The third generation of the Audi Q3 incorporates two main new features that we were able to test in detail a few days ago after seeing the car in October. The most relevant is of course the introduction of a new family of plug-in hybrid engines (PHEV) offering up to 119 kilometers of range in electric mode.
Audi calls these variants e-hybrids, which develop 272 horsepower, adding to the thrust of a four-cylinder gasoline engine that of another electric motor -both on the front axle-, and which have a 25.7 kWh battery, of which 19.7 are useful. This can be recharged at 11 kW in alternating current and 50 kW in direct current: in the first case, its complete filling takes 2.5 hours; in the second, going from 10 to 80% takes 26 minutes.
Of course, the almost 120 kilometers of electric range – the test unit, however, scored 90 km with the battery 99% charged – entitles the DGT to the 0 emissions sticker and should be enough to make most daily journeys without consumption or local emissions. Until recently, they also allowed access – in the few versions that could be included in the defunct Moves III plan – to the level of public aid enjoyed by 100% electric vehicles.
All these advantages of the Q3 e-hybrid have the usual counterpoint of PHEV models. On the one hand, the weight, here around 1,900 kilos, which leads to considerable fuel consumption on the road when the battery is short of energy, which hardly drops below 8 liters/100 km; On the other hand, a smaller fuel tank than usual, 45 liters. The combination of the two results in a travel range which almost never reaches 500 km and is often closer to 400 km.
Third, the plug-in variant has its cargo capacity reduced from 488 to 375 liters due to the location of parts of the electrical system in the rear area of the car. Add to that the added hurdle of having to carry bulky charging cables in the trunk in case we’re taking a long trip and want to use them at the destination or halfway there.
Finally, such a complex vehicle, which does not in vain add an entire electrical architecture to what is a common thermal model, is particularly expensive, especially if it is signed by a brand. prime. In its most affordable version, called Business, the Q3 e-hybrid already costs 56,120 euros, and the most luxurious and complete, the Black Line Edition, goes up to 65,750 euros. The first is equipped with 17-inch rims, headlights fully conductedfront and rear parking sensors, speed control, keyless start and electric gate, among other equipment.
The cost of innovation
Inside the German model, we find the impeccable finish that is Audi’s trademark, in addition to new details such as an 11.9-inch dashboard, a 12.8″ multimedia screen or backlit door panels. However, the main modification that the driver notices is the presence of a module located behind the steering wheel which integrates the gear selector, on the right side, and the indicators and windshield wipers, on the left side.
Honestly, in our opinion, this solution does not bring any significant improvement in the vehicle’s handling; It seems to us rather that the miniaturization of the controls, and their accumulation – remember that around the module there are also the shift paddles and the speed control lever – makes its use difficult. For example, it takes a lot of subtlety to launch the do the housework rear (a very light touch on a chrome part which is not really large) without activating the water ejectors in the process.
That said, we can accept Audi’s invention as long as the customer prime In general, he tends to rate innovative design proposals like these well. The common man, however, will fare better with traditional levers, just as he will have fewer problems using a round steering wheel than a round steering wheel. modern of yoke, to speak of this type of innovations which have no other function than to be one.
In terms of dimensions, the new Q3 is slightly larger than its second generation and now reaches 4.53 meters in length and 2.86 m in wheelbase. In the SUV version we drove, the rear seats offer reasonable legroom for passengers, although they have the disadvantage of a relatively bulky central tunnel. They also offer sufficient height for people of a certain height, which cannot be said of the coupe -Sportback- variant of the same model, in which the drop of the roof in the final part of the bodywork greatly compromises the habitability of said rear seats.
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