Third-gen Audi Q3 debuts in India

After several teasers, the third-gen Audi Q3 has debuted in India. The third-gen Q3 was globally unveiled over a year ago and will go on sale in the Indian market this October at an expected price of around Rs 55 lakh-60 lakh (ex-showroom). It will be locally assembled and will continue as Audi’s contender in the entry-level luxury SUV segment, rivalling the BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLA.

Third-gen Audi Q3 exterior design

The new Q3 is 4,531mm long, 1,859mm wide and 1,623mm high, with a 2,681mm wheelbase. It is larger than its predecessor in every dimension and bears a much sharper design language. Up front are split LED headlamps and a wide grille, along with an even wider honeycomb-patterned air dam and ridged silver skid plate below. Unlike prior generations of the Q3, there are no chrome trim pieces on or around the grille.

Over to the side, the third-gen Q3 sports body-coloured cladding, 18-inch alloy wheels, roof rails and a thick L-shaped chrome trim piece for the beltline. The rear windscreen and side windows are connected by slim black trim pieces, creating a ‘floating roof’ effect.

The rear end of the third-gen Q3 is characterised by split tail-lamps that are connected by an LED strip, flanking an illuminated Audi emblem. Above, there’s a prominent roof spoiler with an integrated stop lamp and a raked windscreen with a wiper. Lower down sits a sculpted body-coloured bumper with faux air exits and a silver skid plate. Notably, the India-spec Q3 does not get the sportier S-Line styling package available in some global markets.

Third-gen Audi Q3 interior and features

Inside, the third-gen Q3 is a much more modern affair than its predecessor. Finished in black with beige seats, the cabin packs a 12.8-inch touchscreen, an 11.9-inch digital driver’s display, a new squircle-shaped four-spoke steering wheel, a row of buttons on the centre console for essential functions and a gloss-black centre tunnel that houses a wireless charging pad, the engine start/stop button, a media control knob, the electronic parking brake switch and a pair of cup holders.

With this generation of the Q3, Audi also omitted the conventional drive selector and instead shifted the function to a stalk behind the steering wheel. That means the light and wiper controls have been folded into the other stalk. As for features, the new Q3 includes a Sonos sound system, a panoramic sunroof, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, paddleshifters, configurable ambient lighting, a 360-degree camera setup, a powered bootlid, and more. Boot space is pegged at 488 litres.

Third-gen Audi Q3 engine and gearbox

Like the outgoing Q3, the third-gen model is expected to be powered by a sole 2.0-litre 4-cylinder direct-injection turbo-petrol engine developing 204hp and 320Nm. The motor is paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic that sends power to all four wheels via Audi’s Quattro AWD system, which is likely to remain standard fit for the Q3. The brand claims a 0-100kph time of 7.1 seconds and a top speed of 229kph.