SA Road Tests

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This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Most, but not all, the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.

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Review: 2015 Audi Q3 2.0 TFSI Quattro

Materially different

Posted: 12 October 2015

Interior pic by author

The numbers
Basic price: R509 000
Price as tested: R605 163
Engine: 1984 cc, chain-driven DOHC, 16-valve, four-cylinder turbopetrol
Power: 134 kW between 4200 and 6000 rpm
Torque: 320 Nm between 1500 and 4000 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 7.6 seconds
Maximum speed: 217 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 7.9 l/100 km
Tank: 64 litres
Luggage: 460 – 1365 litres (to roof)
Ground clearance: See text
Warranty: 1 year / unlimited km
Maintenance plan: 5 years / 100 000 km 

The more things stay the same, the more they change. Q3 is still Audi’s smallest SUV and essentially the same size as it was back in 2012, but some details are different.

A facelift provides a neater front grille without vertical bars, revised bumpers front and rear, and new head- and tail lights. This look will be rolled out to other Q models in time. The interior stays the same.

It’s the engine line-up that’s materially different. The old 103 kW diesel is history. So is the venerable 155 kW (earlier Golf GTI) 2.0-litre petrol motor. The new range features a pair of 1400 cc, 110 kW, petrol-powered front wheel drivers; the previously standard, 2.0-litre TFSI has gained seven kilowatts – up to 132 kW- but comes with Quattro drive only; the higher powered version of the 1968 cc diesel has stepped up from 130 kW to 135 and also comes exclusively with awd, while the rapid RS  has powered up to 250 kilowatts from its previous 228. A 110 kW version of the diesel, with fwd and S-tronic, is expected early next year.

The six-speed manual transmission remains in service for the entry-level car and is joined by a six-speed automatic for its low-cost sibling. The familiar, seven-gear, S-tronic still serves in Quattro models. It transfers power via a new, fifth generation, hydraulic multi-plate clutch that has been refined for faster gear changes. Lower gears are closely spaced for sporty response while the seventh is fairly tall to save fuel – 2300 rpm at 120 km/h in top on our test car.

This was the mid-level, two-litre, petrol model with Quattro and S-tronic, priced at R509 000 before extras. These amounted to R96 163 and consisted of 19” wheels with 255/40 Pirelli P-Zero tyres; a panoramic glass roof; an S-Line exterior package; S-Line sports suspension (lowered by 20 mm); LED head- and tail lights with dynamic indicators; and Alcantara-leather combination upholstery to go with rather nice sport-style front seats featuring decent side bolstering and under-thigh extenders. These two items totalled R19 690 and, with the possible exception of the suspension kit (R7110) for fast drivers, were in this tester’s opinion the most worthwhile options of those fitted.

The seats held us tidily in place during spirited driving, under-thigh extenders are always welcome for long-legged pilots and the suede-like Alcantara surface is pleasantly neutral in both hot and cold weather – no fried or frozen skin.

Because the Q3 is an SUV, and because we felt like it, we visited our favourite tenderfoot trail and a couple of provincial gravel roads that varied in quality from “good” to “not so great.” That’s despite lowered suspension and low-profile tyres, please note.

Luckily the beginners’ course had been repaired recently, so there were no serious washaways to challenge the car’s reduced ground clearance (down from 170 mm to 150). We negotiated its humps, hollows and loose stones gently while Quattro drive distributed power as needed. It’s quite amazing where “soft road” all-wheel drive vehicles can go, despite the unenthusiastic press they receive. We would obviously skip the sports suspension and lo-pro tyres if this were our own vehicle. That’s because we have fun doing this kind of thing although most city folks wouldn’t.

Dirt road performance was decently comfortable and stable over washboard ripples and embedded stones – just as it was in 2012 when we drove the more powerful, previous model. Although the car was covered in dust after the morning’s adventures, none got inside.

Back in civilisation where it properly belongs, we found this 2.0-litre version quick, responsive and more than powerful enough to do whatever we needed it to do and the uprated S-Tronic proved more intuitive than ever. Our only concern is a random hesitation in accelerator response in Drive mode. We therefore kept it on the Sport setting for city and highway driving in case snappy reactions were ever needed.

Ergonomically, the driving position is sort-of like piloting a bus. We say “sort-of” because you get only half the bus driving feel. You sit up high with knees bent at almost right angles – like on a kitchen chair – but the steering wheel is nearly upright like on a regular car, rather than the almost flat style of a bus or truck. It feels weird at first but you get used to it.

The posture extends to the back seat. Although passengers have adequate headroom and knee- and foot space is generous, the backrest angle is a little more upright than we are used to. While back there, we found a 12-volt socket, air conditioning repeater vents, a full set of belts and head restraints and almost the biggest door bins ever. But seatback pockets and the customary armrest with cup holders are absent.

We’ve stated previously that small SUVs like this one should adequately fulfil most families’ needs. Performance, passenger space, handling and capability are all there; the superiority vista matches that of most others and prices are generally better. The Q3’s only drawback is that it offers “just” 460 litres of undercover luggage space. That’s more than most cars do, but many writers aren’t happy with that; which is a pity.

Test unit from Audi SA press fleet

We reviewed the old 155 kW version in 2012



What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material. If I ever place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with that vehicle at least once already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.

Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. As quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so they can see I do actually exist.

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