Q3 is all grown up

THE Q3 HAS BEEN A GATEWAY TO AUDI OWNERSHIP AND ITS LATEST GENERATION ALSO BRINGS THE ADDED TEMPTATION OF AN INCREDIBLE ELECTRIC-ONLY RANGE

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THE Audi Q3 has always offered a premium-feeling take on the compact SUV platform.

Launched in 2011, it quickly became a go-to choice for drivers who wanted an upmarket model with a decent level of space but without the bulky exterior dimensions of a full-size SUV. And now we're on to the third-generation Q3.

Substantial changes - the exterior has been brought closer in terms of styling to Audi's larger SUVs, while its interior now gets some of the technology you'd expect to find on far more expensive models from the German brand.

Audi has also deemed the Q3 the ideal test vehicle for its new steering wheel control unit.

This introduces two new steering wheel-mounted levers the right one acts as the gear selector, while the left houses light and windscreen wiper controls as well as the indicators. In doing so, Audi says that there's more storage space in the centre of the car.

A series of fuel-sipping engines. There’s a four-cylinder petrol at the entry point of the range, rising to a 2.0-litre four-cylinder with 259bhp as the most powerful combustion option available. You can also get the Q3 with a diesel engine.