The Q3 isn’t a very well-kept secret, and that was probably intentional. Then again, Audi couldn’t let BMW benefit from an unoccupied market segment, and the Q3 will rival the X1 will it goes on sale in Europe this coming June.
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| 2012 Audi Q3 (Photo: Audi) |
Audi’s new compact crossover is said to weight in at 3,300 lbs, which shouldn’t be a problem for the three powertrains that will be offered. That includes a 140-horsepower, 2.0-litre TDI as well as two versions of the 2.0 TSFI gas engine, producing 170 and 211 hp. A 177-hp version of the TDI will also appear eventually. Exactly which powertrains will be green-lighted for the North America market remains to be confirmed, but we could easily expect one TDI and one TFSI.
Some other interesting mechanical details: quattro all-wheel drive and a 7-speed S tronic gearbox will be paired with the most powerful diesel and gas engines. All engines will feature a start/stop system. The front-wheel drive Q3 2.0 TDI is said to consume just 5.2 L/100 km. A 6-speed manual will be offered with the 140-hp TDI and 170-hp 2.0 TFSI quattro. Base models will get 16-inch alloy wheels, while 17- to 19-inchers will be optional. Audi drive select, a four-mode engine management system, will be available with all powertrains.
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| 2012 Audi Q3 (Photo: Audi) |
The Q3’s family resemblance is obvious, and the little crossover will benefit from a bunch of high-end features, such as xenon headlights, an off-road appearance package, an S line package, a panoramic sunroof, a navigation system, a 14-speaker Bose stereo, adaptive cruise control and Audi MMI. An online Bluetooth car phone with a WLAN hotspot to connect portable devices to the Internet will be offered later on.
According to Audi, the Q3 boasts a cargo hold volume of 460 litres, which grows to 1,365 once the rear seatback is folded. Its rated towing capacity of 4,400 lbs seems unrealistic, but hey, with up to 280 lb-ft of torque, it could be done.
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| 2012 Audi Q3 (Photo: Audi) |
