2015 Audi Q3 | new car sales price

More and more car makers are itching to pitch their tent in the increasingly popular compact crossover camp. Already well settled in this site is Audi with its popular Q3.

Now the German manufacturer is about to run up the flag again with an improved version of the compact sports utility vehicle first seen in Australia in 2012.

Audi Australia managing director Andrew Doyle says for the latest iteration of the Q3, the company had concentrated on equipment customers regularly chose when making a purchase.

At the top of the new Q3 trim line is the S line sport package and the S line exterior package.

Audi Q3 offers two petrol and two diesel engines, all turbocharged and Euro 6 emission compliant. The 1.4 TFSI engine in the Q3 entry-level model has gained Audi's innovative Cylinder on Demand (CoD) technology; two of its four cylinders shut down under light throttle loads up to 20 per cent to reduce consumption and emissions.

Putting out 110kW of power and 250Nm of torque it is capable of pushing the Q3 to 100km/h from rest in 8.9 seconds.

Such is the operation of the engine, that during a launch drive in northern NSW and south-east Queensland, switches of cylinder use from two to four were indiscernible.

The two 2.0-litre engines – one TDI diesel and one TFSI petrol – produce figures of 135kW and 380Nm and 132kW and 320Nm respectively. The TDI reaching 100km/h in 7.9 seconds, with measured consumption of 5.4L/100km.

The fastest Audi Q3, the TFSI petrol, sprints to 100km/h in 7.6 seconds, with only minor cost to combined fuel rating at 6.7L/100km.

The Q3 1.4 TFSI COD makes use of the Audi six-speed S tronic transmission, while other models have the benefit of seven-speed S tronic and Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system.

Generous ground clearance enables the Q3 to handle mid-range off-road driving conditions

Chassis fine-tuning, Audi quattro all-wheel drive, plus speed-sensitive power steering, ensure agile handling and superior ride comfort, well illustrated on the launch drive on a range for roads from suburban streets to tight twists and turns, plus some highway cruising. Nothing too strenuous.

The cabin interior was light on intrusive noise from any of the engines and road surfaces. Body roll in tight corners was kept to a minimum, with only a hint of understeer coming through when the vehicle was hard pressed.

Generous ground clearance enables the Q3 to handle mid-range off-road driving conditions. And now for the first time the standard electronic stabilisation control can be deactivated in two stages.

Interestingly, an ESC off-road mode provides optimal traction off the beaten track. This adjusts certain functions, such as ABS and the electronic differential lock, and the control function optimised for the surface. That's clever.

The Audi drive select dynamic handling system, which is standard with the sport line, allows the driver to switch between comfort, auto, dynamic and efficiency modes by means of a button. The system combines the accelerator, power steering and S tronic transmission.

The Q3 maintains the coupe-like profile that has come to characterise the modern SUV, while its 'Audiness' is announced by the sculpted single-frame radiator grille and wraparound tailgate.

Redesigned standard headlights are xenon plus, daytime running lights LED. Optional LED headlamps are offered in combination with dynamic turn signals integrated into reworked LED taillights. The turn signals light up sequentially from the inside in the direction the driver intends to turn.

Fifteen wheel designs – seven of them new – in 17 or 18-inch sizes are on offer as standard. Options are 19 and 20-inch. All tyres are low rolling resistance and a tyre pressure indicator is standard.

Inside the cabin there is room for five. Cargo capacity of 460 litres can be increased to 1365 litres by folding the split rear seatbacks.

Ergonomic instruments and controls, plus the use of quality materials fitted with top-notch workmanship mark the Q3 as a premium product. Clever options include a luggage compartment package, a pass-through and power tailgate. Roof rails and a new, extendible cargo cover are standard.

The standard radio features MMI operation from larger Audi models. The fold-out colour monitor with 6.5-inch display, a memory card reader and an audio tuner with phase diversity are standard. The MMI radio also includes a Bluetooth interface and the Audi music interface for easy connection of a mobile player.

At the top of the multimedia range is MMI navigation plus with rotary pushbutton and 7-inch monitor displaying graphics and navigation map in 3-D.

Audi sound or Bose surround sound are on offer, the latter a ten-channel, 465 watt amplifier driving 14 speakers, including a subwoofer. It uses a microphone to analyse intrusive noises and adjusts playback accordingly.

The Audi Q3 achieves the maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating and owners can take advantage of a range of advanced driver assistance systems.

For example, Audi side assist, active lane assist, high-beam assist and hill descent control, along with electric folding and dimming exterior mirrors can be combined into a new $2490 Assistance package.

A Comfort package ($2490) consists of electric and heated front seats, and automatic tailgate, while a Technik package ($2990) includes MMI navigation plus, park assist and Audi sound system.

Q3 prices start at $42,900, plus on-road costs, for the Q3 1.4 TFSI COD S tronic and top out at $56,900 for the 2.0 TDI S tronic quattro Sport.

The ultimate option is a new Q3 camping tent that can be set up in minutes and fastened to the vehicle's open tailgate. One person with an air pump can set up the entire tent in just three minutes.

Another four minutes is all it takes to connect the tent to the Q3 via the open rear hatch. Secured to the ground with eight camping pegs, it can withstand winds of up to 70km/h.