Audi Q3 TFSI Launch Edition 2020 Review

New releases from Audi have been pretty thin on the ground lately, but the new Audi Q3 35 TFSI due to arrive in November is one of the first of a long list of fresh product coming from the prestige German brand.

Styling is very much a personal thing, but the new Audi Q3 manages to take some of the Q8’s styling cues and run with rather than run wild with them. With the large octagonal grille, bold hips and sharp creases, the Audi Q3 could look bloated but doesn’t.

It’s hard to compare this new second-generation Audi Q3 with the 2012 original in a sense because, despite updates since, it feels as though the automotive world has moved on a great deal in the last seven years.

So it’s hardly surprising that this new Audi baby SUV is chock-full of safety and convenience tech features, because it had to be to keep up.

If you want strong performance you will have to wait until next year for the 2.0-litre 45 TFSI or the RS Q3, because the 1.4 turbo four in the Q3 35 TFSI is more acceptable than exhilarating.

When climbing hills or overtaking on the highway, it needs a boot full of throttle and lots of revs. Not helping is the unrefined nature of this engine when it’s spinning at beyond 5000rpm in an attempt to extract the most of its available power.

Yet it’s only when pushing to extract its best that you notice this; around town or during gentle cruising it’s quick to respond to throttle input once past a short off-the-line lag.

While trip computer consumption figures can’t be taken as a given, the Q3 35 TFSI achieved 9.0L/100km in press-on conditions and 6.7L/100km on an easy highway cruise. Its 7.2L/100km ADR Combined figure appears credible.

The six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission didn’t disgrace itself, but then we didn’t do very much stop-start traffic work, which is usually when dual-clutch transmissions can offer less than smooth forward progress when slowly climbing a hill in a line of traffic, for example.

In the driving we did the shifts were smooth and mostly decisive; only in more mountainous terrain was selecting Sport mode inevitable as in Drive the transmission let the engine fall too deep into a torque hole, slowing progress.

Although it’s unlikely that anyone who buys a Q3 35 TFSI will do so because they want a sports car, this is an SUV that is more a journeyman than a star player through the corners. Although the 19-inch Goodyears grip well, the dynamics are ultimately set to understeer (no throttle lift-off to correct it here) and the steering feels remote and is not especially direct.

Yet on the Byron hinterland goat tracks the Audi Q3 could be thrown though a bunch of very patchy undulating corners and not drop its composure, taking in the big bumps and settling quickly. It felt tight as a drum.

In fact, a major highlight of this SUV was its ride; firm yet compliant, it was not only able to recover from some really crook bumps taken at speed but it dispatched them without crashing though.

When we sampled the 35 TFSI on its 18-inch rubber, as expected it was better again for bump absorption than the Launch Edition on its 19-inch tyres.

Noise was subdued in most driving; only when extracting the most from the engine did it intrude, as did tyre noise, when driving on coarse-chip bitumen.

The front seats were not exactly of the kidney-hugging variety, but after engaging in some tight, twisting roads we weren’t left sliding around on the leather. After three hours of driving, there was no squirming in the seat trying to find a comfortable position either.

The Audi Q3 is fairly well covered off for in-cabin storage, with large door pockets and various trays and cubbies around the cabin.

There was plenty of leg and head room in the back, with only the centre seat a little too firm and access impeded a little by the transmission tunnel if you’re five-up.

The boot provided easy access via the powered tailgate and low loading lip, while the rear seat’s multiple adjustments offer a great deal of loading flexibility. Gone are the days of leaving the parcel shelf at home when carrying a tall load too; the two-level floor allows the parcel shelf to be tucked underneath in its higher setting.

You feel as though you’ve spent your money well on a prestige brand inside; all the relatively high-end materials were screwed and glued together well. Despite driving over some very poorly surfaced roads, the only rattle we encountered was after a stop when the parcel shelf wasn’t seated back in position properly.

The MMI interface was mostly a pleasure to use; two options for instrument cluster presentation allow you to give more space for the navigation screen, or you can have that appear smaller and feature the main revs/speedo dials large.

The only not-so-great thing about the cluster is that it’s pretty busy; finding the bit of (more minor) information you want such as the gear position can take a few precious seconds.

The infotainment touch-screen operated as it should, giving easy access to straight-forward menus. The only hiccup was when the final leg of our pre-mapped journey was ‘forgotten’; although perhaps that was down to user error.

Nonetheless, it appears to be a simple system to use, and not having climate control as part of the touch-screen (it uses traditional switches and buttons underneath the screen) is a good thing. Less driver distraction to worry about.

Audi has pitched this SUV at just about everyone -- young professionals, young families and empty nesters. While engine refinement at high revs and ultimate performance are not ideal, with its larger interior and improved overall refinement and technology, this fresh Q3 35 TFSI certainly has broad appeal.

How much does the 2019 Audi Q3 TFSI Launch Edition cost?
Price: $52,750 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 110kW/250Nm
Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 7.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 164g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (Euro NCAP 2018)