Audi telah memperkenalkan Q3 serba baharu, sebuah SUV kompak yang menggabungkan rekaan sporty, teknologi pintar dan kepraktisan harian. Model ini dijangka tiba di bilik pameran menjelang akhir tahun dengan penawaran lebih cekap, sistem bantuan pemandu yang canggih serta teknologi pencahayaan yang pertama dalam kelasnya.
Rekaan Baharu dengan Sentuhan Sporty
Q3 tampil lebih berani dengan gril hadapan yang lebih besar, lampu utama tajam dan garisan bahu yang tegap, memberikan imej dinamik. Bagi mereka yang gemarkan gaya lebih bergaya, Q3 Sportback menawarkan rekaan seakan-akan coupé dengan bumbung lebih rendah untuk penampilan lebih sporty.
Bahagian belakang pula hadir dengan pilihan lampu belakang digital OLED futuristik serta logo Audi bercahaya, manakala bahagian hadapan dilengkapi lampu utama Matrix LED dengan teknologi mikro-LED yang memberikan tahap penglihatan lebih jelas dan corak pencahayaan unik.
Audi has unveiled the third-generation Q3, a bold evolution of its compact luxury SUV, packed with advanced technology, refreshed styling, and electrified powertrains. Positioned as a digital companion, the new Q3 aims to enhance everyday driving through enhanced comfort, safety, and performance.
The exterior design exudes a confident, emotive aesthetic. A revamped Singleframe grille and narrow, aerodynamically integrated headlights give the vehicle a purposeful front-end appearance. A striking shoulder line slices along the side, sculpting the bodywork into distinct shadow and light elements. At the rear, optional digital OLED tail-lights—complemented by a continuous LED strip and illuminated rings—mark a first for Audi’s compact-class vehicles.
The Q3 leads the way technologically with new digital Matrix LED headlights, now featuring micro‑LED modules that deliver sharper, more precise lighting. Each headlight incorporates 23 individually controllable daytime-running segments, working seamlessly with the vehicle’s driver-assistance systems. This lighting configuration improves visibility and projects a distinctive visual signature on the road.
The Audi Q3 was introduced back in 2011 as a subcompact luxury crossover SUV for those who wanted an SUV but found the Q7 to be way too big and the Q5 to be better suited for families.
The Q3 went up against the likes of the BMW X1, Lexus UX, Mini Countryman and to some extent, even the Range Rover Evoque.
When first introduced, there were many criticisms levelled against it, alleging that it lacked space and imagination. And not having enough power.
But since its introduction, over a million units have found a home worldwide. Proving those criticisms to be unwarranted.
Closer to home, the Audi Q3 has enjoyed brisk sales as well. Whether bought officially or from parallel importers, it is easy to find a Q3 on the road as you go about your business in major Malaysian cities. And it is easy to understand why as well.
Over the years the car has grown in size, offering more interior room a comfortable interior and dare we say it – decent power. But other than all of that, it has even become quite efficient despite some models offering all-wheel-drive capabilities which inadvertently equals to increased fuel consumption.
The Audi Q3 Sportback that you see here though takes it all up a couple of notches and even warrants the use of the word stunning; a combination of the sports coupe bodyline and the intense blue colour which Audi calls Turbo Blue.
The colour does seem to suite the overall character of the Q3 Sportback. Afterall the Sportback is meant to appeal to those who wanted all the functions of a compact SUV but with a tinge of style and aggression sprinkled in either to match their age or personalities.
One thing for sure though, everywhere the Q3 Sportback went, people noticed. This was evident by the cringed necks as observers struggled to get one final look or with gawking looks and pointed fingers at traffic lights.
The Q3 Sportback is undoubtedly stylish and that’s saying the least.
But the Q3 Sportback is not exactly new. It has been in the market since 2020, launched by Audi Malaysia right before the pandemic at an eye watering RM360,223.60 with the Audi Assurance Package that provides for a five year warranty and three year maintenance package with unlimited mileage.
As what we have discovered before in our previous reviews of Audi cars in Malaysia, the fact that Audi cars are fully imported units means they are taxed heavily in every way possible. Hence the prices. And the lack of overall demand does not warrant a local assembly program – not yet at least.
You could buy a used one or an imported unit but that would deprive you of access to the official service centres and official Audi spare parts. Besides, a quick check on some of the leading used car websites shows there’s only a handful of units.
So why would you bother with an Audi Q3 Sportback then?
Because in all intents and purposes, the Q3 Sportback is a really nice car to drive and to cocoon yourself in on a day-to-day basis. Let us explain why.
But before that, let’s just make one thing clear, the interior – especially the back seats – are not very big. As we found out after latching on a child seat, there’s not much legroom for a three-year-old seated in his chair. And as soon as a six-footer takes the driver’s seat, there’s very little space left at the back seat directly behind the driver.
But that’s about it though. That is the only complaint we have about the interior. But that can be forgiven if you don’t have a family to transport and don’t intend on using the back seats much either.
Up front, the multi-function, flat-bottomed S-Line steering wheel greets you as soon as you take a seat. It has well placed buttons and dials that have a firm click and feel like they will last a long time.
Directly behind the steering wheel lays a 12.3-inch TFT digital meter panel that gives you multiple readouts and is capable of displaying the navigational map, the music and all of the onboard data, all at the same time.
This is part of the Audi Virtual Cockpit Plus system and it is one of the best in the industry. The screen refreshes at a rate of 60 times per second; so fast that the human doesn’t even see it refreshing. Instead, what you see is an ultra-sharp display of all the important readings.
On the left of that is the Audi MMI system that is accessible via a 10.1-inch screen. Here you get access to all of the onboard systems such as Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The software that governs everything is arguably the best in the industry as well. The fact that it is simple and controls are not hidden deep in its programs makes it easy to use even when driving. Car makers like Mercedes, BMW and even Lexus could take a card out of Audi’s software book.
Besides all of those onboard gizmos, the real fun is how the Q3 Sportback drives.
Powering the car is the Volkswagen group’s famous 2.0 TFSI engine that can be found in cars like the Golf. However in the Sportback, the engine has been tuned to make 180PS from 3900rpm and 320Nm of torque from just 1400rpm.
It does the charge to 100km/h in about 7.3 seconds and maxes out at 220km/h. This is decent enough for your day to day business. And if you are the type that likes to attack some corners, the quattro all-wheel-drive system lets you dig deep for traction.
But you can’t rely on the suspension to match your intent though as it is comprised of a regular multi-link set up at the back and MacPherson struts up front without any adaptive capabilities.
If it were adaptive, it would respond to the selected driving mode and would have stiffened up in Dynamic mode for better control. In Comfort mode it would have calmed down and soaked up the roads for max interior comfort.
However, the Sportback is better suited for long distance drives, highway cruises, urban commutes and does an excellent job at isolating the cabin from the outside world. This results in a comfortable and even silent ride quality, which is what ultimately the Q3 Sportback is designed for.
The Audi Q3 Sportback is a fun car designed for daily drives with a focus on comfort, practicality and a tinge of power. It’s Sportback roofline gives an impressive 530-litres of luggage capacity which makes it ideal for small families as well.
Perhaps the only stumbling block may be the price. And the fact that competitors like the BMW X3 are newer and can be had from just about RM329,000. It may seem difficult to justify the asking price of the Audi Q3 Sportback, but there is no doubt that it has quite a lot to offer, but it all comes with a hefty price tag.
Following the introduction of the four new Q models earlier in the year, Audi has added the all-new Q3 to represent the brand in the hotly-contested compact premium SUV segment. Now in its second generation, the new Q3 offers more roominess and versatility plus a digital operating and display concept and extensive infotainment solutions.
Sportier styling for new generation
The styling has gained sportiness, thanks to the striking Singleframe in octagon design which is divided up by vertical bars, along with the large air inlets. They characterize the masculine front-end with its intensive play of light and shadow. The narrow headlights run inwards with their wedge shape. For Malaysia, the headlights are full LED items, accentuating the dynamic design. The LED rear light clusters also feature dynamic indicators.
The side view epitomizes the balance of the exterior design with the symmetrical lighting graphics of the headlights and rear lights. The shoulder line formally connects them and, with strong muscles above the wheel wells, ensures an athletic overall impression.
The contours draw their inspiration from Audi’s quattro DNA and make the SUV seem even wider; the colour-contrasting wheel arch trims emphasize the off-road look. Supported by a long roof edge spoiler, which also flanks the rear window at the side, the steeply raked D pillars of the body line also create an appearance of forward thrust.
Driver-oriented interior
The interior mirrors the design cues of the exterior and also echoes, in various ways, the brand’s full-size models. Taut lines, three-dimensionally styled elements in the architecture harmonize perfectly with the new operating concept. Its central element is the MMI touch display with its high-gloss black glass-look surround. Together with the air conditioning controls underneath, it is tilted 10 degrees toward the driver.
Compared with its predecessor, the new Q3 has grown in virtually all dimensions with adoption of the Volkswagen Group MQB platform. It is 4484 mm long, 1849 mm wide and 1585 mm high (1616 mm with roof antenna). The wheelbase has been stretched by 77 mm, providing additional space for rear occupants who can move their seats fore/aft by 150 mm.
Their three-way split backrests in the ratio 40:20:40 can be tilted in 7 stages. Depending on the position of the rear seats and backrests, the luggage compartment capacity is between 530 and 1,525 litres. The loading floor can be adjusted in up to 3 levels and the parcel shelf can be stowed underneath the floor if not needed. The powered tailgate, which can be opened and closed with a kicking motion below the bumper, is standard for Malaysia.
Instrument panel fully digitalised
The operating and display concept no longer uses analogue instruments and takes reference from the brand’s top-most models like the A8 and Q8. Fitted as standard in Malaysia is the Audi virtual cockpit plus. The 12.3-inch screen is a further development of the innovative digital display concept that first debuted in the latest Audi TT. It offers more customization possibilities including two further views that the driver can set in the MMI (Multi Media Interface).
Also standard for the market is the top-of-the-line equipment MMI navigation plus. This features a 10.1-inch touch display in the middle of the dashboard. The intuitive operating concept with its flat menu structure is supplemented by natural-language voice control. It also understands freely structured wording. The ingenious dialog manager asks questions if necessary, allows corrections, offers choices and defers to the speaker when interrupted.
Intelligently connected
The infotainment system in the Q3 takes inspiration from the higher segments in Audi. The navigation system recognizes the driver’s preferences based on previous journeys, allowing it to generate suitable route suggestions. The Audi connect portfolio ideally supplements navigation guidance with traffic information online, the point-of-interest search and information on parking spaces and filling stations appearing directly in the navigation map.
The Audi smartphone interface links customers’ iOS and Android cellphones and places their Apple Car Play or Android Auto environment on the MMI display.
Agility on and off-road
The Q3 sold in Malaysia has one engine choice – a 1.4 TFSI petrol engine (150 bhp/250 Nm) and a fast-shifting 6-speed S tronic transmission as standard. Claimed 0 – 100 km/h time is 8.9 seconds with a top speed of 207 km/h. Even with the spirited performance, the fuel consumption is claimed to be up to 13.9 kms/litre.
As with other models, the driver can vary the characteristics of the Q3 depending on the driving situation, road conditions or personal preference using the Audi drive select dynamic handling system. Varying profiles adjust the performance from markedly comfortable through to extremely sporty.
Lucky draw for customers in November
The Q3 is priced from RM269,900 (without insurance) and if you buy one (or any other new Audi model from an authorized dealer) November 2 and 10 2019, you will qualify for an exclusive lucky draw with the following prizes – Exclusive Audi Driving Experience in Germany valued at RM40,000 (1st prize); shopping voucher for Audi Genuine Accessories valued at RM5,000 (2ne prize); and a Front Genuine Universal Traffic Recorder valued at RM2,500 (3rd prize).
