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Audi RS Q3 Performance: Compact, Practical And Very Fast
AUDI RS Q3 PERFORMANCE
COMPACT, PRACTICAL AND VERY FAST
Words by Andrea Balti
When it comes to Audi’s RS models, you usually think ‘bout generous sedans, coupes, or even the most menacing estates around like the RS6. All are united by great practical skills that are able to offer and the potential performance that can shake the legs of any kind of supercar. Despite the last few years they have accustomed us to a boring downsizing and a more or less general renouncement for the superfluous, in Ingolstadt it was thought that a bit of madness should not be missing in the list, and so the compact SUV Q3 began to capture the attention of the most sporty engineers, wearing the RS badge and sticking under the bonnet the 5-cylinder that the Company uses to push the performance models at the base of the RS price list.
But someone on the upper floors must have replied that it was not enough and so asked more to his mates, who promptly responded with an even more powerful and even more uninhibited version: the RS Q3 Performance. With a difference of about € 3,500 compared to the traditional RS Q3, it brings home the best way to show off in the supermarket parking lot, as in the fastest lane of any motorway. It must be said that it will be necessary to share a bit of madness to put in the garage a super-sophisticated SUV like this, but in all respects what Audi offers is a recipe based on compactness in size, maintained practicality compared to any diesel Q3 and the performance of a purebred sports car. The RS Q3 – Performance or not – despite showing a very aggressive look, thanks to the new bumpers, side skirts and a different design of the large front grille, maintains the dimensions of the starting model, ie a length of almost 4 meters and half, a height of just under one meter and sixty, and the usual 5-door and 5-seats expected from a car that wants to meet the needs of living in urban and suburban areas. The low weight of about 1730kg is one of the secrets that allows the 2.5-liter 5-cylinder to push hard as soon as you use a bit of pressure on the throttle. Moving a similar mass does not require any effort and having 367 horses and a good 465Nm of torque will be able to make you realize the potential of the RS Q3 Performance at the first blast.
The exhaust accompanies any move with a bit of decision, also offering some pleasant crackles. The drama of a soundtrack of this kind and the sensibly different ground clearance compared to the more classic RS contribute to increase the sensation of speed, with a torque curve that is almost instantaneous with the movement of your right foot on the gas. You find yourself clinging to the wheel and confident in the grip that the four-wheel drive QUATTRO system offers, even on slippery ground or in poor condition, with a slight understeer when you enter too fast through corners. Despite this, the dynamism of the RS Q3 Perf. is really commendable, with sincere feedback even without selecting the sportiest driving mode. Inside there is everything, with an excellent and powerful sound system, satellite navigator and a precise air conditioning. What is missing, despite the contrasting seams on the leather/alcantara seats and the usual embellishments common to the various RS, is a bit of care for the mid tunnel, which is made out of too rigid and bare plastics.
What makes you forget those little vices is the engine, always ready to unleash a party with fireworks and surprise you with a 0-100 of just 4.4 seconds and a maximum speed – in this case no longer blocked electronically – of 270 per hour. From any angle you look at it, its desire for speed is highlighted by the most angular lines and by those details that make it a real RS, keeping like the bigger sisters the ability to adapt to any situation and get confused almost between everyday boring cars. Many would call it “sleeper”, but seeing the RS badge at the back and the large oval exhausts, every intention to go unnoticed is betrayed, let alone if you decide to quickly free an intersection, throwing the cry of the turbocharged 5-cylinder in the air. If you need at least € 59,500 for an RS Q3, for the Performance version, consider spending € 63,200; this is a minimal difference in fact, but that allows you to lay your back on the complete package of this latest generation Audi madness. The big point in favor is that in this case it is not only an aesthetically valid and quick way to move from A to B, but something that allows you to do it in maximum comfort and without taking a half ton too much for a walk, as happens with various SUVs of larger size and that unless you have two sons and a great dane home, they would remain unused.
AUDI RS Q3 PERFORMANCE
Layout – front-engined, all wheel drive
Engine – 5 cylinder 2.480cc – turbo
Transmission – 7-speed automatic gearbox
Power – 367 hp @ 5.500-6.800 rpm
465 Nm @ 1.625-5.550 rpm
Weight – 1.730 kg
Acceleration – 4,4 sec.
Top Speed – 270 kph
Price – from € 63.200
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