Audi Q3 Sportback long-term review, 7,500km report

Avid Autocar readers may know that we’ve already had an Audi Q3 Sportback as a long termer before. And it was appreciated and missed by so many in our team that we had to have it back to spend some extended time with it. Audi obliged, and the Q3 Sportback has returned to our fleet. Albeit in a different shade of blue this time around.

This SUV does make a good first impression – classy design, elegant use of chrome, compact proportions, and of course, that swooping roofline for an added dose of style. Step in, and it’s a similar story. The dash is finished in all black and is logically laid out, the brown upholstery on the seats looks rich, and everything you touch and feel is of the highest quality.

I swiped the keys to the Q3 Sportback as soon as it arrived and drafted it as a temporary replacement for my Ignis as a daily commute machine. And although I wasn’t immediately bowled over by it, it has grown on me as I’ve spent time with it. It’s typically Audi in that sense.

With that sexy Sportback shape, there is a compromise, however. I haven’t personally sat in the back yet, but tall friends and colleagues have told me that the headroom is tight back there. Surprisingly though, it hasn’t affected the boot space, as this Sportback has the same 530-litre capacity as the regular Q3. Sergius even put this to the test with our older long termer and was surprised as to how easily it could fit in large cargo.

While it may lag behind others in terms of the tech and features it offers, what isn’t compromised is the mechanical package. Power comes from a 190hp, 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine that sends power to all four wheels via a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic; a combination its rivals don’t offer. The engine is silky smooth and strikes a great balance between performance and efficiency. On my commute home from the office on the very first day, it averaged an MID-displayed 11kpl for a 17km commute, and I was pleasantly surprised. For reference, that’s what I managed in the Hyundai Creta IVT when I ran that as a long termer.

But then with a heavy tap on the accelerator, it changes character. The TFSI engine loves to be revved out till its redline, and it sounds nice doing so too. Performance is plentiful, and it makes light work of those small gaps in traffic. Obviously, the efficiency tends to nosedive if you do that for extended periods. Still, in my couple of days of commuting, the Q3 Sportback has managed around 10kpl, which is impressive.

What also helps matters when driving in town is the Q3’s size. It’s not too big nor too small, it’s just right. So, squeezing in narrow lanes and finding parking in Mumbai is not an issue. The parking sensors all around also help while filtering through traffic, but I would’ve liked a 360-degree camera, which would make parking that much easier.

Of the other tech that the Sportback does offer, I particularly like the digital dials. The Virtual Cockpit, as Audi calls it, has been a staple feature on the manufacturer’s cars for years, and yet it remains one of the best in the business. The layout is logical, the information is legible on the move, and it’s customisable too. On the whole, it’s very well executed and easy to get used to. I’m even a fan of the 10-speaker audio system in this one. It doesn’t bear the Bang & Olufsen branding like its bigger brothers, but given the small cabin of the Q3, the system is more than up to the task, and it made my daily commutes less stressful and more enjoyable.

As for things I do not like, there have not been many, considering the limited time I’ve spent with the car. Perhaps the biggest irritant for me is the absence of wireless smartphone integration. Wired Android Auto/Apple CarPlay is present, but it forces you to charge your phone even if you don’t want to. Even small hatchbacks have this feature now, and its absence in this luxury SUV is really revealing of its age.

And while the front seat is comfortable, supportive, and I like the brown leather upholstery, Mumbai’s blistering summer has brought to fore a downside. The leather isn’t perforated, and it doesn’t have seat ventilation either, so I have ended up with a sweaty back on more than one occasion. What does help alleviate it is the AC system, which offers superb cooling even through the current heat wave and is very satisfying to operate via the physical rotary knobs in the centre console.

Speaking of the centre console, I love that it has physical buttons, and everything here is so logically laid out that you don’t have to go fishing through the touchscreen to make some basic adjustments, like in most new-age cars.

And that’s the whole vibe you get with the Audi Q3 Sportback. It’s a good blend of the ol’ reliable and the new age. The Sportback has changed hands now and will hopefully do much more than just commuting, because we know from experience how versatile it can be. Watch this space.

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