► Junior Q5 polish in a smaller package
► Flagship-grade tech trickles down from A6 and Q6
► Diesel is the obvious choice – if anyone buys it
Audi knows its customers better than almost anyone. The Q3 has always been the small premium SUV for those who want the German badge on the drive, that enduring sense of quality in the cabin, and the reassurance decent dealer back-up. This third-generation model doesn’t tear up the script. Instead, it sharpens it, with a design language that is more rounded, conservative even, but still manages to be striking in the metal.
The Q3 has become the very definition of nouveau-traditional Audi ownership. Yet this version throws in some modern theatre: illuminated rings, matrix lights that draw chevrons on the tarmac, and OLED tail-lamps that can swap between different signatures. Combine that a relentless focus on refinement, and you have an SUV that plays it straight bat but still manages to wow.
Should you buy an Audi Q3? Yes, if you want a premium SUV that majors on quality and refinement rather than outright driving thrills. It’s polished, capable and as aspirational as ever. Find out how we test cars to see why you can trust us.
At a glance
Pros: strong refinement, wide powertrain choice, interior quality
Cons: conservative styling, lifeless steering, fiddly new controls
What’s new?
The Q3 isn’t a radical reinvention, but it didn’t need to be. Audi has tweaked its successful recipe with a more modern skin, improved infotainment, and a broader powertrain line-up. The plug-in hybrid gains a much more usable electric range, while the 1.5-litre mild-hybrid is smoother and cleverer than before.
The engine line-up is familiar from elsewhere in the VW Group, but Audi has refined it here. The PHEV’s bigger battery transforms its EV range from ‘handy’ to ‘genuinely useful,’ while the 1.5’s cylinder deactivation system is now almost imperceptible in action. Even the diesel, still available against the odds, has been updated to meet the latest emissions standards, and remains a strong option for high-milers.
Inside, the changes are more striking. Infotainment and digital driver displays are essentially borrowed from the larger A6 and Q6, complete with slick graphics and responsive menus. Audi has also rethought the basics: the traditional indicator and wiper stalks are gone, replaced by a multifunction pod behind the wheel, while the gear selector has migrated to the dash. These touches give the Q3 a much more modern feel, lifting it from safe update to genuine step forward.
What are the specs?
Five powertrains make up the line-up, all familiar from other VW Group products. The entry-level 1.5 TFSI makes 148bhp and comes with mild-hybrid tech, cylinder deactivation and a seven-speed S Tronic. It’s brisk enough, smooth in town and the likely best-seller. Above that sit two 2.0-litre petrols with 201bhp and 261bhp, both with Quattro four-wheel drive. The diesel 2.0 TDI is the efficiency champ, good for just over 50mpg on paper.
Star of the show is the plug-in hybrid. A 1.5-litre turbo pairs with a 19.7kWh battery and an e-motor to make 269bhp, with an official 70-mile driving range. That moves it from token plug-in to genuinely useful commuter. It can rapidly charge at 50kW too, taking 30 minutes to get from 10-to-80%. Official economy figures remain fantasy, but real-world efficiency is strong if you plug it in regularly.
Prices span £38,000 to £52,000, nudging uncomfortably close to the Q5. That said, equipment is generous, trims are well spaced, and options – particularly the twin-chamber damper suspension set-up – are worth the splurge.
How does it drive?
Refinement is the watchword. On the road the Q3 feels calm, composed and premium. The steering is weighty but a little isn’t fizzing with feedback, and the chassis is safe rather than sparkling, but the overall polish makes it satisfying, and you know it’s going to be a satisfying thing to live with. The 1.5 is plenty for most buyers in terms of performance and refinement, while the more powerful 2.0-litre petrol delivers more urgent pace without the noise.
However, the diesel might just be the pick of the bunch for us – in an old-school way – which makes it more frustrating that so few buyers will touch one in the UK these days. Performance is punchy, refinement is excellent once warmed through, and its steering is the sharpest of the lot, which is odd given the rest of the range feels more remote.
Yes, the diesel powerband isn’t particularly wide and it can be caught napping if you’re off boost and the DSG isn’t in Sport mode, plus there’s a little idle chunter on a cold start, but otherwise it’s seriously easy to live with. Add in the fact that it’ll return more than 55mpg without much effort, and you’re looking at the unsung hero of the line-up.
Tick the twin-valve damper option and you unlock one of the sweetest rides in the class. The system manages body control while still soaking up rough edges with elastic suppleness. Even the heavier PHEV feels balanced and consistent, and that makes this a must-have option-tick. Brakes on the hybrid are less confidence-inspiring, requiring a firm shove, but otherwise it’s a slick package.
What about the interior?
This is where the Q3 shines. Audi continues to lead the class for perceived quality, with weighty switches, neat surfacing and premium-feeling materials. The new stalk-free control pod is unusual but well made, and once you adapt, it’s second nature. I liked it, but there were plenty around who didn’t.
A pair of large screens dominate the cabin: an 11.9-inch digital display for driving data and a 12.8-inch infotainment screen running Android Auto, with Apple CarPlay integration and downloadable apps like YouTube. Physical heating and air con controls would be nice, but the UI is clear and quick to respond. We’re hoping that it’s a little less glitchy that our A5 and A6 long-termers, and have no reason to doubt Audi’s ability to patch it quickly should some rogue code escape into the public domain.
Space is decent for a family SUV. The boot offers up to 575 litres with the rear bench forward, and expands to 1386 litres with the seats folded flat. Room in the rear is adequate rather than generous, and despite its generous dimensions, this is a car better suited to small families and empty nesters – Audi’s not unique in this department, it’s endemic in most small-to-medium SUVs.
Before you buy
The Q3 range starts with Sport trim, which already includes LED lights and adaptive cruise. S Line adds sharper bumpers and sportier touches, while Edition 1 brings 20-inch wheels and extra safety kit. Sportback variants cost £1500 more.
Rivals are strong: the BMW X1 drives with more verve on paper but feels less cohesive in practice, while the Mercedes-Benz GLA is now showing its age. Crossovers like the Volvo XC40 and Lexus UX also beckon, though neither matches Audi’s interior polish.
Verdict
Audi hasn’t built the most exciting SUV in the world, but it has built one of the most complete. The Q3 is refined, classy and endlessly polished. Its styling might be a little too safe, and the steering won’t thrill keen drivers, but as an everyday premium SUV it nails the brief.
The PHEV’s longer range makes sense for commuters, the 1.5 mild-hybrid will satisfy most private buyers, and the quality of the interior sets it apart. The diesel, though, is the surprise hit: punchy, refined and blessed with the sharpest steering feel of the bunch, which makes it all the more of a shame that UK buyers will mostly ignore it.
That inconsistency in steering across models shows Audi still has some tidying up to do dynamically. But for buyers who want a polished, premium small family SUV above all else, the Q3 is now best in class. Specify it with the twin-valve dampers and you’re looking at a junior Q5 that delivers on every promise.