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2018 Audi Q3 Will Have 3-Cylinder Engines, PHEV Version

The Audi Q3 now faces more competition than ever, as even BMW has focused on front-wheel-drive crossovers. A second generation Q3 is on its way and, not surprisingly, it will have all the new types of engines we see on MQB platform cars.
 Audi Q3 9 photos
Photo: Audi
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The migration from the PQ35 to the modular VW Group architecture will bring a couple of inches of extra legroom and more cleverly placed seats with better headroom as a result. Weight should also go down, especially for the base models with smaller engines.

The MQB also gives the Q3 access to three-cylinder engines. According to this video by Auto Bild, there will be at least one, but we can't tell you if it's the 1.0 TFSI or the 1.4 TDI. We think it's the former since the Audi A3 and SEAT's Ateca crossover both use the 1-liter.

A plug-in hybrid version is also planned, which is not surprising considering how much money Audi makes in China. What is a surprise is that there will be two cars powered by the 2.5 TFSI, or at least that's what the report claims.

The SQ3 (hasn't existed before) will pack 340 horsepower while the RS Q3 might pack 400. But considering the other "leaked" data Auto Bild suggests to have, we think they are making this stuff up as they go.

For instance, the most powerful 2.0 TFSI is proposed to have 252 PS. That's the output of cars based on the MLB platform such as the Q5 and Q7, but the Q3 should have identical output to VWs like the Passat, so 220 PS is the number to look for.

Audi is playing the design card pretty close to the heart. Everybody has an idea of what the Q3 II looks like, but they're all probably wrong. The only thing we have to go on is the adjacent set of spyshots from a few moths ago.

As you can see, it's grown a lot, has a sloping roof and a raked trunk. The tailpipes are either trapezoidal or they're just trim pieces like on the Q5. On the tech side, we'll see the latest safety features being added to ensure a top safety rating. Inside, things like the digital dash will keep you connected to the digital era.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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