Audi has abruptly ceased sales of the RS Q3 in the UK, including both the regular and Sportback versions. This leaves local customers with one less performance-focused SUV model to choose from, which may disappoint the most dedicated car enthusiasts.
Fortunately, time hasn’t been called on the RS Q3 due to a lack of demand. Instead, an Audi UK spokesperson has confirmed that the two models have been closed for ordering because the “volume of orders taken has filled our current production capacity into 2024.” Given that a new generation of Q3 is being readied for a market launch in 2025, this means recent RS Q3 orders placed could be the last unless sales re-open for a short period next year.
Read: 2025 Audi Q3 Spied Looking Like A Baby Q6 E-Tron With ICE Power
According to a report from Autocar, Audi sold 95 units of the standard RS Q3 across the country in the first nine months of the year and shifted 191 examples of the RS Q3 Sportback.
The current model shares its turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder with the beloved RS 3 and is rated at a cool 395 hp and 354 lb-ft (480 Nm) of torque. While there is no stick shift option, the seven-speed S-tronic dual-clutch transmission does aid in the SUV’s acceleration, as does the all-wheel drive system. It can hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.5 seconds and continue through to an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h).
With the current model no longer available, the highest-performing Q3 currently offered in the UK is the Q3 TFSIe hybrid fitted with a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and an electric motor producing a combined 241 hp.
It is unclear if the next-generation Q3 will include a high-performance combustion-powered model or if the RS Q3 will morph into a potent EV. Carscoops understands that lesser versions of the new model may be offered with petrol, mild-hybrid, diesel, and plug-in hybrid powertrains like the 2024 VW Tiguan with which it will share its underpinnings.
