The 130 kW, 2.0-litre TDI quattro with seven-speed S Tronic DSG is the more powerful of two turbo-diesel variants within the five-strong Audi Q3 compact premium SUV range.
A price tag of $54,500 puts it just short of being top-of-the range. For their money, buyers get a car that lives up to the Sports Utility Vehicle categorisation.
The 130 kW/380 Nm powerplant provides more than enough ‘oomph’ and ‘grunt’ to satisfy most buyers in this segment and, coupled with a well-sorted chassis and all-wheel-drive, the Q3 makes for a (relatively) dynamic drive.
The utilitarian aspect is demonstrated by an ability to readily adapt from comfortable five-seater with 460 litres of load-carrying capacity, to two-seater with 1365 litres of cargo space, just by dropping the rear seats. Comfort levels are high and visibility good from the high seating position.
Stop/start technology, assisted by electromechanical steering, claimed class-leading drag coefficiency of 0.32 Cd and low-rolling resistance tyres combine to help return an impressive ADR fuel figure of 5.9-litres/100 km. Even driven hard, as in our performance testing, a respectable 8.0-litres/100 km is achievable.
What’s not to like? We suspect that some might find the ride quality a little too firm.