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      Audi Q3 S Review: Manual Treat

      Aditya Chatterjee

      Aditya Chatterjee

      Opening

      Audi Q3 S Review: Manual Treat

      The SUV segment has grown very impressively in the Indian market. It has encouraged many car makers to offer new models in this segment. Toyota Fortuner, Chevrolet Captiva and Honda CR-V are some of the D segment SUVs sold in India.

      Premium car makers like Audi, BMW and Mercedes Benz are trying hard to make their entry level cars easily accessible to the D segment consumers. The X1 crossover and A Class are offered by BMW and Mercedes Benz respectively. The Q3 which is the youngest Q range SUV is priced at Rs. 31,04,000 (Ex-Showroom Mumbai) thus not making it a fair entry level premium SUV.

      The Q3 S is Audi’s answer to affordable yet premium SUVs in India. It does miss out on many goodies seen on the more premium variant like the LEDs, Quattro – all wheel drive and the seven-speed S-tronic transmission. The Q3 instead has detuned performance characteristics with a 6 speed manual transmission. We review this latest Q offering in our detailed review

       

      Appearance Exterior

      The Audi Q3 S is christened “S” but then it is the most basic Q range SUV sold in India. The famous LED lights and washers are not present and also you won’t find a panoramic sun roof but then this baby SUV is not boring at all instead it has its share of funk.

      It all begins with the cherry red paintjob which gives the S tag some meaning. It looks as dynamic and strong as a normal Q3. There are some angles where the S also manages to make its elder sibling look dull. Reading no LEDs on the Q3 S makes it loose it sheen but when you see it in skin, the Mustang inspired multi layered headlights are gorgeous to look at.

      The S gets a generous chrome surround on the radiator grille along with the glittering vertical slats. There is an aluminium finished front bash plate which makes this SUV look rugged. The media car came in with Pirelli Scorpion tyres which are of 235 / 55 R17. These look super stylish especially the black glossy wheels paired with the spicy red paint-job makes it look very racy.

      The wheel flares are subtle and the fenders are finished in matte plastic cladding and so are the side running board. The longish nose of the bonnet and the silhouette of the C-Pillar gradually flowing to the rear makes the Q3 look very dynamic. The roof gets Al finished roof rails too.

      The tail lights don’t blink as quickly as the LEDs but I am still not complaining because even the conventional set looks very impressive. The different cells of the tail light make it look as aggressive and edgy as that on the Q3. There is no separate S badging on the car which does not distinguish it from the standard Q3.

       

      Appearance Interior

      Step inside the Q3’s cabin and you won’t see a lot of gizmos and there are times when it feels very much like the Volkswagen Polo with the matte black and brushed Aluminium finish. The Q3 S falls in the similar range as the Mercedes Benz A Class and the latter feels too modern when compared to the Q3 S.

      It is still not a mood spoiler as it feels roomier than the A Class. The seats get basic leatherette and the cushioning is decent. Front legroom is sufficient while the rear legroom is an issue for taller passengers. All the seats are very comfortable and even on long drives do not cause any fatigue.

      While Audi guys were generous to give the driver all possible electric controls for adjusting his seat, the front passenger might feel bad because in addition to the manually pushing and pulling of the seat, he also has to battle with a rotary knob to adjust the inclining angle.

      The speedometer is similar to the standard Q3 and so is the driver information screen mounted on the dash board. The DIS screen can also be folded and tucked in the dashboard. There is no automatic climate control in this which pinches it hard especially when you consider its price tag and the other options available in the market. The AC unit does a decent job and cools the cabin adequately.

      On the central console, there are twin cup holders and there is storage space under the adjustable armrest. All four doors can hold a litre class container. It has a superb boot space and one can stock more luggage than in the A Class or the BMW 1 series.

       

      Performance Drive

      Before getting the Q3 S, ran a quick look at the specs and they looked very less compared the standard Q3 Quattro. The displacement of the engines remains same but the Q3 S has been detuned. The company has killed close to 30 Horses from the 2.0 TDI Quattro and also reduced the torque by 60Nm.

      The racing red Q3 S arrived and the black wheels and Pirelli Tyres got me totally hooked on to it. Previously, I had mentioned about the goodies being absent in this cost constraint model but then all of that was distant vague memory. The absence of LEDs does not make this car look bare but instead gives it a different character.

      After being floored with its impressive exteriors, it was time to step in and start our drive experience. Realization struck when the Start/Stop system was missing. Got the engine cranked and the grunty diesel engine started revving.

      The star attraction of the Q3S is its manual transmission. I had always wondered about the feeling of driving an expensive premium manual car and the Q3 S was close enough. The plush auto stick has been ditched for a stubby 6 speed manual gear stick. Without the auto gear stick, climate controls and other luxuries it was an Audi sans pampering.

      All this changed when the vehicle was in motion. The engine picks up speed in a very short time. The power and torque figures are comparatively less but then even the weight of the Q3S has been dropped considerably. The 4 Cylinder in-line TDI engine produces 140 Hp at 4200 rpm and 320Nm of torque at 1750 to 2500 rpm. The 7-Speed S-Tronic transmission has been substituted by a 6 Speed manual gearbox.

      The engine feels rev friendly and holds on to the torque delivery for a very long time. Even on 3rd gear, the engine keeps pulling till the red line limit. The gear shifts are very impressive and smooth. They are very short in nature and precisely downshift and upshift as and when needed. The clutch however does not feel in tandem with the gearbox as it takes some efforts and in city traffic the clutch is too tedious to go through.

      The wide tyres took the road decently and the suspension setup took the undulations very easily. When we took it on rough roads, the Q3S was confident and its tall ground clearance and big wheels encourages us to push this baby SUV even more.

      It is nice to see that even though the Q3 S is a base model, Audi still offers Electronic Stability Programme on it but then this is not a Quattro so the confidence on traction is not as much which is evident while cornering at high speeds. It takes some time to regain its original position. The Q3 S delivered an impressive mileage at 15 – 16Kmpl during our test run.

       

      Tech Specs

      Technical Specifications
       Make Audi
       Model Q3 S
      Variant Technology Edition
      Engine Type 4 Cylinder in Line diesel enginewith Common rail injection system
      Engine Displacement/No. of Cylinders 1968 / 4
      Power in PS/RPM 140.04 / 4200
      Torque in NM / RPM 320 / 1750 - 2500
      Transmission 6 Speed Manual
      Dimensions in mm  
      Length 4385
      Width 1831
      Height 1608
      Wheel base 2603
      Minimum Radius 5.8
      Gross weight (Kgs) 2030
      Tyres 215 / 65 R16
      Fuel Tank capacity in Liters 64
      Mileage in KMPL 17.71

      Features

      Features S Edition Premium Plus Technology Edition
      16' Alloy Wheels Yes Yes No
      Xenon Plus No No Yes
      LED Rear Lights No No Yes
      Headlight Washers No No Yes
      Automatic headlight Adjustment-range dynamic No No Yes
      Panoramic Sunroof No Yes Yes
      Leather Seat upholstery Yes Yes Yes
      LED Interior Lighting package Yes Yes Yes
      Deluxe Automatic Air Conditioning No Yes Yes
      Hill Start Assist Yes Yes Yes
      Electromechanical parking brake Yes Yes Yes
      Rear Parking Aid Yes Yes No
      Cruise Control Yes Yes Yes
      Driver Information System with Colour Display No No Yes
      Parking Aid Plus No No Yes
      Electronic Stabilization Programe Yes Yes Yes
      Tyre Pressure Monitoring Display No No Yes
      Audi Sound System No No Yes

      Competition All Specs

      Specifications
      Renault
      Q3 S
      Chevrolet
      Captiva
      Toyota
      Fortuner
      Variant Technology Edition 2.2 LTZ 4x2 AT
      (Ex-Showroom Mumbai Prices) 2516000 2711734 2331437
      Engine Type 4 Cylinder in Line diesel enginewith Common rail injection system 4 Cylinder VCDi diesel engine - Turbo Charged D-4D Diesel with Intercooler Turbocharger, 4 Cylinders In-line
      Engine Displacement/No. of Cylinders 1968 / 4 2231 / 4 2982 / 4
      Power in PS/RPM 140.04 / 4200 184 / 3800 171 / 3600
      Torque in NM / RPM 320 / 1750 - 2500 424 / 2000 360 / 1400-3200
      Transmission 6 Speed Manual 6 Speed Automatic 5 Speed Automatic
      Dimensions in mm
      Length 4385 4673 4705
      Width 1831 1870 1840
      Height 1608 1755 1850
      Wheel base 2603 2705 2750
      Minimum Radius 5.8 5.8 5.6
      Gross weight (Kgs) 2030 NA 2505
      Tyres 215 / 65 R16 235 / 65 R17 265 / 65 R17
      Fuel Tank capacity in Liters 64 65 80
      Mileage in KMPL 17.71 12.1 12

      Conclusion

      The Q3S competes with SUVs like Toyota Fortuner, Chevrolet Captiva and Honda CRV. With its premium badge, Audi wants to entice aspiring D segment customers to enter the premium SUV bandwagon. The Fortuner and Captiva may be higher on features and performance but then as a brand they do not come close to Audi.

      It is the most affordable SUV in the Q range. Many features have been reduced in this version and the Q3S is cheaper by Rs.5 Lakhs than the Q3 Quattro version. The price difference is substantial but then the customer needs to choose between features rich or a premium brand SUV.

      The Q3 S with its racy looks and basic core performance will attract many young buyers. The S edition is a great way to enter the niche SUV club. Comparing it with normal SUVs is not a fair comparison reason being not that it has and off-roading potential nor does it haul maximum passengers in the segment. The Q3S is a compact premium SUV for the young and restless.

       

      Audi | Audi Q3 | Q3