Audi Q3 (2011)

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Audi Q3 (2011) first official pictures

By Ben Pulman

First Official Pictures

12 April 2011 23:00

This is Audi’s new Q3, a baby SUV that’s set to challenge the BMW X1, Range Rover Evoqueforthcoming Mini Paceman, as well pinching potential Ford Kuga customers. It’s Audi’s smallest Q series 4x4 yet, sitting below the Q5 and Q7. The new Audi Q3 will be officially unveiled at the 2011 Shanghai show next week. and

This new Audi Q3 looks very familiar…

Are you being polite or taking the piss? Bar the odd detail tweak and redesigned bumper it looks almost identical to the Cross Coupe Quattro concept that appeared at the Shanghai show in 2007. That car was smart, but something seems to have been lost in the translation to production. And there’ll be a ready chorus of people to claim it looks like every other Audi out there…

The big, single-frame grille is present, LED daytime running lights are an option, and the slanted D-pillars mean it leans towards the lifestyle rather than luggage-carrying side of the market. The Q3 is 4.39m long, 1.83m wide and 1.60m tall, making it shorter, wider and taller than a BMW X1. Customers can pick from Allroad-style cladding (in black, body colour or grey), an off-road styling kit, and the sporty S-line pack (the grey car in our pictures). UK cars will run on 17in wheels as standard, with 18s and 19s costing extra.

And the Audi Q3's interior?

Inside the A1 is a mix of A1 and next-gen A3, with a pop-up sat-nav screen and typically top-notch materials. Posh options include Audi Drive Select (letting you adjust the throttle and steering), adaptive xenon lights, a hard-drive sat-nav system, hill-hold assist, a 14-speaker Bose sound system, a panoramic glass roof, and various blind spot and lane keeping assistance systems. In the pipeline is a Bluetooth car phone that can pair with WLAN hotspots to provide full internet connectivity.