2017 Audi RS Q3 Performance review

Audi gives the RS Q3 a much-needed steroid infusion.

WHAT IS IT? Audi’s hotted-up small SUV is back for a third time, now with more power and more equipment to justify its added cost. Retailing at $84,216, the 2017 Audi RS Q3 performance might be a couple of grand more than the car it replaces, but that new word on the end of its name – performance – is a clue as to why.

There’s more grunt courtesy of an RS3-spec 2.5-litre turbo inline five, which spits out a healthy 270kW and 465Nm, dropping the 0-100km/h to a mega-brisk 4.4 seconds. Compare that with the 2014 RS Q3’s 228kW output and 5.2-second sprint time and the gains are put into perspective.

MAIN RIVALS There’s really just one: Mercedes-AMG’s GLA 45. The GLA might make more power (280kW) from its 2.0 litre inline four, but the RS Q3 performance matches its 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.4 seconds.

The GLA has a modest price advantage with its $83,615 sticker price, but the Audi has a roomier cabin.

PLUS: More power and torque, the kind of car the RS Q3 should have been from the beginning MINUS: Interior looks old, previous-gen infotainment hardware, no spare wheel, no manual

And, while it beat the Mercedes-AMG GLA 45 to market (and only by a couple of months), the RS Q3’s Merc rival made more power and sprinted harder. The RS Q3 has been in the Benz’s shadow ever since, even after an update last year brought new plastics and a power boost to 250kW.

Compared to last year’s model, the RS Q3’s engine makes 20kW more power and 15 more Newtons. Looking back further to the first iteration of the RS Q3, the increase is a significant 42kW and 65Nm.

Audi was sandbagging, though it claims the RS Q3’s cooling package was holding it back from its full potential.

With RS3-equalling power and a clever quattro AWD system that can take up to 100 percent of drive to the rear axles (though is predominantly front-biased most of the time), the RS Q3 grips hard. Torrential conditions at the local launch did reveal its preference for understeer, however.

The tall seating position dilutes the sensation of speed and it lacks the scrappy nature of the RS3, but the RS Q3 performance is a still an impressively quick point-to-point machine. The cabin might be showing its years now, but at least it finally has the performance to live up to its badge.

SPECS Model: Audi RS Q3 Performance Engine: 2480cc 5cyl, dohc, 20v Max power: 270kW @ 5550rpm – 6800rpm Max torque: 465Nm @ 1625rpm – 5550rpm Transmission: Seven speed automatic, all-wheel drive Weight: 1655kg 0-100km/h: 4.4 sec (manufacturer) Fuel economy: 8.6/100km Price: $84,216 On sale: Now