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The Audi Q3 is a subcompact luxury crossover SUV made by
Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. As a subsidiary of its parent company, the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. ...
. The Q3 has a transverse-mounted front engine, and entered production in 2011. __TOC__


First generation (Typ 8U; 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 and , diesel particulate filter and Bluetec emission control system, quattro permanent four-wheel drive system with
Haldex Haldex AB (originally Halda Fickurfabrik AB, then Svenska AB Bromsregulatorer, SAB), also known as Haldex Group, is a Swedish public company operating in the commercial vehicle industry. It is listed on the OMX Stockholm Stock Exchange (Mid Cap), ...
clutch, Audi S tronic dual-clutch gearbox,
MacPherson strut The MacPherson strut is a type of automotive suspension system that uses the top of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot. It is widely used in the front suspension of modern vehicles, and is named for American automotive engineer Ear ...
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 Auto Shanghai (), officially known as the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition (), is a biennial international automobile show that alternates with the Beijing Auto Show (Auto China) as China's yearly international automotive ...
in April, 2007.


Initial release


Audi Q3 (2011-)

The car uses the Volkswagen Group A (PQ46) platform of the Volkswagen Passat B6, the same as the
Volkswagen Tiguan The Volkswagen Tiguan () is a car produced by German manufacturer Volkswagen since 2007, sitting between the smaller T-Roc and the larger Touareg in the company's crossover SUV range. The first generation is based on the PQ46 platform, while ...
compact SUV Compact as used in politics may refer broadly to a pact or treaty; in more specific cases it may refer to: * Interstate compact * Blood compact, an ancient ritual of the Philippines * Compact government, a type of colonial rule utilized in Britis ...
. The Q3 slots above the
Audi Q2 The Audi Q2 is a subcompact luxury crossover SUV developed and manufactured by Audi. It was first unveiled to the public on 1 March 2016 at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show and built on Volkswagen Group's MQB A1 platform as the Mk7 series Volkswagen ...
subcompact crossover SUV Subcompact crossover SUV is an automobile segment used to describe the smallest segment of crossover SUV, a type of sport utility vehicle, below the compact crossover SUV. Subcompact crossover SUVs are usually based on a platform of a subcom ...
. Compared to the compact luxury
crossover SUV A crossover, crossover SUV, or crossover utility vehicle (CUV) is a type of automobile with an increased ride height that is built on unibody chassis construction shared with passenger cars, as opposed to traditional sport utility vehicles ( ...
Q5 and mid-size luxury
crossover SUV A crossover, crossover SUV, or crossover utility vehicle (CUV) is a type of automobile with an increased ride height that is built on unibody chassis construction shared with passenger cars, as opposed to traditional sport utility vehicles ( ...
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 Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...
, Audi A3 and Škoda
Yeti The Yeti ()"Yeti"
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It is a concept vehicle based on Audi Q3 with 2.5 TFSI ( I5 turbo) engine rated at and , 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 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), also known as the Detroit Auto Show as of 2022 and prior to NAIAS, is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., at Huntington Place. The show was held in January from 1989 to 2019. ...
. 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 ( I5 turbo) engine rated at , 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 ( I5 turbo) engine rated at , 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 ( I5 turbo) engine rated and , 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 at 5200-6700 rpm and 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, 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 A headlamp is a lamp attached to the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead. Headlamps are also often called headlights, but in the most precise usage, ''headlamp'' is the term for the device itself and ''headlight'' is the term fo ...
headlights, LED tail lights. The car accelerates from 0 to in 5.5 seconds and onto a limited top speed of . 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 German model began in fall 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.


Engines


Transmissions


Safety

Euro NCAP The European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) is a European voluntary car safety performance assessment programme (i.e. a New Car Assessment Program) based in Leuven (Belgium) formed in 1996, with the first results released in Februa ...
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 Martorell () is a municipality that forms part of the Baix Llobregat comarca, in Catalonia, Spain, primarily known for its medieval Devil's bridge. It lies at the confluence of the Llobregat and Anoia rivers. It has three railway stations - ...
, 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 Changchun (, ; ), also romanized as Ch'angch'un, is the capital and largest city of Jilin Province, People's Republic of China. Lying in the center of the Songliao Plain, Changchun is administered as a , comprising 7 districts, 1 county and 3 c ...
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 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).


2014 update


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 and . The two diesel motors receive boosts of eight and four horsepower, to and respectively. The more performance-oriented RS Q3 gains a sizeable over the old model, and torque now sits at , 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).


2015 update


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 and , 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.


Engines


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 The is a 150,000 person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long "North loop" track, built in the 1920s, around the village a ...
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 BMW X2 (model code F39) is a subcompact luxury crossover SUV produced by BMW. It was first showcased as the BMW Concept X2 at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, with a production version unveiled in October 2017. Sales commenced in March 2018. It is ...
, 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. File:2019 Audi Q3 Quattro S-Line, rear 11.22.19.jpg, alt=, Rear view (S-Line) File:Audi Q3 Sportback 1X7A0175.jpg, alt=, Q3 Sportback File:Audi Q3 Sportback IMG 6018.jpg, alt=, Rear view (Sportback) File:2019 Audi Q3 TFSi 35 Interior.jpg, Interior


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. File:Audi rsq3 f3 2020-1.jpg, alt=, RS Q3 File:Audi RS Q3 Sportback IMG 4828.jpg, alt=, RS Q3 Sportback


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.


Safety

Official Audi Q3 safety rating
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References


Notes


Bibliography

* * Stein, Jason
''Audi to build Q5 SUV, Q3 may be next''
''
AutoWeek ''Autoweek'' is a car culture publication based in Detroit, Michigan. It was first published in 1958 and in 1977 the publication was purchased by Crain Communications Inc, its current parent company. The magazine was published weekly and focused ...
'', February 3, 2006 (URL last accessed October 18, 2006).
''Future Models (2009)''
Channel 4 News (UK), July 14, 2006 (URL last accessed October 18, 2006).
2011 ''Audi Q3''
''
Automobile Magazine ''Automobile'' was an American automobile magazine published by the Motor Trend Group. A group of former employees of ''Car and Driver'' led by David E. Davis founded ''Automobile'' in 1986 with support from Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, u ...
'', November 1, 2006 (URL last accessed October 18, 2006).


External links


Audi corporate website
{{Modern North American Audi vehicles Q3 Cars introduced in 2011 2020s cars Mini sport utility vehicles Luxury crossover sport utility vehicles Front-wheel-drive vehicles All-wheel-drive vehicles Euro NCAP small off-road