Mountain tires: Tech upgrades add to the Audi Q3’s economical versatility

People may occasionally dismiss the off-road capabilities of your average modern SUV, but after a grueling road trip in the 2022 Audi Q3 a few weeks ago, I can say that this low-priced, urban-oriented automobile is still a versatile and versatile car. Street spirit.

Right now, we haven’t had much of a chance to see everything Audi is doing in our Denver-area media fleet, but with the heavily updated S Line 45 model — priced at $48,740 for my ride — it suggests the company’s more tech changes are starting to show up all over the place. Model.

Still, we think, ordering the base Q3, the 40 model, for about $34,000, you get the 184-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo, and still the standard quattro all-wheel drive and eight-speed automatic transmission.

My S Line model starts at $38,700 and gets the added bonus of a high-output 2.0-liter with 228 hp and 258 pound-feet of torque. That makes it about a second and a half faster to 60 mph than its little brother, but it can still generate an attractive 28 mpg or so on highway drives.

The new bits of tech included as an optional tech package include a stunning 10.1-inch touchscreen display with 3D Google Maps, using aerial data as I drove their display – sometimes in snow, of course – but surprisingly useful, even in low cell-service zones.

I’ve also got the full 12.3-inch virtual cockpit display, more adaptive reading or multiple maps and a premium Sonos sound system.

The Q3 also comes with the optional Black Optic Sport Package, which features high-gloss black trim and roof rails, specially padded and padded sports seats, and a cool LED mood lighting system. For some reason, an Audi phone box that boosts the phone signal isn’t included. A trio of upgrades puts the Q3 on 20-inch wheels, an upgrade from the standard 18-inch and 19-inch Sport Package units.

Q3 of the year It debuted in 2013 and is one of the German brand’s most popular models in the U.S., but this very second-generation model, which debuted in 2019, incorporates the more Cubist-style cues seen in the stunning Q8.

Inside, it’s still low-drama, with a simple console and dash and displays that aren’t overwhelming in any way. You’ll find an easy-to-reach stop-start button higher up on the stack, and a real volume button that I managed to miss in my first five days of driving – plus a spacious tray filled with drive select and hill descent controls. .

For the first time I climbed out of the Q3 and rode it on a series of rough back roads between Golden and Black Hawk. That allowed me to try the real off-road settings and I found that they disabled the stability control – maybe this is designed for pulling streams or rolling over rocks – and I also found that the downhills hit me pretty steep once. Level

The truth is that the Q3 is still largely built to be a small but capable city machine, with enough weather versatility and good winter performance. The vehicle’s dimensions have been bumped up slightly, with 3.8 more inches in length and 1.5 inches in width, producing a 176.6-inch-long vehicle with a bit more presence overall. The Q3’s cousin, the Volkswagen Tiguan, is still a bit longer, but the Audi gets improvements in rear-seat space and headroom, ample vehicle storage and a comfortable ride height.

This model features a bold and distinctive octagonal grille, flatter hood and brighter LED headlights (and taillights), as well as an attractive retooling of the Q3’s appearance, which is standard on all models. A large and bright full-cabin sunroof is also standard, plus heated leather seats. Full LED headlights are standard for the upcoming 2023 models and wireless charging will replace that phone box – now I see what’s happening. The standard 40 model gets 18-inch wheels as a standard option, plus 19-inch wheels as an option.

Andy Stonehouse’s column, “Mountain Wheels,” publishes Saturdays in the Summit Daily News. Stonehouse has worked as an editor and writer in Colorado since 1998, focusing on automotive coverage since 2004. He lives in Golden. Contact him at sumitmountainwheels@gmail.com.