Coupe-styled Audi Q3 Sportback arrives on local shores

Having expanded its Q range earlier this year with the introduction of the diesel-powered Q8, Audi has added its latest offering, the Q3 Sportback, to the South African line-up.

Shown last year, and initially expected to have carried the Q4 moniker, the Sportback measures 4 500 mm in overall length with a wheelbase of 2 680 mm, height of 1 556 mm and width of 1 843 mm, dimensions which adds up to a 16 mm gain in overall length, a 29 mm height reduction and six millimetre width decrease with the wheelbase staying as is.

Aesthetically unchanged from the Q3 until the C-pillar, the coupe-style Sportback has a claimed boot capacity of 530-litres or 1 400-litres with the rear seats down, which amounts to the same figure as its sibling in the case of the former, but 125-litres down with the seconds folded flat.

For South Africa, only two models will be offered, both powered by TFSI petrol engines mated to an S tronic gearbox; the entry-level 35 TFSI that retains the long-serving 110kW/250Nm 1.4-litre mill and the 40 TFSI which keeps the 132kW/320Nm 2.0-litre mill. Hooked to a six-speed S tronic ‘box, the front-wheel-drive 35 will dispatch the 0-100 km/h sprint in a claimed 9.3 seconds, while the 40’s combination of quattro all-wheel-drive plus a seven-speed S tronic translates into the benchmark sprint being completed in 7.8 seconds. No top speed or consumption figures were revealed.

In terms of features, the Sportback comes as standard with LED headlights, the 8.8-inch MMI Touch Radio Plus infotainment system with Audi Smartphone interface, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, leather/leatherette seats, the 10.25-inch Virtual Cockpit Display digital instrument cluster, 18-inch alloy wheels, interior ambient lighting, Audi Pre-Sense Collision Assist, Lane Departure Warning, rear parking sensors as well as Lane Change Warning.

The plethora options available, combined into six packages; Comfort, Technology, Parking, Sport, S line interior and Black exterior, includes the upgraded 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit Display and 10.1-inch MMI Plus Navigation system with wireless Apple CarPlay only, 19-inch alloys, heated electric front seats trimmed in leather or Alcantara, contoured ambient lighting, a glass panoramic sunroof, wireless smartphone charger and a 3D Bang & Olufsen sound system. Noted safety and driver assistance options are a surround view camera system, Park Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Adaptive Matrix LED headlights and Adaptive Cruise Control.

Build alongside the Q3 at the Gyor Plant in Hungry, the Q3 Sportback is offered in ten colours, including a new Dew Silver hue, and is priced at R693 000 for the 35 TFSI and at R737 000 for the 40 TFSI quattro S line. A five year/100 000 km Audi Freeway maintenance plan is standard on both.

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