For the past few years, the Audi brand was actually struggling to stay afloat in the Malaysian market. And this is also the same reason why the distributorship of Audi in Malaysia changed hands so often. By successfully reviving the Volkswagen brand, PHS recently took up the challenge to reestablish the Audi brand in Malaysia. Recently, Audi Malaysia allowed me to take a closer look at the entry level Audi SUV, the Audi Q3, and see how it stacks up against its competitors.
For the exterior, the Q3 is definitely a good looking vehicle, but sadly, it just looked too generic. To me, the only distinctive part about the Q3 is the large grille at the front, which is also the signature look of any Audi vehicle. Around the SUV, Audi Malaysia has opted to provide full LED headlights and taillights to keep the vehicle looking modern. These headlights also come with adaptive high beam assist, in order to provide better illumination in the dark. Lastly, the Q3 comes fitted with a set of 18-inch rims that look rather basic. While the 18-inch rims do look small on the SUV, the 235/55 R18 tyres do make up for it by providing a better ride comfort. 
On the inside, the Q3 comes with a conventional dashboard layout that is very well put together. The soft touch materials and the tactile physical buttons, further adds on to the upmarket feel of it. Around the interior, the Q3 comes with plenty of storage options to allow the occupants to keep their items securely when needed. On the center console, the Q3 comes with a rather tall gear lever. There’s nothing wrong with the tall gear lever, but I personally think it looks out of place in such a premium looking interior. 
In front of the driver, the Q3 uses a digital instrument cluster that is powered by the Audi Virtual Cockpit. The Audi Virtual Cockpit uses a black color background with white color text, making it easy to read under different light conditions. The same color theme is also available on the infotainment system, and it’s running the MMI navigation plus with MMI touch. This infotainment system is smooth and easy to use, and it also comes with connectivity functions such as Android Auto and Apple Carplay. Even at the entry level, the unnamed sound system in the Q3 does provide good sound quality, and it makes driving the Q3 more enjoyable. 
As for the seats, the driver does get an SUV-like seating position that is still rather comfortable and ergonomically designed. This is also the same for the rear seats, and rear passengers do get ample legroom and headroom to feel comfortable. The party trick for the rear seats is that the rear seat back has 7 different levels of reclining to allow rear passengers to sit in the most relaxing position. Apart from reclining, the rear seat back can also be folded down to create a flat floor to load longer items. In terms of its measurements, the Q3 comes with a generous 530L of boot space with all the seats up. And with the rear seats folded down, owners get an additional 1,015L of carrying capacity when needed. 
Under the hood, the Q3 Is powered by the familiar 1.4L turbocharged engine that was developed by Volkswagen. But due to the older drivetrain setup, the Q3 still uses the 6-speed DSG instead of the 8-speed automatic transmission found in the Golf R-Line. The Q3 engine has the ability to produce a total output of 150PS at 5,000-6,000rpm, and a peak torque of 250Nm at 1,500-4,000rpm. The Audi Q3 can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 6.9 seconds, and to a top speed of 240km/h. 
Starting with the powertrain, this 1.4L engine in the Q3 is actually smoother than the engines found in the GLA200 and the X1 sDrive18i. This engine is relatively powerful, but the different transmission provided a different driving characteristic between the Q3 and the Golf R-Line. In the Q3, the DSG allowed the SUV to accelerate off the line faster thanks to the quick and snappy gearshift. But on the flip side, the fuel consumption for the Q3 is slightly higher than the Golf R-Line. During my review period, I’m getting an average 8.0L/100km of fuel economy figure after a few days of driving. 
In terms of the ride, the Q3 has a plush yet firm ride that was expected from any continental vehicle. The firm ride allowed the SUV to corner in a stable manner, and the body roll was kept to a minimum. Apart from the suspension, the steering system also played a part to ensure the SUV can handle itself confidently on twisty roads. The steering does feel precise, and it will allow the driver to enjoy driving the Q3 on a weekend drive if they wanted to. On top of that, the strong brakes do provide sufficient stopping power when needed. 
According to Audi Malaysia, the Q3 does come with basic driver assistance systems such as the lane change assist. But when I was fumbling through the settings, I can’t seem to find the settings for the lane change assist on this review unit. The review unit is probably different to the retail units. Based on Audi Malaysia website, the Q3 will be equipped with 7 Airbags, Audi pre sense basic, Lane change assist, and Adaptive High Beam Assist. 
With a price tag of RM 304,890, the Q3 will definitely struggle to compete within its segment. After driving the Q3, I definitely think that it has the ability to grab some sales from its competitors, as it has the smoothest powertrain compared to them. The only disadvantage here is its pricing, where it’s almost RM80k more expensive than either the GLA 200 or the X1 sDrive18i. If Audi Malaysia is serious about competing within this segment, they should start considering locally assembling this model to bring its price down.
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