SCOTLAND TO INDIA'S SWEET SPOT

Could the Mk3 Q3 be the turning point for Audi in India? We explore it in Scotland

- RAMESH SOMANI

Glasgow isn't the first place you'd expect to get a sense of what India's compact luxury SUV buyers want, but when the invite read "first drive of the all-new 2025 Audi Q3," we packed our jackets and headed to the land of kilts, castles, and drizzle.

Why? Because this car, in its 2-litre petrol guise, is what Audi India will serve us in the first half of 2026. And we wanted a taste before it hits the subcontinent. Now, let's get some context. More than two million Audi Q3s are on the road today globally, and more than 1/3 of Audi India sales come from the Q3. This segment is also the first taste of a discerning customer who has had a first sense of accomplishment and wants to be seen as arrived in life with a compact luxury SUV. It competes with the Volvo XC40, Mercedes-Benz GLA and BMW X1, and while the diesel and hybrid offering is not going to make it to India, it could have made this segment exciting for Audi.

The Heart of the Matter

Under that sharply creased bonnet is a 2-litre, four-cylinder, TFSI turbo-petrol engine that's good for 201bhp and 320Nm. It's hooked up to a 7-speed dual-clutch S tronic and, crucially, Audi's quattro all-wheel-drive system. On Scottish Broads drenched in rain, the Q3 felt like it had suction cups for tyres. Grip is immense, traction is immediate, and confidence is sky-high. Compared to its natural rivals – the BMW X1 sDrive18i and the Mercedes-Benz GLA 200 – the Q3 instantly feels grownup in the room. The X1's three-cylinder petrol may be efficient, but it lacks the shove and soundtrack of Audi's 2.0. The GLA is smooth and plush, but with just 158bhp going to the front wheels, it struggles to match the Q3's urgent character when you hit the throttle.

The Drive in Glasgow