Photo: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
Until the arrival of the Q2 tiny crossover, the Q3 was without a doubt the least appealing offering in Audi's Q range. The Q2 hasn't stolen that title away, but it has made the decision slightly more difficult.
You can blame the hedgehog appearance of the current Q3 model for that as well as the very cramped interior that would make the A3 Sportback feel like a limousine. But people wanted crossovers, so that was precisely what Audi gave them.
Fortunately, the new generation looks like it manages to put all that behind it and bring the Q3 into a new era - one where eating McDonald's is forbidden and daily exercise is the norm. The prototype is still heavily clad in camouflage, but the proportions are plain to see and they don't resemble any creature of the forest anymore.
Likemost all newer generations, the 2019 Audi Q3 too has grown a little - 2.3 inches (5.8 centimeters) in length, to be exact, which means the legroom inside should benefit from it as well. Sitting on the group's MQB platform - which underpins various other models like the Golf, Passat or Tiguan, as well as the A3 Sportback - there aren't too many ways in which Audi can get things wrong, so we expect the new Q3 to be a massive improvement over the outgoing model.
In terms of powertrains, the 2019 Audi Q3 should have anything from three- to four- and five-cylinder engines. The latter will only make their way under the hood of the RS Q3 models lifted straight from the RS3 hot hatch where the 2.5-liter unit develops 400 hp. That should give the RS Q3 enough power to dominate its segment.
A hybrid version is also on the cards and given the current tendency for electrification inside the Volkswagen Group - and, indeed, throughout the entire industry - that shouldn't surprise anybody. With the sporty role taken up by the RS Q3, the hybrid should be geared toward fuel efficiency rather than performance.
On the inside, the Q3 will align itself to the current Audi cabin design. Making beautiful interiors has never been a problem for the Ingolstadt brand, and we see no reason why the Q3 should suddenly change that. The Virtual Cockpit will come as an optional, and probably a pricey one at that.
We shouldn't have to wait for too long until the launch of the Audi Q3 as the first units are expected to be delivered before the end of next year (in certain markets). Besides, the Q3 needs to make room for the more coupe-like Q4, which should launch in early 2019.
Fortunately, the new generation looks like it manages to put all that behind it and bring the Q3 into a new era - one where eating McDonald's is forbidden and daily exercise is the norm. The prototype is still heavily clad in camouflage, but the proportions are plain to see and they don't resemble any creature of the forest anymore.
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In terms of powertrains, the 2019 Audi Q3 should have anything from three- to four- and five-cylinder engines. The latter will only make their way under the hood of the RS Q3 models lifted straight from the RS3 hot hatch where the 2.5-liter unit develops 400 hp. That should give the RS Q3 enough power to dominate its segment.
A hybrid version is also on the cards and given the current tendency for electrification inside the Volkswagen Group - and, indeed, throughout the entire industry - that shouldn't surprise anybody. With the sporty role taken up by the RS Q3, the hybrid should be geared toward fuel efficiency rather than performance.
On the inside, the Q3 will align itself to the current Audi cabin design. Making beautiful interiors has never been a problem for the Ingolstadt brand, and we see no reason why the Q3 should suddenly change that. The Virtual Cockpit will come as an optional, and probably a pricey one at that.
We shouldn't have to wait for too long until the launch of the Audi Q3 as the first units are expected to be delivered before the end of next year (in certain markets). Besides, the Q3 needs to make room for the more coupe-like Q4, which should launch in early 2019.
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