The feisty performance version of the Audi Q3 compact luxury SUV, the RS Q3, has been a foreign-market tease for enthusiasts on this side of the Atlantic since the first-generation debuted for 2013. Sadly, despite the arrival of a second-gen version for 2020 with more power than ever, as well as ample United States-market competition in the form of the redesigned Mercedes-AMG GLA45 and Porsche Macan Turbo, that continues to be the case. That’s a shame, because any vehicle housing Audi’s wild turbo inline-five is a special one.
Like it is in Audi’s TT RS coupe and RS3 compact sedan, the RS Q3’s turbocharged 2.5-liter five is a gem of a powerplant. Its odd cylinder count lends it a characteristic warble that harkens back to the brand’s halcyon rallying days of the 1980s. Modern technology allows it to pump out 394 horsepower at 7000 rpm and 354 lb-ft of torque at 1950 revs. With a linear power delivery that borders on vicious, the five is a major contributing factor to the RS3’s 10Best award in 2018. That Audi also earned our praise for its stonking acceleration. The heavier RS Q3, which is available in both the latest Q3’s conventional and Sportback body styles, will be a touch slower. But it still should be able to eclipse the 60-mph mark in less than four seconds on its way to a claimed top speed of 155 mph.
The RS Q3’s output is channeled through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and an updated all-wheel-drive system that sends 80 percent of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels by default. That rear-biased setup helps transform the RS Q3 into a highly agile performer with superb handling for a cute ute. Understeer in corners is all but nonexistent, and it can be easily coaxed into a drift at the driver’s command.
As with the regular Q3, the RS model is based on the Volkswagen Group’s ubiquitous and flexible MQB platform. Ride quality is impressive for something this capable, with the vehicle remaining planted even over rough, undulating surfaces. Electrically assisted power steering tuned specifically for the RS Q3 offers direct and precise control. This SUV can be positioned virtually anywhere on the road with a flick of the hand, with its willingness to change direction aided by the Q3’s relatively short wheelbase. Optional carbon-ceramic brake rotors reduce unsprung mass over the standard cast-iron discs.
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Along with its arresting Kyalami green paint option, the RS Q3 is distinguished by its wider grille, flared wheel arches, and twin oval tailpipes. There’s also a larger spoiler out back, which, along with the front-end treatment, give this Audi a properly sporty appearance. The RS Q3’s visage leaves little question that it’s related to the larger Audi RS Q8, which currently holds the production SUV lap record around the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Inside, front-seat occupants are treated to highly supportive sport seats with microsuede trim. The RS-specific instrumentation in the 12.3-inch digital cluster, including a configurable bar graph tachometer, gives off the same ’80s retro vibe that it does in the RS Q8.
Yet, the RS Q3’s high-test tinsel is largely just that. What makes this Audi unique is under its hood. While its inline-five may not quite match the outputs of the 400-plus-hp turbo four- and six-cylinder powerplants in the hottest Mercedes GLA or Porsche Macan, that five-pot is flush with enough character to make the RS Q3 feel appropriately exotic for the forbidden fruit that it continues to be in the U.S.
Source: Reviews - aranddriver.com
