The Q3 has rapidly
become a popular model for Audi, combining sports utility looks and functions
with the basic underpinnings of the a3 series. It looks bigger than any of the
regular a3s because the body styling is bulky, and because the ride height is
quite high.
Until recently, the
engine range for the Q3 consisted of a variety of 2.0-litre four-cylinder
petrol and diesel units, but there was clearly room for something more
powerful. When we attended the launch of the Q3, in Switzerland, back in the
summer of 2011, a couple of special versions, prepared by quattro GmbH, and
powered by the 2.5-litre 5-cylinder engine taken from the TT RS, were available
to drive.
2014
Audi RS Q3
Now there is a
production version of the Q3 fitted with a modified version of the engine which
powers the TT RS, entitled RS Q3. With a displacement of 2480 cc, this unit
develops 310 PS, held steady between 5200 and 6700 rpm, and has a maximum
torque value of 420 Nm, this figure being reached at 1500 rpm, and held to to
5200 rpm. The torque is particularly high, and is maintained over a wide rev
range, something we have come to expect from turbocharged engines.
2014
Audi RS Q3 engine
This is a fine,
responsive engine, which has the added advantage of a distinctive sound which
adds to the satisfaction of driving the RS Q3. Only one transmission is
available, the six-ratio S tronic ’box, ideally suited to this engine and
carrying out upward and downward gear changes imperceptibly. As well as the
floor-mounted selector, there are paddles behind the steering wheel so that you
can change up and down through the gears manually when you are in the mood.
Most of the time, though, you will find that the gearbox’s electronic control
unit will ensure you are in the right gear for maximum response.
Although some Q3s are
available with front-wheel drive, one would expect a car like this, with its
apparent off-road ability, to have four-wheel drive, and the RS Q3 certainly
has. Because it is based on the same platform as the A3 and TT, drive to all
four wheels is managed by a Haldex coupling at the back of the car. In reality,
the RS Q3 is driven largely by the front wheels alone and it is only when the
front tyres begin to lose grip that the electronics transfer drive, through the
multi-plate Haldex coupling, to the rear axle. This occurs more often than it
does with the less-powerful four-wheel-drive Q3s, because so much more torque
is available.
The
back of 2014 Audi RS Q3
Needless to say, with
all that extra power over the regular Q3s, the braking system is strongly
upgraded. At the front, there are wave-pattern discs with a diameter of 365 mm
and a width of 34 mm, while those at the back are also ventilated, measuring
310 x 22 mm. The rear discs are gripped by single- piston floating callipers,
while those at the front, suitably enamelled in black and carrying the RS logo,
are fixed and have eight pistons.
We are surprised that
the electronic handbrake is not supplemented by Hill-Hold which prevents the
vehicle rolling back when starting away on a gradient. This comes as a $151.11 option, and you can have Hill
Descent Control, which will maintain a given speed when going downhill, without
the driver either using We have published several articles on the new RS Q3,
please visit our website for more information and to purchase back issues i‘To
provide the off-road ability which some owners would expect from an SUV, the
engineers could not reduce the ride height too much APRIL 2014 AUDI DRIVER
13the brake pedal or accelerator, for a further $327,249.
