Audi Q3 2.0 TDi High Grade - Design Review

‘Need’ is defined as something that is essential or necessarily important and ‘Want’ is defined as something that you desire to possess. The Rs 20 – 30 lakh range is that price bracket in the car market, which throws lots of options at you across varied form factors. You have full-blown SUVs like the Ford Endeavour and the Toyota Fortuner, large sedans like the Volkswagen Passat and the Skoda Superb and even entry level offerings from top luxury brands like the BMW X1. Therefore, on one end you have sensible vehicles which promise you luxury, size and tons of creature comforts and on the other end you have vehicles that compromise on the relative space and creature comforts but offer you a strong brand value in the bargain. So it is but natural that you get confused between what you ‘need’ and what you ‘want’. It is like having 200 bucks in your pocket – you can either spend them on a three-course meal at a decent restaurant or you can blow it all away on a small value-meal at a swanky fast food joint. Relating this scenario to our car market, Audi has cooked one such value-meal and it’s called the Q3.

As you would expect, the value product from Audi takes design inspiration from its bigger counterparts like the Q5 and the Q7. The Q3 however, is smaller and shorter than the Q5. At the front, the Q3 uses the latest deign bits from the Audi parts bin like the updated hexagonal grille and the optical LED light guides as Day-time Running Lights -which look like a seamless unit unlike the string of LEDs that you see on most other Audi cars. Typical to the Audi ‘Q’ range, the headlight assembly is wedge-shaped. However on the Q3 it also narrower – giving the front fascia an aggressive look. 

The side profile takes heavy inspiration from the Audi Cross Coupe concept that was show back in 2007. Therefore you get the coupe-ish receding roofline and a significantly raked rear windshield. The glasshouse too tapers sharply towards the C-pillar and gives you an impression of a small cabin space and reduced headroom. The shoulder-line, the waistline and the sculpting on the bottom end of the doors, are straight-ish though and help in making the Q3 appear like a conservative, compact SUV than a stylish crossover. A black cladding underscores the entire car to help this cause further. 

The tailgate, again, has the typical ‘Q’ range design with the one-piece taillights which are shaped like an elongated triangle. Like the headlights, the taillights too are laden with LEDs and optical light guides for a more futuristic look. The reverse lamps and the reflectors are mounted on the bumpers and therefore prevent the bumper from looking empty and drab. However that also means you will get a hefty bill if you are used to losing your bumpers every now and then in the bumper-to-bumper traffic in metros like New Delhi and Mumbai. 

Overall, the Audi Q3 looks fresher than the Q5 and the Q7 and can in fact make the duo look outdated once it becomes a regular sight on the Indian roads like the BMW X1. 

Also Read:

- Audi Q3 User Experience Review

- Audi Q3 Performance Review