Yahoo News Can't Touch This: Audi's RS Q3 isn't Coming Stateside
The RS Q3 is the hottest version of the Audi Q3 compact luxury SUV, but Audi has never imported it to the U.S. and there aren't any plans to bring the new second-generation here either. We're missing out. The RS Q3 is a wild little sport-ute with the soul of a rally car thanks to its turbocharged inline-five.
As good in the RS Q3 as it is in the TT RS coupe and RS3 compact sedan, Audi's turbocharged 2.5-liter five is a gem of a powerplant. Its odd cylinder count lends it a characteristic warble at high rpm that recalls the brand's rally success in the 1980s. It makes 394 horsepower at 7000 rpm and 354 lb-ft of torque at 1950 rpm. Power delivery is linear and vicious. This engine is so strong, it helped propel the RS3 to a 10Best award in 2018. In the heavier RS Q3, the engine has to work a bit harder, but it still should be able to find 60 mph in less than four seconds on its way to a claimed top speed of 155 mph.
The RS Q3's output is channeled through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and an updated all-wheel-drive system that typically delivers 80 percent of the engine's torque to the rear wheels. That rear-biased setup helps transform the RS Q3 into a highly agile performer with superb handling for a cute ute. Understeer in corners is all but nonexistent, and it can be easily coaxed into a drift at the driver's command.
As with the regular Q3, the RS model is based on the Volkswagen Group's ubiquitous and flexible MQB platform. Despite its high handling limits, the RS Q3 remains planted over rough, undulating surfaces. Electrically assisted power steering tuned specifically for the RS Q3 offers direct and precise control. This SUV can be positioned virtually anywhere on the road with a flick of the hand, with its willingness to change direction aided by the Q3's relatively short wheelbase.
In addition to the optional Kyalami green paint, the RS Q3 is distinguished from lesser Q3s by its wider grille, flared wheel arches, and twin oval tailpipes. A larger spoiler out back, along with the front-end treatment, give this Audi a properly sporty appearance. The RS Q3's appearance reminds us of the larger Audi RS Q8, which currently holds the production SUV lap record around the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Inside, front-seat occupants are treated to highly supportive sport seats with microsuede trim. The RS-specific instrumentation in the 12.3-inch digital cluster, including a configurable bar graph tachometer, gives off the same '80s retro vibe here that it does in the RS Q8.
But good looks are skin deep, what makes this Audi unique is under the hood. While its inline-five may not quite match the output of the 400-plus-hp turbo four-cylinder in the hottest Mercedes-AMG GLA, Audi's five is alive with enough character to make the RS Q3 feel unique and exotic. Please, Audi, bring it here.
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