanted a defeat device to cheat emission tests. The Audi Q3 was also listed to be fitted with one such device.

Safety
Euro NCAP tested the Audi Q3, 5-door Compact SUV with front airbags, side airbags, seatbelt pretensioners and load limiters as standard and scored it accordingly:

Production
On 2011-06-07, Audi announced the production of Audi Q3 began at SEAT factory in Martorell, located in Spain's Catalonia region, with annual production of approximately 100,000 Q3 units. In 1998, the production facility was chosen as the "Best Factory of the VW Group in the first quarter". Production at Martorell began on 2011-07-13 with Spanish Prince Felipe's inauguration at Martorell plant.

The Audi Q3 is built in a FAW-Volkswagen plant in Changchun, China in a joint venture with its partner FAW; production began in 2013. The Changchun-made Audi Q3 first entered the market in April 2013.

Marketing
As part of Audi A3 launch in China, Audi Q3 Trans China Tour 2011 began in 2011-10-15, featuring roughly 160 participants driving Audi Q3 2.0 TFSI quattro S tronic (211PS) in a 16-stage 5,700 km route starting from Beijing to Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guilin, and ending in Hong Kong. The tour ended with 20 cars arriving at the final destination in Shenzhen near Hong Kong.

As part of Audi A3 launch in Taiwan, more than 11 famous independent bands were invited to present Q3 Urban Music Festival.

As part of RS Q3 launch, Audi Land of quattro Alpen Tour 2013 featured the RS Q3 travelling across twelve driving stages in 6 countries (Klagenfurt – the capital of Carinthia, Austria, Monaco).

Audi Q3 (2014–2016)
In 2014 the Audi Q3 received a facelift for the 2015 model year. The grille on the 2015 version has a wider chrome surround to it, which touches the headlights at each side. The lower air vents have been enlarged slightly, and the lights themselves have re-profiled LEDs to give the car a more recognisable look in the dark. The wheel arch surrounds and door sills are body coloured on the base model (they used to be black plastic), as is the rear bumper design, which sits below subtly reshaped lower tail light clusters. Also there are new alloy wheel designs to finish off the refresh.

The changes to the inside are even more difficult to spot than those on the outside. Styling-wise, the only thing of note is a new steering wheel design. There is now the option to specify blind spot and lane departure warning systems if you wish. The boot remains the same volume at 420 litres, expanding to 1,325 litres when the rear seats are folded flat.

Across the range, each engine has seen an improvement in performance, efficiency or both. The 1.4-litre turbo petrol now features cylinder-on-demand technology, which saves fuel by shutting down a couple of cylinders when less power is needed.

The 2.0 TFSI petrol units now produce 180 PS and 220 PS. The two diesel motors receive boosts of eight and four horsepower, to 150 PS and 184 PS respectively. The more performance-oriented RS Q3 gains a sizeable 30 PS over the old model, and torque now sits at 332 lbft, marginally up from the old version.

The vehicle was unveiled in 2014 North American International Auto Show.

US models went on sale in Fall 2014 as 2015 model year vehicles. Early models included 2.0 TFSI (200 PS), 2.0 TFSI quattro (200 PS).

Audi Q3, RS Q3 (2015-)
Changes include redesign of front lights, grille, and exterior fascia; Alu-optic interior MMI controls and interior upgrades, front and rear parking sensors with rearview camera join wide array of standard equipment, full LED headlights and dynamic rear turn signals on Prestige models.

The vehicles went on sale in February 2015, with delivery of RS Q3 began in the first quarter of 2015. Early models included Q3 2.0 TDI clean diesel (110 kW), Q3 2.0 TDI clean diesel ultra (110 kW), Q3 TDI clean diesel quattro (110/135 kW), Q3 1.4 TFSI COD (110 kW), Q3 1.4 TFSI COD ultra (110 kW), Q3 2.0 TFSI quattro (132/162 kW), RS Q3 2.5 TFSI (250 kW).

Early German models included Q3 1.4 TFSI COD (110 kW), Q3 1.4 TFSI COD ultra (110 kW), Q3 2.0 TFSI (132 kW), Q3 2.0 TFSI quattro (132/162 kW), Q3 2.0 TDI (88/110/135 kW), Q3 2.0 TDI ultra (110 kW), Q3 2.0 TDI quattro (110/135 kW). Q3 2.0 TFSI (132 kW), Q3 2.0 TDI (135 kW) were dropped as of 2016.

US and Canada models went on sale as 2016 model year vehicles. Early models included Q3 2.0 TFSI (147 kW), Q3 2.0 TFSI quattro (147 kW).

Audi connected mobility concept (2016)
Developed at Audi Research & Development in Beijing, it is a version of Q3 with an electrically powered multifunctional longboard integrated into the car's rear bumper.

The vehicle was unveiled in Auto China 2016.

RS Q3 performance (2016)
It is a version of RS Q3 with increased engine power to 367 PS and 465 Nm, seven-speed S tronic transmission, matt titanium-look finish parts (frame of the air inlet duct and the quattro logo, singleframe, lateral flaps in the air inlets, trim strips at the side windows, exterior mirror housings, roof rails, upper edge of the diffuser, fins of the roof edge spoiler), Ascari blue metallic body colour, 20-inch wheels in a five twin-spoke V design in matt titanium, red brake calipers bearing the RS logo (optional black calipers), dial instruments in gray faces, white dials and red needles; seats in the color combination black and blue with optional RS performance design package, blue contrast stitching at RS sport leather steering wheel, selector lever gaiter, center armrest and the floor mats; inlays in carbon twill blue with blue thread is woven into the carbon material.

The vehicle was unveiled in 2016 the Geneva Motor Show. Delivery began in the second quarter of 2016.

Second generation (Typ F3; 2018)
The second-generation Audi Q3, built on the MQB A2 platform was officially unveiled on July 25, 2018. On the Nürburgring race track, a sports version was tested, which would be called SQ3, with an even more powerful version of RS Q3 planned.

A Sportback version was revealed in July 2019. The Q3 Sportback is marginally lower, narrower and longer, with different bumpers, side skirts and body cladding. Aimed at the BMW X2, the lower roofline and raked rear hatch result in less headroom, and 0.14 less cubic meters (5 cubic feet) when the rear seats are folded.

In Europe, a plug-in-hybrid EA211 1.4L turbo four came with the 2021 model year in January 2021 in Germany.

RS Q3
The RS Q3 variant was revealed in September 2019; it has the same engine as the first-generation RS Q3 albeit with more power.

RS Q3 Edition 10 Years
Announced in October 2022, the Audi RS Q3 Edition 10 Years is a special edition with some visual changes, such as blacked-out trim, and only 555 units will be built.