Filed under: Crossover, Audi, Shanghai Motor Show, Diesel, Luxury
Audi is apparently done teasing us with rendering after rendering of its new Q3 crossover. Instead, the German automaker has gone ahead and let the cat completely out of the bag ahead of the cute ‘ute’s official unveiling at the 2011 Shanghai Motor Show.
As you’re likely already aware, the Q3 is Audi’s take on how to make a Volkswagen Tiguan into an entry-level luxury model. Naturally, that means entirely new sheetmetal with Audi’s well-known gaping grille along with LED lighting all around and a steeply sloping rear hatch. Add it all up and Audi says you get an impressively low drag coefficient of just 0.32.
That shapely rear hatch means there are a few concessions inside. There’s 16.24 cubic feet of storage capacity with the rear seats in place, and 48.2 with them folded down. The Tiguan, by way of comparison, offers 18.6 and 56.1, respectively, and even that is about 25 percent smaller than a Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4. Judging by the shape of the hind quarters, large and bulky items may be a bit tough to fit inside as well.
You won’t be asked to skimp on options, though. Adaptive light technology that points the way forward, electronic parking assistance and Audi’s hard drive-based MMI infotainment and navigation system will all be available at launch, and an option to turn the Q3 into a wireless hotspot will come in the near future.
Two gasoline and one diesel engine, all with direct injection, will be offered at launch, offering between 140 and 211 horsepower. The two most powerful engines will be mated to Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system via a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. A 170-horsepower gasoline engine will also be offered with front-wheel drive. We’ll have to play a game of wait-and-see to find out which of these powertrains make their way Stateside.
Base price in Germany for the 2012 Audi Q3 will be 29,900 euros when it goes on sale in June. For those keeping track, that’s about $43,000 at the current exchange rate, though we wouldn’t go by that figure when estimating its cost when it eventually hits the U.S. Want to know more? Find all the details in the exhaustive press blast after the break.
Gallery: 2012 Audi Q3
[Source: Audi]
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Audi Q3 made Officially Official ahead of Shanghai Motor Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 12 Apr 2011 18:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Paul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.
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