Skip to main content

2013 Audi RS Q3: Pint-sized performance SUV to debut at Geneva Motor Show

For the first time, Audi will affix the RS performance badge to an SUV. The RS Q3, based on the smallest of Audi’s crossovers, will debut at the Geneva Motor Show. If you think you’ve seen this before, you have: the car is based on a concept Audi showed at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show.

The production RS Q3 looks similar to the concept, with a more aggressive front end, honeycomb grille, and bigger wheels and tires. However, in a nod to practicality, the production car gets roof rails, along with the RS line’s trademark aluminum side mirror trim.

At the back, a rear spoiler, diffuser-like trim, and elliptical tailpipes indicate that this isn’t a normal shopping mall shuttle.

Under the hood is a 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine, with turbocharging and direct injection. It’s a modified version of the engine used in the TT RS and RS 3 Sportback. It produces 310 horsepower and 309 pound-feet of torque, a little less than the RS Q3 concept’s 360 hp and 343 lb-ft.

Behind the engine is Audi’s S tronic seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and quattro all-wheel drive.

As Audi’s first performance crossover, the RS Q3 has a lot to prove. RS fans can rest assured that it will be decently quick. It can reach 62 mph (100 kph) in 5.5 seconds and an (electronically limited) top speed of 155 mph.

The RS Q3 concept was able to reach 62 mph in 5.2 seconds, and reach a top speed of 165 mph, but that’s probably due to its extra power. Audi would never produce a car (short of the R8) that could go faster than 155 mph anyway, because of a gentleman’s agreement among German carmakers.

Audi says the RS Q3’s electro-mechanical power steering has a “stiff, precise steering feel,” which would put it in the minority among such systems. The quattro brigade also moved the battery to the trunk and fitted wave-shaped brake rotors to redistribute and trim weight, respectively.

Audi also gave the RS Q3 its own version of the MMI infotainment system. In addition to typical features like the hard drive-based MMI Navigation Plus, drivers can call up their boost pressure, oil temperature, and lap times on the car’s display.

Other tech features include Bluetooth, a built-in WLAN Wi-Fi hotspot, and a 14-speaker Bose audio system.

The RS Q3 goes on sale this fall, with a starting price of 54,600 euros. Since the non-RS Q3 isn’t sold in the United States, Americans probably won’t get to enjoy the first SUV to wear the RS badge.

Stephen Edelstein
Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…
Are self-driving cars the death of car ownership?
Tesla Cybercab at night

Self-driving cars are coming. It remains to be seen how long that will take. Plenty of vehicles can more or less drive themselves on highways, but for now, they still can't completely reliably drive themselves on all streets, in all conditions, taking into account all different variables. One thing is clear, though: the tech industry sees autonomous driving as the future of personal transportation, and they're spending billions to reach that goal.

But what happens when we get there? Tesla made headlines for not only announcing its new Cybercab fully autonomous vehicle, but simultaneously claiming that customers will be able to buy one. That's right, at least if Tesla is to be believed, the Cybercab doesn't necessarily represent Tesla building its own Uber-killing fleet of self-driving cars, but instead giving people the ownership over the self-driving car industry.

Read more
Tesla and Elon Musk sued over use of AI image at Cybercab event
tesla and spacex CEO elon musk stylized image

Tesla’s recent We, Robot presentation has run into trouble, with one of the production companies behind Blade Runner 2049 suing Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, for alleged copyright infringement.

Tesla used the glitzy October 10 event to unveil its Cybercab and Robovan, and also to showcase the latest version of its Optimus humanoid robot.

Read more
Qualcomm wants to power your next car with the Snapdragon Cockpit and Ride Elite platforms
Qualcomm Snapdragon Cockpit Elite and Ride Elite automotive platforms

It’s been a big year for Qualcomm. Alongside its massive launch into laptop chips through the Snapdragon X Elite series, Qualcomm is now entering the automotive space. The company has announced the new Qualcomm Snapdragon Cockpit Elite and Snapdragon Ride Elite platforms at its annual Snapdragon Summit, which it flew me out to attend.

The two platforms are designed for different purposes, and can be used togetheror separately. The Snapdragon Cockpit Elite is built for in-vehicle infotainment systems and services, while the Snapdragon Ride Elite is built to power autonomous vehicle systems, including all the cameras and sensors that go into those systems.

Read more