Styling departments in car companies are incredibly incestuous places. A careless slip of the tongue, over a steaming cup of coffee, can start a chain of replication that can be hard to halt. While I am certain that both Kia and Audi worked independently on their crossover coupe routes to market, it goes to prove that seeking individuality in a competitive scene can be a hard won task.
For Audi, the Q3 Coupe/Sportback seems so logical that you wonder why it has not appeared before. Measuring 4.5m long, 1.56m tall and 1.84m wide, it is just 16mm longer than the regular Q3 but manages to look much larger, sitting on 18.0-inch diameter alloy wheels (19s and 20s for S and Vorsprung versions respectively) and a generous ride height.
To start with, two engines will power the new Audi Q3 Sportback in the UK, which can be ordered imminently, both of which have been certified to the Euro 6d-TEMP emission standard. The four-cylinder direct injection units use turbocharging and are fitted with a particulate filter. The 2.0TDI provides a familiar 147bhp in the Q3 Sportback 35 TDI, while the 2.0TFSI unit (45 TFSI) offers 227bhp with quattro drivetrain. Soon after launch, a punchier 187bhp version of the 2.0-litre turbodiesel will join the range, with a 147bhp, 1.5-litre capacity, 48v hybridised petrol-turbo factoring in cylinder shut-off technology and coasting capability also available.
Sport suspension settings are standard to aid both agility and stability. The Vorsprung trim level features adaptive damping, with six-position, driver selectable modes (including an Off-Road setting). Packed with driver and safety electronic aid systems, including some semi-autonomous technology that provides both aural and haptic feedback and warnings, Audi is hiking the new Sportback into higher-end territory.
Inside the Sportback, it is familiar Audi fayre, with high quality, soft-touch mouldings and the flexible instrument panel that can provide conventional dials, or a more focused digital display. There is room for up to five adults, although lowering the height of the rear seats, to allow for better accommodation below the svelte coupe roofline, does create a minor space compromise. The Q3’s boot is spacious, with secure room below for private possessions, although removing the false floor and folding forwards the split-fold rear seats provides a cavernous load area.
Connectivity options are generous and competent, with standard sat-nav, accessed using the MMI controller in the centre console and displayed on a 10.25-inch screen atop the centre stack. Edition 1 and Vorsprung models benefit from a larger, 12.3-inch screen and voice control completes a comprehensive packaging exercise. Overall, the styling of the new Q3 Sportback manages to look unforced and immensely attractive, so much so that you wonder why Audi has taken so long to do it.
