Audi Q3 Review 2026: Prices, specs and verdict

What is the Audi Q3?

The Audi Q3 has been a consistently popular car since the first-generation model arrived back in 2011. Originally Audi’s smallest SUV, the Q3 was then undercut in size and price by the Q2 in 2016.

Audi has confirmed that the Q2 will only be returning as an electric car, so this new, third-generation Q3 once again becomes the brand’s engine-powered SUV entry point.

But it certainly isn’t small, having grown in size again to become a fully-fledged family SUV. It’s also adopted a bolder look, Audi’s latest technology upgrades, and a choice of petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid power.

With key competitors like the Volvo XC40, BMW X1 and Range Rover Evoque dominating the small, posh SUV market, can this new Q3 (along with the coupe-like Q3 Sportback) draw those customers back into Audi showrooms? Our in-depth review covers everything you need to know.

Verdict: is the Audi Q3 a good car?

Overall, we reckon the new Audi Q3 is a more competitive car than the old model, with a nicer interior, more space and good overall driving experience.

We also rate the range and charging specs of the plug-in hybrid, although the lower-powered engines aren’t exactly strong performers. The main criticism is that the Q3 gets expensive further up the range, and still misses out on some key equipment you’ll find in rivals.

Pricing, specs & rivals

Prices for the Audi Q3 kick off from £38,370. That’s around £800 more expensive than the cheapest BMW X1, and £1,150 more than a Mercedes-Benz GLA.

That entry price gets you the 150hp 1.5 TFSI petrol engine in Sport trim. Upgrading to the 150hp 2.0 TDI diesel pushes that price just over £40,000, making it liable for the Expensive Car Supplement addition to VED car tax from the second to the sixth year since the car was first registered.

Sport trim is also available with a 204hp petrol engine and a 193hp diesel, at £42,130 and £43,550 respectively. Standard kit includes 18in alloy wheels, full LED lighting, three-zone climate control, adaptive cruise control, heated front seats, keyless entry and a reversing camera.

The Q3 S line adds £2,800 to the price of Sport trim. Its main upgrades are cosmetic, including bigger 19in alloys, privacy glass, upgraded cabin ambient lighting, stainless steel pedals and nicer seat upholstery.

Top-spec Edition 1 trim is £44,720. It adds 20in alloys, the black exterior styling pack, a posher-looking heated steering wheel, some extra safety kit and Audi’s progressive steering.

The Q3 e-Hybrid, meanwhile, starts off from £45,855 for Sport trim, rising to £51,405 for top-spec Edition 1 trim. That’s relatively pricey for an SUV at this size level.

Rivals

The Audi Q3 has had the same key competitors for years now – namely the BMW X1, Mercedes-Benz GLA and Volvo XC40.  You’ll probably also consider the Range Rover Evoque, too. All these cars are similarly priced and offer strong competition.

Other options include the Lexus UX and Alfa Romeo Tonale, while if a non-premium badge isn’t a turn off check out the VW Tiguan, Cupra Formentor and Peugeot 3008. Also, Chinese models like the Jaecoo 8 and Omoda 9 are well worth considering for their value.

Interior comfort, quality & technology

Inside the Audi Q3 the design is similar to the brand’s other recent models, but there is one key change that marks it out – the quirky new column stalk design.

Instead of two stalks, you get one plastic panel that runs across the steering wheel top. On the left side you’ll find the indicators, wipers and lights all together, with the right side only used as a gear selector. At first glance it’s baffling, but in practice it all falls easily to hand despite appearing fiddlier than stalks. The rotary wiper setting dial is a bit awkward, however.

Elsewhere, the Q3’s interior quality seems generally better than the old model (some Audis have gone backwards in that respect). Higher trims get lovely faux suede elements on the dash and doors, and there’s an air of solidity. Having said that, there are some cheaper bits that mean an X1 or XC40 feel more consistently premium.

Getting comfortable behind the wheel is a doddle. Even base models get four-way electric lumbar adjustment, while there’s plenty of adjustment in the seats and steering wheel. The seats themselves are all comfortable and supportive, and you sit quite high up for a smaller SUV.

This means very good visibility, particularly in the forward view. You also get simple physical controls for some key items, but the touch sensitive steering wheel button panels are a bit irritating.

Infotainment, sat-nav, stereo and connectivity

Every Q3 combines a 12.8in touchscreen with a big 11.9in widescreen drivers display. They sit in the same curved bezel within the driver’s line of sight.

Although the bezel is oddly large (the wide but thin driver’s display looks a bit lost in it) the screens themselves work well. The central touchscreen is responsive to your inputs and has an intuitive layout of chunky icons that are easy to prod on the move.

There’s also a big ledge below the screen where your hand naturally rests, making prodding icons easier than in a BMW X1. The menu layouts are less complex in the Audi, too, and although you don’t get physical climate controls, they are always visible at the bottom of the screen. The voice controls also work reasonably well, too.

One strange bit of penny pinching is that, while you can customize the designs of both screens with ‘Audi Themes’, you must purchase them through a smartphone app. Most brands throw that sort of thing in for free on a car at this price.

Still, every Q3 gets wireless phone charging with an active cooling function to stop your phone overheating. Your two USB-C ports sit alongside that, and a 12-volt socket, while two USB-Cs for rear occupants mean your children won’t be fighting over devices.

The standard sound system gets ten speakers, so it’s hardly lacking in audio punch and clarity. However, the optional Sound and Vision pack ups this to twelve speakers including a subwoofer, which audiophiles should enjoy.

How practical is the Audi Q3?

The Audi Q3’s dimensions of 4,531mm in length, 1,859mm in width (excluding mirrors) and 1,588mm in height make it longer yet narrower than a Volvo XC40.

That additional length pays dividends when it comes to space inside. There’s plenty of room up front, even for six footers to get comfortable, with ample headroom, good leg space and a reasonably wide cabin.

Rear seat space is also good by class standards, with a pair of six-foot adults finding enough head and leg space to get comfortable. That even applies with the optional panoramic roof fitted.

There’s enough space to slide your feet under the front seats, too, but things are more compromised in the middle seat which is only suitable for small adults or teenagers. That’s due to the central tunnel and bulky centre console restricting foot and knee space.

In some ways the BMW X1 and Volvo XC40 are slightly better for those in the back. But the Q3 fights back with standard sliding and reclining rear seats, giving you options to juggle boot space and legroom.

Storage and boot space

Storage is okay in the front of the Q3, with a good-sized glovebox, useful door bins with rubber bases to stop things rolling about, and a bit of centre armrest space.

There’s also a phone storage tray and a little cubby for loose change underneath the steering wheel, but electric SUVs tend to offer more centre console storage thanks to the lack of a bulky transmission.

In the rear seats you’ll find the door bins are still a good size, while you also get nets on the front seatbacks and cupholders in the centre armrest.

As well as the Q3’s sliding and reclining rear seats, the versatile 40/20/40 split of the folding backrests is handy for carrying long items.

Unusually, the new Q3 has less boot capacity on paper than the old model, at 530 litres vs 488. That’s easily explained, however, because the new cars get a subwoofer as standard under the boot floor (the old Q3 lost boot space with that optionally added).

That means a BMW X1 or VW Tiguan offer more outright carrying capacity than the Audi. The space itself is still usefully large and square, however, with a height adjustable boot floor as standard removing the load lip.

One thing to note is that the plug-in hybrid Q3 loses quite a lot of boot space, down to 375 litres in capacity. That’s mostly due to the batteries under the boot floor, however, so the hybrid loses the adjustable floor.

Performance & drive: What is the Audi Q3 like on the road?

The Audi Q3’s varied engines mean performance ranges from adequate to really quite quick. Most rivals don’t offer as much choice.

The entry-level 150hp 1.5-litre petrol and 150hp 2.0-litre diesel won’t exactly dazzle you with their acceleration. The petrol in particular needs working hard to get up to speed on faster roads, with the diesel’s extra low-down shove helping avoid it feeling too gutless.

For most people either will be okay, but we can understand why either the 204hp 2.0-litre petrol or 193hp 2.0-litre diesel are worth the extra for some. As well as knocking a couple of seconds off the 0-62mph sprint time, they always feel more effortless and require fewer revs to get up to speed. If you’re regularly loading the car up with weight, that’s something to think about.

The 265hp version of the 2.0-litre petrol isn’t far off a VW Golf GTI in terms of performance, with quattro all-wheel drive helping it put its power down away from the line. That’s nice, but enthusiasts are better served with the faster X1 M35i or the Mercedes-AMG GLA 35.

In many ways the plug-in Q3 e-Hybrid is the best of both worlds. It’s quicker than all but the 265 quattro while also having the benefit of silent electric-only running and a low-rev performance boost. Just remember that it doesn’t feel as fast when the battery is fully depleted.

Power, 0-62mph times

• Audi Q3 TFSI 150: 150hp/ 9.1 secs
• Audi Q3 TDI 150: 150hp/ 9.2 secs
• Audi Q3 TFSI 204: 204hp/ 7.1 secs
• Audi Q3 TDI 193: 193hp/ 7.5 secs
• Audi Q3 TFSI 265 quattro: 265hp/ 5.7 secs
• Audi Q3 eHybrid: 272hp/ 6.8 secs

Ride and handling

Confusingly, the Q3 has three different suspension options changing how the car rides and handles. Most versions (Sport and S line) have the softest ‘comfort’ suspension, with firmer sports suspension on Edition 1 trim.

On top of that, S line and Edition 1 can be optioned with adaptive suspension that lets you soften it up or stiffen it depending on your preference. It’s a worthwhile option, because it gives the Q3 the greatest comfort and handling balance.

The base Comfort suspension isn’t bad, with limited body roll, lots of grip and accurate, confidence-inspiring steering. It handles with more verve than a Volvo XC40, but the Q3 does transmit more potholes and small imperfections into the cabin than the Volvo.

Edition 1 models add ‘progressive’ steering, which basically means you don’t need to turn the wheel as much in low-speed manoeuvring, but in smaller turns retains the same stability and accuracy. You can also specify it on the S Line.

Overall, the Q3 has a competent driving experience, sitting somewhere between the firmer BMW X1 and softer Volvo XC40.

Noise and refinement

The Audi Q3 is quiet and refined for the most part, but some of the engines can be a bit noisy for a premium SUV. Road noise is a bit better isolated than in a BMW X1, while wind noise isn’t intrusive at motorway speeds.

Sadly, both the TFSI 150 petrol engine and the e-Hybrid (which uses the same engine mated to a battery) both make a noticeable drone under anything other than light acceleration. The e-Hybrid is obviously much quieter when running in electric mode, however.

Euro NCAP: is the Audi Q3 a safe car?

The Audi Q3 meets the expected safety standard for a premium family SUV, achieving the maximum five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating. That puts it on a par with rivals like the BMW X1, Range Rover Evoque and Volvo XC40.

The Q3 is narrowly beaten in category scores by the X1 for everything other than adult occupant protection, with Euro NCAP offering some criticism of the Audi’s centre airbag not protecting front occupants’ heads from colliding.

Standard safety kit is good but not exceptional. As well as the usual autonomous emergency braking, driver monitoring, traffic sign recognition and lane keeping aids, there’s also front and rear cross-traffic alert as standard.

Sadly, though, blind spot monitoring is only standard on top Edition 1 trim, while rear emergency braking, a safe exit alert system and rear side airbags are also optional.

Running costs and fuel economy

Most versions of the Audi Q3 should be affordable to run when it comes to fuel efficiency. The entry-level 1.5 TFSI petrol engine boasts a combined WLTP figures of between 44 and 46mpg depending on spec, which is slightly less than a BMW X1 sDrive20i but still decent for an SUV.

The benefits of the Q3’s diesel engine option aren’t massive unless you’re doing above average mileage, so we reckon the petrol is a better bet given the lower upfront cost. The base 2.0 TDI boasts a combined figure of 51 to 53mpg depending on spec.

You’ll have to really want the extra performance of the two more powerful 2.0-litre petrol engines given the fuel economy hit. The 204hp version manages 35-36mpg depending on spec, with the 265hp version hitting your wallet further at 31-33mpg.

The 193hp 2.0 TDI diesel promises 44-46mpg, making it a significantly better option if you want a brisk engine without big fuel bills.

It’s Q3 e-Hybrid that has the potential to really save you money on petrol, however, promising up to 166mpg combined. A big caveat for that is that you’ll only see anything like that figure if you charge up regularly and do most of your driving within the car’s electric range.

Electric range and charging

The Audi Q3 e-Hybrid boasts a 19.7kWh usable capacity battery pack, giving a very competitive plug-in hybrid range of up to 73 miles on a charge.

By comparison, a BMW X1 xDrive25e boasts only up to 50 miles, although something like an Omoda 9 trumps the Audi on paper with its 93-miles figure.

Officially S-line and Edition 1 e-Hybrids have a slightly lower range of 66-67 miles, but that’s still among the longer-range PHEVs on the market.

One benefit the Q3 e-Hybrid offers over many (but not all) of its rivals is the ability to fast charging using DC public chargers. Although it’ll only hit speeds of 50kW, that’s enough to complete a 10-80% charge in under half an hour.

With high public charging costs, however, we’d recommend only plugging in at home unless it’s essential. Using a typical 7kW home wallbox will take about 4hrs, but that comes down to two and a half hours using an 11kW three-phase charger if you have access.

How much does the Audi Q3 cost to insure?

The Audi Q3 is likely to cost a similar amount to insure as its key rivals from BMW and Mercedes-Benz, with competitive insurance groups across the board. The entry point of the range is the Q3 1.5 TFSI which sits in insurance group 22 in Sport or S Line trim, rising to group 24 in Edition 1 trim. The 2.0 TDI diesel is very similar.

Higher powered petrol and diesel models bring insurance groups up to the high twenties, with Edition models crossing in to the low thirties. The Q3 e-Hybrid sits in group 30 to 33 depending on spec.