Audi RS Q3 Review

Just as ultra-fast hot hatchbacks are popular right now, so too are their SUV equivalents. As they stretch across every sector of new car, it’s almost inevitable that performance versions will grow in desirability.

That’s exactly what Audi found with the RS Q3: the original was something of a ‘bitsa’, a car you sense was conjured up almost as an experiment. But people liked it, and that encouraged the firm to develop this all-new version.

Love exceptional speed and dynamics within a compact overall package, but still want to experience the SUV stance and higher driving position? Then it’s likely you’ll want to check out the RS Q3. And if this regular version isn’t quite sleek enough for you, Audi now offers an RS Q3 Sportback with a swooping roofline and even sportier looks.

There’s only one engine offered in the RS Q3, that rorty 2.5-litre five-cylinder petrol. With any other engine, it wouldn’t be an authentic junior RS vehicle. Audi also only sells it with a seven-speed automatic gearbox, called S Tronic.

There are three model variants - regular RS Q3, Sport Edition and Vorsprung. The latter two have larger alloys and other extras, while Vorsprung is packed with equipment – including almost every bit of tech usually on the options list.

If you want a less potent alternative to the RS Q3, you need to choose something like a Q3 Sport 45 TFSI Quattro, which has a 230PS 2.0-litre TFSI petrol engine. We await with interest the arrival of an SQ3 to plug that massive gap in power…

The Porsche Macan is an obvious rival to the Audi RS Q3. Whereas the Audi is a sporty version of a conventional car, the Porsche is a more performance-oriented machine from the outset. The V6-engined Macan S may not have the sheer firepower of the Audi, but it’s not far off – and it costs similar money.

Mercedes-AMG is another performance sub-brand stretching out into SUVs, and the GLA 45 is a ferocious little rocket. BMW offers the X2 M35i, but this is more of an SQ3 alternative than a full-on RS Q3 rival. Time will tell whether the firm rolls out a full-fat X2 M.  

Audi has a great reputation for interior quality too. However, while the RS Q3 is undoubtedly well built, some of the trims aren’t quite as indulgent as they once were. Investigate parts of the dashboard with your hands and you’ll discover some surprisingly hard and scratchy plastic in places. That’s fine on the regular Q3, but seems a bit out of place in a vehicle costing as much as £60,000.

The RS Q3-specific materials are better. We’ve mentioned the wonderfully rich seats, with Nappa leather that also covers the door panels and steering wheel. Both colour screens are crisp and high-resolution, and the piano black panel in the centre of the dashboard is deep and lustrous.

The sparkling polished aluminium trim looks and feels high-end       too. And Audi has added the distinct feature of Alcantara trim panels into the dash – which you can even option in bold orange if you wish. Naturally, minor controls are solid, from the stalks behind the steering wheel to the tactile climate control switches.

It’s outstandingly well built on the outside, with ultra-thick paint, precise panel gaps and well-executed styling add-ons that help justify a heady price tag.

All Audi RS Q3s come with the same MMI Navigation Plus system, which uses a central 10.1-inch touchscreen and the 12.3-inch Audi Virtual Cockpit instrument display. It is a very sophisticated set-up with a brilliant array of features, including some RS-specific displays to provide some extra pizazz. The latter include a G-force meter, bar-shaped rev counter, power and torque percentage outputs, turbo boost, oil temperature and a light that indicates whether you’re in custom mode RS1 or RS2.

The central touchscreen has Audi Connect Infotainment Services Plus built in, and a free three-year subscription to the online functionality it offers. This includes full Amazon Alexa integration, while the Audi Smartphone Interface includes wireless Apple CarPlay. There’s a regular USB socket and a more modern USB-C connector, voice control with natural language processing, plus DAB and Bluetooth.

Regular RS Q3s have a normal Audi sound system, which is upgraded in the Vorsprung to a Bang & Olufsen 3D set-up. These variants also get a driver assistance pack, which is masterminded through the infotainment system.

The slightly odd driving position of the previous Q3 is no more. In that car, you felt like you were sitting on top of the vehicle, towering over the dashboard, with the pedals positioned too close and the steering wheel not quite stretching far back enough.

It’s much more natural in this latest Q3. The pedals are further away, and located a bit more in front of you, rather than below. The foot well is roomier and the seat has a more natural position relative to the rest of the interior. 

It makes the RS Q3 feel more commanding to sit in, and also gives you the confidence to press on through twisty corners without feeling a little like you might fall out of your seat.

Despite the chunky front chairs, space in the rear is good – again, much better than the old model. The rear bench seat slides and has an adjustable 60:40-split backrest. There’s a decent amount of headroom, even in models fitted with a standard panoramic glass roof, and seat comfort is good in the rear as well as the front. The seats again carry stitched patterns and the Nappa leather is as rich as that in the front. Only the view forwards might give cause for grumbles – the single-piece backrests of the RS front seats do block forward vision a little.

The boot is wide and very well shaped. An adjustable floor gives it a flat load space, with a smooth metal load protector making it easy to slide things in and out. Its maximum capacity is 530 litres with the seats up, extending to a huge 1,525 litres with the seats fully folded. The backrest is split 40:20:40 for even more flexibility.

We also like how Audi has created a space beneath the boot floor for storing the parcel shelf, so you don’t have to either leave it behind or have it resting annoyingly on top of whatever bulky load you’re carrying.

There are two rear Isofix mountings for child seats, concealed behind marked plastic panels in the seat base. Loading and unloading children is easier in the RS Q3 than the RS Q3 Sportback, due to the latter’s plunging roofline and smaller door openings.

The 2.5-litre five-cylinder single-turbo engine fitted to the RS Q3 is brilliant. It absolutely is the highlight here. For starters, there’s the noise. It may not be quite as incendiary as it once was, but it’s still exceedingly charismatic, with a thoroughly authentic five-cylinder burble that turns into a rousing blare at higher revs (it’s redlined at a heady 7,000rpm). Rally-style pops and crackles from the exhaust are entertaining as well – particularly from Sport Edition versions, which have a standard sports exhaust.

It’s remarkable how quick it can launch itself off the line, and the power seems to build right through the rev range. It may only have one big turbo rather than two smaller ones, but it’s hard to catch the engine off-boost. Most of the time, it will respond to the accelerator pedal with an instantaneous kick.

We love how free-spinning it is, too. This is a fairly large engine, with five big cylinders, but it’s silky-smooth and feels incredibly inertia-free.

The S Tronic gearbox is a bit more frustrating if you leave it to its own devices. It has a tendency to change up a bit too early, even in Sport mode, seeming reluctant to hold onto gears. Take matters into your own hands with the paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, though, and you can flick near-instantly between the dual-clutch transmission’s gear ratios.

If you’re erring towards the RS Q3, you probably won’t grumble about one source of noise – the engine itself. Indeed, you’ll probably want even more of it. The sound is entertaining, but the exhaust crackles and bangs aren’t quite as intense as they once were, as the car is now fitted with an exhaust particulate filter.

It still sounds unlike any other engine, though, and is one of the most authentically ‘Audi’ engines out there. Big wheels mean a fair bit of road noise is inevitable. The tyres do generate quite a roar, particularly at higher speeds. Naturally, the 21-inch wheels are worse in this regard, and they also pick out more lumps and bumps in the road.

Otherwise, it’s not too bad, with the aero-enhanced body generating less wind noise, and the sturdy build not disturbing refinement inside with any rattles or buzzes.

A comprehensive haul of standard safety gear includes six airbags, an extra ISOFIX mount on the front passenger seat, front passenger airbag deactivation, remote electrically-operated rear child locks and a first aid kit with a warning triangle.

Driver assistance features include autonomous emergency braking in towns (complete with pedestrian and cyclist detection), camera-based road sign recognition and the Audi Side Assist blind-spot warning system. When you engage reverse gear, a cross-traffic assist system warns of approaching cars or pedestrians, and will jolt the brakes if it thinks a collision is inevitable.

There’s a lane-departure warning system, cruise control with speed limiter, an electric parking brake and, amusingly, hill descent control. Not that we imagine a single RS Q3 owner will ever venture far enough off-road to actually use this.

Vorsprung models get a driver assistance package including a 360-degree camera and adaptive cruise control. This maintains a set distance from the vehicle in front, and gives steering assistance to help the driver stay within their lane. It works at speeds of up to 124mph. Euro NCAP has awarded the Q3 range a full five-star safety rating.  

Insurance groups and costs are high, but maybe not quite as prohibitive as you might fear. The regular Audi RS Q3, for example, comes in at group 40 – that’s expensive, but this is a 400PS vehicle with a wildly fast 0-62mph time. It could be a lot worse.

The fancy Vorsprung version may have extra active safety features, but it also has larger wheels and more expensive kit elsewhere. It is therefore a bit more expensive to insure, with a group 42 rating.

Heady CO2 emissions of 202g/km mean the RS Q3 drops into a steep £1,305 first-year VED (road tax) rate. And because it costs more than £40,000, owners will also have to pay the £475 ‘premium car’ tax rate for years two to six.

At least after that, car tax drops down to the regular £150 a year level. Under the old pre-2017 system, RS Q3 owners would have forked out more than twice this per year.

You’d hope a car costing over £50,000 would offer a good level of standard equipment and the RS Q3 doesn’t disappoint. Even the smallest alloy wheel is 20 inches in diameter, LED headlights and rear lights are standard, the Nappa front seats are electric and the comprehensive Audi MMI system is included.

Sport Edition sees the alloy wheels grow to 21 inches, and they’re painted black, while the black styling makeover also adds moody highlights throughout. Even the headlights are dark-tinted Matrix LED items, and both a panoramic glass roof and RS Sport exhaust are standard.

Vorsprung builds on this with luxury features such as the Bang & Olufsen sound system, driver assistance pack, carbon door mirror housings, diamond-cut 21-inch wheels and standard RS Sport Suspension Plus.