2014 Audi RS Q3 unveiled

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

2014 Audi RS Q3 unveiled

Goes on sale this fall

Set to debut at the Geneva Motor Show, the first RS Q variant has an aggressive appearance with new bumpers, revised side skirts and honeycomb grille inserts. There's also matte aluminum trim, a roof-mounted spoiler, a rear diffuser and an elliptical tailpipe. Other highlights include a 25mm reduced ride height, high-performance brakes (with painted black eight-piston calipers) and 19- or 20-inch alloy wheels.

The sporty styling carries over to the cabin as the crossover features leather / Alcantara sport seats, a flat-bottomed steering wheel and alloy pedals. Upon closer inspection, buyers will also discover an RS-specific MMI infotainment system and piano black, aluminum race or carbon fiber trim. If that isn't impressive enough, customers can order GPS navigation, a WLAN hotspot and a 14-speaker Bose audio system.

Power is provided by a turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder petrol engine that develops 310 HP (228 kW) and 420 Nm (310 lb-ft) of torque. It is connected to a seven-speed S tronic transmission and a quattro all-wheel drive system. This enables the 1,730 kg (3,814 lb) crossover to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 5.5 seconds, before hitting an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). In terms of efficiency, the model averages 8.8 L/100km (26.7 mpg US / 32.1 mpg UK) with CO2 emissions of 206 g/km.

The Audi RS Q3 will go on sale this fall and German pricing starts at ?54,600.

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

Looks great, wish I could afford one. :)

[Nashy]

But it's not even March in 2013.

[Alwaysonacoffebreak]

Automatic? Really Audi? :huh:

[jamieakers]

Looks like every other Audi out there. :/

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

Automatic? Really Audi? :huh:

The S-tronic is a DSG type of a transmission in Audi speak. It is a dual-clutch robot. Technically, it's a manual gearbox with an automatic mode. It's way more advanced than a conventional automatic. Porsche has used it since the 80's.

But I hear what you're saying. BMW too has adopted this approach and they no longer offer their M series with a manual box.

Looks like every other Audi out there. :/

Yeap, and so do all the bimmers and the benzes. It's called consistency and brand recognition. It's what they teach in Marketing. And it's something that all the other manufacturers have been striving to achieve with various degrees of success. (De-badge any Japanese auto, for example, and you can't really tell if it's a Toyota or a Nissan).

Kia, on the other hand, have managed to create it's own "face" too recently which is, coincidently, a result of them hiring the German top-managers and designers.

[He's Dead Jim]

I could get two of those,

If I sold my house...

[Soldiers33]

The S-tronic is a DSG type of a transmission in Audi speak. It is a dual-clutch robot. Technically, it's a manual gearbox with an automatic mode. It's way more advanced than a conventional automatic. Porsche has used it since the 80's.

But I hear what you're saying. BMW too has adopted this approach and they no longer offer their M series with a manual box.

Yeap, and so do all the bimmers and the benzes. It's called consistency and brand recognition. It's what they teach in Marketing. And it's something that all the other manufacturers have been striving to achieve with various degrees of success. (De-badge any Japanese auto, for example, and you can't really tell if it's a Toyota or a Nissan).

Kia, on the other hand, have managed to create it's own "face" too recently which is, coincidently, a result of them hiring the German top-managers and designers.

you have to be pretty blind not to recognise the difference between a nissan and a toyota.

[+Mirumir Subscriber¹]

you have to be pretty blind not to recognise the difference between a nissan and a toyota.

You have to be pretty blind not to recognize the difference between different Audi models and to insist they all look the same. See, it works both ways.

Most importantly, we know what works and what doesn't...All one would have to do is to compare the sales dynamics of the German auto manufactures with the rest.