Top Sports/Performance SUV: Audi RS Q3

Monday, 30 November 2020

The Stuff Top Sports/Performance SUV for 2020 is the Audi RS Q3.

I know, I know. The words “top performance SUV” shouldn’t really be strung together in the same sentence, at least not seriously anyway, but this is the world we live in. And, to be fair, a performance SUV is probably one of the least weird things we need to deal with in 2020.

There are now so many around now that I won’t bother listing them all. But for 2020, the one that stood out the most was the Audi RS Q3, in regular SUV form.

It uses the coolest engine in Audi’s line-up, the turbocharged 2.5-litre inline-five making 294kW/480Nm, enough to sling the small SUV to 100kmh in a claimed 4.5 seconds with a thoroughly addictive howl from the drainpipe-sized, RS-spec exhaust tips. The powerplant is a worthy successor to the Group B rally days, where its ancestor made as much as 515kW before it was canned.

Audi didn’t go overboard with the RS Q3’s looks. It saved that for its powertrain.

The boosted five exhibits a bit of turbo lag, which I think adds to the character. It means you need to plan your gear changes and get on the gas early because the acceleration curve is exponential, not lateral.

**READ MORE:

The RS Q3 packs Audi’s utterly fabulous 2.5-litre inline five-cylinder turbo engine.

* Celebrating the best cars of 2020

* Top Large SUV: Land Rover Defender

The Q3 doesn’t quite get as high-tech an interior as more expensive Audis, but that suits us just fine!

* Top Compact/Small Car: Toyota Yaris

* Road test review: Audi RS Q3 and RS Q3 Sportback

You can also get your RS Q3 in Sportback form. And in some rather lurid colours too.

In practice, it translates to about half a second of anticipation before the turbo comes fully online above 3500rpm with a happy “oof” from the driver as they get pushed back into the seat.

Thankfully, the RS engineers weren’t content with slotting that engine into a Q3, stiffening up the suspension and calling it a day. This SUV is a proper little corner carver. The steering is sharp and direct, with a good sense of what the front end is up to feeding back into your hands.

That does mean there is some understeer but it typically comes beyond the point of stupidity. Helping here are standard ContiSportContact6 tyres, fitted onto 20-inch rims, as well as adaptive dampers, helping transform the RS Q3 from backroad muncher to cushy suburban runabout and back.

Inside the RS Q3 isn’t a particularly special affair, with a long gear selector sitting just aft of an older-style HVAC interface (all physical knobs and buttons, aside from the readout screens).

I actually prefer this to the more modern haptic touchscreens of more expensive Audis like the RS Q8, it’s much easier to figure out and use. The gear lever could be swapped out, though. There’s also no head-up display, if that matters to you.

To sum up, the RS Q3 is Jekyll and Hyde at its most positive. You have a small SUV with five seats offering good comfort for daily driving with a decent amount of storage in an attractive package that will happily scream around your favourite back roads as fast as you feel like. It doesn’t require another mortgage to buy either, sitting at $112k (add $3k for the Sportback).

What else was in the running?

We considered the BMW X5 M/X6 M, Audi RS Q8 and the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S. None of these are bad cars, make no mistake - the RS Q3 was just better and WAY cheaper. Thankfully, for fans of the performance SUV, particularly those in the small (Q3/X5/GLC/Ateca) category, there are a lot of choices.

Essential details: 2.5-litre turbo-petrol inline-five, 294kW/480Nm. $111,900 (RS Q3), $114,900 (RS Q3 Sportback)

Safety: 5 star ANCAP across the standard Q3 range, but the RS Q3 hasn’t been tested yet.

At a glance: Epic drivetrain, looks fantastic in SUV form, sharp handling when you want it, comfy when you don’t.

Who should consider it: Those wanting a “one size fits all” vehicle to run a family around during the week and belt around the backroads during the weekend but also don’t want to pay huge money.

Things to consider: The transmission isn’t the smartest when left to its own devices, the interior is just a tiny bit dated now (though I actually prefer it) and there’s no head-up display.

What else could you buy?: BMW offers the X3/X4 M40i duo, which represent BMW’s smaller SUV/SUV-coupe pair. They retail for $132,300 and $138,300 apiece. Or you could look at the likes of other small hot SUVs like the cheaper (but not as hot – BMW doesn’t do a full-blown M version of its baby SUV) BMW X2 M35i or the even hotter Mercedes-AMG GLA 45.