Audi Showcases Q3 Sportback Ahead Of Its September Debut

If you leave Audi alone with an SUV for an unguarded moment, chances are you’ll find it as a Sportback. When the first-generation Audi Q3, introduced in 2011, was still current, there was no such thing as an Audi SUV with the “Sportback” suffix. The second-generation Audi Q3 did get a Sportback variant, and it was also the brand’s first so-called “coupe-SUV.” Audi is now filling a void you knew would be filled. The new Audi Q3, presented mid-year, now also has a Sportback version.

The new Audi Q3 Sportback adheres closely to the Sportback concept. It’s essentially a Q3 with a roof that slopes more steeply from the A-pillar. As a result of this more dynamic-looking line, according to Audi, the Q3 Sportback is 2.9 centimeters lower than the more conventionally shaped Q3. Components such as the headlights, taillights, and bumpers are identical to those of the standard Q3. Without folding down the rear seats, you can store just as much (488 liters) in the Q3 Sportback as in the back of its more practically shaped sibling. With the rear seats folded down, you have to settle for 1,289 liters in the Q3 Sportback, while the less sleek Q3 treats you to 1,386 liters.

Always plug-in hybrid

At launch, the new Audi Q3 Sportback’s range will be based around the 150 hp 1.5 TFSI petrol engine (35 TFSI version), the 150 hp 2.0 TDI diesel engine (35 TDI version), and a plug-in hybrid version combining the aforementioned petrol engine with a 115 hp electric machine. The Audi Q3 Sportback plug-in is called e-hybrid – and no longer TFSI e, like the brand’s latest creations, the Audi A5 and Audi Q5—and has a combined power of 272 hp. This Audi Q3 Sportback PHEV (45 e-hybrid) is approved for a range of 120 km in electric mode. We will be sure to verify this during our independent measurements at our test base in Montlhéry (91). These three engines can be combined with the three trim levels (Design, Business, and S Line).

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