Audi Q3 facelift review, test drive

We took the diesel and petrol Q3 facelift for a quick drive in Germany. Here's what we thought of it.

Published on Nov 21, 2014 05:34:00 PM

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Audi Q3 facelift.

Globally, the Q3 will be available with two petrol and one diesel option. But for India, one diesel, and mostly one petrol motor will be available. I drove the 2.0-litre TFSI petrol first, and it makes a massive 217bhp. As with most TFSIs, this motor is silky smooth and refined, right through its rev range, and you hear a nice snarl when you rev it. There is a bit of turbo lag present at low revs, but serious shove comes in at around 2,500rpm and simply doesn’t let up until 6,500rpm, where the dual clutch auto snatches up the next ratio. The seven-speed dual clucth ’box is as impressive as the engine, and it works really well in manual mode.

Once I had some fun with the potent petrol motor, it was time to sample the more important updated diesel engine. Powered by the same 1968cc four-cylinder turbo-diesel motor as the current car, the updated Q3’s diesel engine now makes 181bhp and 38.74kgm of torque. Thanks to the extra horses, the engine is more flexible, and a wider powerband means there is more than enough grunt in any given condition. Even on the open Autobahn motorway, the engine never felt out of breath. Refinement is very good, performance is ample, and this, coupled with the car’s ride, will make it a fine all-purpose machine. The seven-speed dual cluctch transmission works really well in tandem with the motor, and makes full use of the higher power on tap. It responds quickly to the change in position of your right foot, and ensures you are in the meat of the powerband.

Other than the more powerful motor, the mechanicals are unchanged. This means, the Q3 facelift retains the suspension and other chassis bits from the older car. On corners, the car turns tightly, with its body roll well contained. The steering, however, feels a bit too light - one on the petrol car is better than the diesel and feels more precise, but there are times when you’ll be left wanting more feel. Even the ride on these smooth German roads is quite good. There is some underlying firmness, but it never gets uncomfortable.