After years of Audi’s popular Q3 being off the market in India, in the short span of six months, we now have two of them. The standard Q3 SUV was launched last year, and then there’s this new Sportback variant, which aims to bring the Coupe SUV trend down from the higher segments to a wider set of buyers.
In that sense, it’s a unique offering in the segment, with no direct rivals in India, the closest being Volvo’s C40 Recharge EV that’s coming later this year.
2023 Audi Q3 Sportback: exterior design
Visual differentiation is the main draw here, and Audi has cleverly saved the Q3 Sportback from the sporty S-Line styling package. A hexagonal mesh pattern with more brushed silver elements rather than the vertical chrome slats found in the standard SUV, as well as a welcome five-twin-spoke design for the 18-inch alloy wheels, make the front and rear bumpers significantly more aggressive. This version is also the only one with this striking Turbo Blue paint color.
2023 Audi Q3 Sportback: interior and features
- The front half of the cabin is identical to the Q3 SUV and that means a smart and modern design with some interesting shapes and surfaces, wrapped in high-quality materials at every touch point.
- It’s pretty well kitted out too, with powered front seats, fully featured infotainment and digital dial screens, dual-zone climate control, gesture-controlled powered tailgate, wireless phone charger, and a 10-speaker sound system, amongst other things.
- At this price, however, driver-seat memory would have been a welcome inclusion. the bench is contoured for two passengers, so the third won’t be quite as comfortable, but unlike the SUV, you only get a single-pane sunroof, not a panoramic one.
Engine, mileage, and drive impressions
It has 190 horsepower and 320 nm of torque, both of which are delivered with incredible precision through a 7-speed dual-cutch automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive, which is becoming increasingly rare in this segment. Although it is not the final word in handling sharpness, that is acceptable; it’s harmless, unsurprising, and unbiased to drive, with the underestimated well-being net of AWD, which will suit most proprietors fine.
Mileage
- It can be smooth and refined when desired; simply nudge the Drive Select switch until you get to Solace or Proficiency modes.
- Also, when we were driving lightly, it even managed to get us between 10 and 12 kph; which is excellent in light of the engine’s performance potential.
- In this mode, which is ideal for driving in the city, the steering is light and simple.
Drive impressions
Again, this is fine because the suspension is on the soft side. It actually stays totally under control when pushed quickly through corners, so you can have some good times with it, however, the remainder of the time, it is remarkably agreeable, and that is of far more noteworthy worth in the Indian setting.
Expected price and verdict
When compared to the standard Q3, the Audi Q3 Sportback’s price of Rs 51.43 lakh (ex-showroom India) is quite affordable. It costs just Rs 1.04 lakh more than the most expensive Technology version of the standard SUV. Having said that, the Sportback still falls well within the confines of this compact luxury SUV segment, even though the Audi Q3 Technology 2.0 TFSI quattro SUV was already one of the priciest vehicles in the class.