Audi is giving their popular baby-SUV, the Q3 a facelift. The new car is set to launch in India on June 18.
While the new version has the same engine with a little bit of fine-tuning, there are a host of new gadgetry inside the car.
We think that all the new tech should have been there in the first place itself, but now that they form the highlight of the new Q3, lets see what the car will offer to Indian consumers.
Watch: The Now Tech Loaded Audi Q3 Facelift First Drive
What’s New?
There are a few cosmetic changes on the new Q3, which add some muscle to the car.
Something that you’ll notice first will be the big chrome lined grill that is also seen on the Q7 by Audi, but this one actually looks awesome.
The headlamps are now slimmer, and you also get those full LED units on the top trims.
The indicators also been revamped. Now customers will get those super cool LED indicators that are seen on Audi’s top end cars such as the A8 and R8, in a car under Rs 30 lakh.
There are also new 17-inch alloy wheels which didn’t wow us much. So in terms of exterior cosmetics, Audi has taken the best features from their top of the line cars and put them on the new Q3.
Tech Inside the new Audi Q3
Audi has loaded a lot of equipment inside the new Q3, aimed at driver and passenger comfort.
The top spec variant will include all the goodies that an owner can want. The new Q3 includes satellite navigation, a 20 GB onboard hard drive, two SD card slots, and an awesome new Audi sound system.
The baby SUV also has a rear-view camera and a panoramic sunroof, as is the standard now. The pop-up multi-media interface panel (MMI) now looks more vibrant on the dashboard of the car.
The new Q3 Facelift gives you easier access to a lot of basic functions on the car. It’s navigation function is easy to use and the phone call information and seamless syncing is not a problem at all for the onboard computer of this car.
The navigation at times gets confused and we would say that still Google Maps works the best.
Audi has also put a new cradle for your phone inside the front armrest. But it’s too small for an iPhone 6 and too big for an iPhone 5S. So, there’s actually no real utility for people who own an iPhone.
Audi says that if you put your phone there, it lets it use the car’s antenna to receive signal, which saves you precious battery life. While we drove for about 6 hours in South Goa with a phone in there, it made little difference to the power consumption of the phone. The USB charging dock, though, is a good utility.
There are also paddle shifters now on the Q3 which makes it fun to drive in the Dynamic mode.
Other nifty little gadgetry that Audi now includes on the Q3 Facelift can also come in handy like:
The Audi side assist in which a yellow LED indicator illuminates in the housing of the outside mirror if another vehicle is in the blind spot or is approaching rapidly from the rear.
The Active lane assist which works with video cameras that detect the lane markings. It gently intervenes in the steering to help the driver return to the lane if he or she comes too close to a line without indicating.
The camera-based traffic sign recognition system shows speed limit signs and no-passing signs in the driver information system display
The Audi navigation can be used in tandem with Audi connect; it connects to the internet and also provides passengers with a Wi-Fi hotspot
How is it to Drive?
The new Q3 is a very peppy SUV in its segment. The engine is smooth, responsive and a little audible inside the cabin. We drove the Quattro so the grip on road was never an issue for the Q3. The gearbox is also fast enough and does not loose any power while shifting up or down.
There is also Audi’s Drive Select, which alters the engine, gearbox and steering to fit either of the Comfort, Dynamic or Auto modes. It is actually like driving three different cars in one.
There is negligible body roll and the comfort inside the cabin is of top quality. There is also ample leg room for this 5 seater SUV. Audi has worked on the suspension of the car and achieved a great comfort-handling balance.
The Engine on The Audi Q3 Facelift
The engine line-up on the 2015 Audi Q3 facelift remains similar to the outgoing model. The Q3 is expected to retain the 2.0 litre TFSI and the 2.0 litre TDI units producing 208bhp and 174bhp respectively.
The car will be officially launched on June 18 and the pricing is expected to be a little higher than existing prices.
The Audi Q3 currently competes with the BMW X1 and the Mercedes Benz GLA class. Though the car has many takers in the under Rs 30 Lakh luxury SUV category than it’s competition, it might face some heat by the new BMW X1 that is also scheduled to be launched soon.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)