Performance – The 2018 Audi Q3 35 TDI continues to draw power from the same 2.0-litre diesel motor that produces 181 HP of power from 3500-4000 RPM and 380 Nm of torque from 1750-3000 RPM. Featuring Audi’s quattro system, the powerplant comes mated to a 7-speed S-Tronic automatic transmission. This oil-burner is supremely refined with good NVH levels but initially, there is some turbo lag. Step on the gas and once past the turbo lag, the engine pulls cleanly and shows off its strong performer characteristics. The gearbox is quick in its responses but sometimes at low speeds the tranny tends to get a bit confused.
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The Q3’s diesel motor offers a good balance of performance and economy
The 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder, TDI mill is known to be very robust and reliable
The Audi sprints from 0-100 km/hr in a claimed 7.9 seconds while returning an average fuel efficiency of 11-12 km/l. The ARAI-claimed figure is 15.17 km/l. The vehicle comes with Audi’s Drive Select which offers 4 driving modes – Comfort, Dynamic, Individual and Off-Road mode. The modes alter the driving experience and Dynamic makes the car feel very responsive while in Comfort it drives in a relaxed manner. Off-Road is good in well, off-road conditions and it is a pretty capable car.
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The Q3 performs quite well in off-road conditions/p>
Driving Dynamics – The German auto giant hasn’t altered the suspension of the Q3 and it rides and handles the same as before. There is nothing to complain about as the ride is very stable and the SUV soaks up almost every undulation on our roads. It is also fun to drive and takes corners in its stride, of course you cannot expect sedan-like handling but considering it’s an SUV, body control is very good. What’s bad is that the steering lacks feedback. It is very light at low speeds though. However, the brakes do a great job of bringing the car to a halt while the grip from the Bridgestone tyres is excellent.
