Audi unveils new Q3 premium crossover

Set to renew the fight against the BMW X1 and the Mercedes-Benz GLA is Audi's all-new Q3 premium crossover.

You've probably noticed the radically changed exterior design. Described by Audi as being more 'emotional' than its predecessor, highlight changes include the use of new tapered head lights, redesigned front intakes, as well as the new Singleframe grille.

The new Audi Q3 gets tapered head lights and taillights, as well as a new full-width LED light bar at the rear

Those lights are said to make use of a new micro-LED technology that offers greater illumination of the road ahead. And just like we have seen on the latest Audi models, the daytime running elements make use of a total of 23 elements, so owners will be able to select from a total of four different light signatures.

But if you think the changes are radical, the rear of the Audi Q3 has seen a more dramatic change yet.

The rear lights have also been significantly tapered. Available as digital OLED items, these are paired with a full-width LED strip as well as an illuminated Audi logo, significantly altering the look of this new Q3 from its predecessor.

Audi also states that this new body has also been designed with an eye to raise efficiency. This new body now gives the car a drag coefficient of 0.3, down from the 0.32 figure before (this latter figure varies slightly depending on selected variant).

The cabin of the Audi Q3 now sports a 11.9-inch digital cluster as well as a 12.8-inch MMI touch display, while its centre console has also been redesigned, offering space for a 15W inductive smartphone charger

Passengers, meanwhile, can look forward to quieter rides, thanks to the new use of acoustic glazing on the car's front side windows, as well as a host of optimised seals and general insulation. But if these are not enough, customers will also be able to opt for their Q3 with adaptive two-valve dampers. The system continuously adapts to the road surface and adjusts the damping force at each wheel independently, offering both raised comfort and handling.

In the cabin, the Audi Q3 has also been upgraded with the firm's new 'Digital Stage', comprising of an 11.9-inch digital cluster as well as a 12.8-inch MMI touch display. This new infotainment system comes with access to Audi's own app store, allowing access to third-party apps such as YouTube. On the useability front, the Audi Q3 also now gets a revised steering wheel, which now sports its gear selector as a steering column-mounted lever on the right. On its left, meanwhile, are new controls for the vehicle's lights and windshield wipers, allowing this new Q3 to ditch traditional indicator stalks.

The redesigned cabin clears up space on the centre console for storage, which also now houses a new cooled, 15W inductive smartphone charger.

The Audi Q3 offers a total of 488 litres of space for luggage in its boot, but this space can be expanded to a total of 1,386 litres with the rear seats folded down

A voice-controlled assistant also rests within this infotainment system, which will allow users to operate a host of vehicle controls. This system appears in this Q3 as an avatar in the infotainment screen or as an icon on the head-up display or instrument cluster. Ambient lighting here, meanwhile, takes the form of marker lights that span the vehicle's dashboard and centre console, but your eyes are no doubt drawn to the new Illuminated fabric panel on the doors.

Customers will be able to specify the Q3 with a premium Sonos sound system, which makes use of a total of 12 speakers (including a subwoofer) to deliver a total of 420W of amplifier power.

And speaking of power, petrol-powered variants of the Q3 available at launch include a four-cylinder 1.5-litre engine producing 148bhp complete with cylinder on demand technology, as well as a 2.0-litre unit that produces a total of 261bhp and will come paired with Audi's quattro all-wheel drive system. A 201bhp 2.0-litre engine is also set to do duty in the Audi Q3 at a later date.

Those with an eye to electrification, meanwhile, will be able to opt for a plug-in hybrid drivetrain that delivers a system total of 268bhp. This drivetrain makes use of a 25.7kWh battery that facilitates an electric-only range of 120km, and can be charged at up to 50kW via a direct current charger.

Audi Singapore expects the new Q3 to arrive here by the first half of 2026 equipped with the 148bhp 1.5-litre engine.