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2019 Audi Q3 First Drive: Are Good Looks Enough?

Compact luxury crossovers are a hot segment, and introducing a new one with four rings on the grille should be a passport to success. Add Audi’s access to VW Group’s modular architecture for the 2019 Q3, and the underpinnings for success are seemingly in place.

Audi got into the compact SUV game in 2011 in Europe, but it took until 2014 to convince German decision-makers to give the U.S. a version. The time has finally come for a second generation for the Q3, which moves to the global MQB modular platform that underpins VW Group front-drive vehicles of all shapes, sizes, and brands. And this time around, North America waits months, not years, to get its version of the Q3.

MotorTrend traveled to Europe last fall for a first spin behind the wheel of the Euro-spec Q3, and now, in the pastoral areas outside Nashville, we finally get to drive the U.S.-spec compact crossover, which is on sale now.

Although Europe gets a gaggle of gasoline and diesel engines and three transmissions to choose from, the U.S. Q3 comes standard with the 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 tuned for 228 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque and mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The 2.0-liter does bump horsepower by 28 and torque by 51 lb-ft over the outgoing model, however. Audi says the Q3 will do 0–60 in 7.0 seconds, which shaves 1.2 seconds from its predecessor.

All-wheel drive is standard on all trim levels with no plans to offer a front-drive version, hybrid, or pure EV—the Q4 E-Tron will fill the electric gap.

But the U.S. also does not get the performance variants that Europeans will enjoy. So try not to lust for the lower roofline of a Q3 Sportback or pine for the performance of an RS or SQ3. The closest we get is the S Line with a $500 Sport interior package, which is cosmetic only.

The reason: Audi executives don’t think the U.S. market is big enough to split the Q3 that many ways. They just don’t see the demand. Two-thirds of buyers will be 30–40 years old, the rest empty-nesters, and 60 percent will be female. Audi research suggests these buyers want a premium look and the latest tech; performance is not the top priority in an entry-level crossover.

If looks and tech are the target, the Q3 goes a long way to completing its mission. Compact crossovers are becoming a dime a dozen, and it’s getting harder to stand out in this exploding segment. The Q3 has nice lines and a rich mix of materials, making it one of the more attractive offerings. Styling from the Q8 trickled down to the Q3, including the larger octangular grille and side “Quattro blisters,” which give it a more muscular look combined with a front end that was brought forward and up and a flat hood that meets a more raked windshield.

The 2019 Q3 is larger than its predecessor. It’s 3.8 inches longer (3.0 inches longer in wheelbase), 0.7 inch wider, and 1.5 inches taller for a more substantial look. Standard wheels are 18 inches, bumping up to 19-inch all-season tires on the S Line, or $800 optional 20-inch summer tires.

Take an S Line up a notch with the Sport package and burnt orange Alcantara on the dash and doors. It is certainly eye-popping—almost to the point of distraction on a sunny Tennessee day as it reflects in the side mirrors and windows, forever captured in your peripheral vision.

The tech is there, as well, with a standard 10.24-inch digital instrument cluster and optional 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit. There is no head-up display—Audi says Virtual Cockpit makes it redundant. The standard 8.8-inch MMI touchscreen infotainment display can be upgraded to a 10.1-inch screen, and all feature crisp graphics. A quibble: The navigation system’s turn-by-turn directions tile the second turn above the first, a seemingly small detail, but my brain likes to read from the top down. The mental adjustment would be easier if the system didn’t sometimes fail to show the name of the road for the next turn.

Moving to the MQB architecture provides a lot of new goodies, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, rear cross-traffic assist, adaptive cruise control with stop and go for inching along in traffic, lane keep assist, parking assist, and a top-down view to the rear camera imaging.

The car’s looks proved slicker than the ride. There were some issues with the transmission on the S Line Premium Plus for the morning drive. Upshifts were abrupt—oddly more so in Comfort drive mode than in Dynamic, which defies the intent of those modes. It was in Dynamic that the crossover delivered a smoother, more linear band of power. Comfort also laid down a couple of downshifts with a thud. This particular model was still being broken in, with less than 500 miles on it, and I don’t know what kind of hooliganism went on before I got behind the wheel. Audi spokespeople suggest these factors may have affected the fledgling transmission. Switching to another S Line for the afternoon, there was a marked improvement, but the transmission was still not as smooth as buyers of a premium brand might expect or as responsive as other Audis.

The Sport package with paddles on the three-spoke steering wheel livened the experience. The engine responds and sounds better when the driver is allowed to hold each gear longer. Left to its own devices, the eight-speed is too eager to upshift, which helps fuel economy but makes for some jerky moments while accelerating. As for the fuel economy: It gets 19/27/22 mpg city/highway/combined, which is not best in class. On a hot day in Nashville, the auto stop/start kept the engine running at some intersections to keep the air conditioning running. We appreciated this nod to comfort over economy.

Steering was precise but joins the legions of crossovers that have inserted a bit of novocaine into the overall feel. It has some body roll, and the Q3 doesn’t share the crisp dynamics we have come to expect of Audi. Unlike Europe, North America gets no adaptive suspension option, and the five-link independent suspension was raised by 0.7 inch in the front and half an inch in the rear for the U.S. for a better seating position. The Q3 has 8.3 inches of ground clearance.

Front seats are firm but comfortable, heated but not cooled. The 40/20/40 split second row reclines and slides 5.9 inches, and the sides of the seat and the door offer clever storage areas. There is an extra 2.0 cubic feet of cargo room behind each row of seats and an adjustable load floor with two heights.

Inside, the ambient lighting can be customized, and aluminum and matte inlays are available in addition to the woods and the $150 Alcantara option. A special spot in the center console to store the key is always welcome. The deep glovebox opens onto your knees if the passenger seat is too far forward, though, and the sun visor doesn’t have an extender.

There are two easily accessible USB ports up front, two more in back. The Q3 is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible, and you can upgrade to make CarPlay wireless. Wireless charging accommodates an iPhone 8 Plus and up, plus a signal boost by glomming onto the car antennae.

Pricing starts at $35,695, but Audi expects the majority of buyers to pay the premium for the S Line, which starts at $36,995. That puts it right in the sweet spot against the competitors such as the BMW X1, Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class, Volvo XC40, and Infiniti QX30, most of which charge an extra $2,000–$3,000 for all-wheel drive. The two Premium Plus S Lines we drove stickered at $42,445 and $44,990.

The Q3 is made in Gyor, Hungary, in the same plant as the TT. It went on sale late last year in Europe as a 2019 model year. 2019 will be a short model year for the U.S. with the 2020 expected later this year.

Given its looks and the demand for a small premium crossover, the Q3 should prove to be a best-seller for Audi. It doesn’t do enough dynamically to telegraph the kind of ride the Audi badge delivers across its lineup, but Audi’s marketing team could be right: That’s not what consumers are buying this vehicle for. This is the brand’s entry-level SUV in the U.S. and is a lovely way to get from A to B.

2019 Audi Q3
BASE PRICE	$35,695-$36,995
VEHICLE LAYOUT	Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV
ENGINE	2.0L/228-hp/258-lb-ft turbocharged DOHC 16-valve I-4
TRANSMISSION	8-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT	3,950 lb (mfr)
WHEELBASE	105.5 in
LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT	176.6 x 72.8 x 64.1 in
0-60 MPH	7.0 sec (mfr)
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON	19/27/22 mpg
ENERGY CONSUMPTION, CITY/HWY	125-177
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB	0.88 lb/mile
ON SALE IN U.S.	Currently