Sold only as a 5-passenger 4-door hatchback, the 2013 Audi Q3 would be smaller than any other premium-compact SUV on the American market except the Mini Countryman. Against the Q5, it stands 9.6 inches shorter, 2.7 inches narrower and nearly 2 inches lower on an 8.1-inch trimmer wheelbase. It’s also several hundred pounds lighter, thanks to its smaller size, as well as extensive use of structural high-strength steel and a hood and liftgate made of aluminum.
After testing a Q3, Britain’s Autocar magazine noted that “You need to be careful where you use Efficiency mode...On our test route, the associated absence of any engine braking wasn’t always helpful on twisting descents,” which would require using the brakes more. On the highway, however, “for drivers who like to read the road as far ahead as possible and avoid unnecessary braking, [the Efficiency setting] would probably make for a worthwhile fuel-economy boost.” It’s another example of how tightening fuel-economy and emissions standards are forcing automakers to adopt all sorts of efficiency enhancers, even yesteryear solutions like freewheeling.
Q3 launches in Europe with a quartet of 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engines, two gas and two diesel. These, too, are familiar VW/Audi fare, though the U.S. has yet to see their Euro-standard fuel-saving engine idle-stop system. The base-tune gas engine makes 170 horsepower, its diesel counterpart 140. Both are sold only with front-wheel drive and a 6-speed manual transmission.
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