- The next generation Q3 gets a complete makeover borrowing design elements from the electric Q6, including potentially the new slim DRLs with customizable light patterns
- Spy shots indicate a longer body compared to the current Q3, which should result in increased passenger and cargo space.
- When it arrives later this year, the new Q3 will mark one of Audi’s final releases with internal combustion engines, offering gasoline, diesel, and hybrid options, depending on the market.
The small SUV segment is booming, as Audi knows well, having been a part of it since 2011 in Europe, and 2015 in North America, with the Q3. The BMW X1 rival was in its first incarnation back then, but a second model followed for the 2019 model year and later this year, we’ll get our first official look at the third-generation Q3.
For now though, we’ll have to rely on these latest pin-sharp spy shots to help us piece together what Audi has in store for the Q3. We’ve also got the bigger Q6 to help guide us, which ought to be a real help because we know how Audi likes to give its cars a strong family resemblance.
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And even with all that disguise in play, we can see that the little Q3 borrows heavily from the electric Q6. Both get Audi’s new slim DRLs that are made up of multiple LED blocks allowing different patterns and messages to be displayed. This means the Q3 also employs a split-headlight treatment, something Audi now uses on several SUVs, but decided not to give the latest A5, the successor to today’s A4.
Moving along the side, things look rather less sophisticated. There’s no sign of the RS6 e-trons’s camera-based door mirrors and the door handles are the chunky old-fashioned pull-kind, rather than the more modern flush-fit type that the Q3’s BMW X1 rival has switched to. Unlike the last Q3 prototype we scooped back in September, this one had its rear lights on, and the pictures seem to suggest that Audi won’t give its smallest SUV a full-width light bar, despite using the styling trick on other cars.
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The spy shots also indicate that the new generation Q3 model will boast a longer body compared to its predecessor, which should translate to additional cabin space for occupants and their baggage.
What we can’t quite make out is whether this car has a charging flap on the driver’s side front fender. The Q3 in the last set of spy shots did, indicating that it was a PHEV, but this one may be running one of the simpler mild-hybrid engines that will also be available. The new Q3 will likely mark one of Audi’s final releases featuring an internal combustion engine, encompassing gasoline, diesel, and plug-in hybrid configurations, depending on the market.
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Audi’s baby SUV shares close kinship with the recently introduced VW Tiguan. The European-market Tiguan (not to be confused with what we’ll get in North America) comes with options for front- or all-wheel drive, offering a selection of 1.5-liter and 2.0-liter gasoline engines, a 2.0-liter diesel, or two PHEV variants capable of up to 268 hp (272 PS). Expect a similar lineup for the Q3, with the addition of a higher-performance S3 model and what will likely be the last iteration featuring the 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder, the RS Q3.
We’re expecting Audi to unveil the Q3 during the third or fourth quarter of 2024, so there’s a while to go yet before we get the full picture and prices. But based on the $37,000 starting price for today’s Q3 the new one should still come in at just under $40k.
Update: This story has been refreshed with a new set of spy shots and the most up-to-date information available.
