Our spies from Germany sent us the first batch of spy photos of the next-generation Audi Q3 in September this year. The prototype was spied testing on public roads with a fully camouflaged body and had its production panels and lights fitted already. Now, we’re trying to unhide the crossover completely through these exclusive renderings.
As opposed to the more conventionally designed 2024 A5 Avant, the new Q3 will come with a radical redesign of its front fascia compared to the outgoing model. The Singleframe octagonal radiator grille will be slightly smaller since there will be more plastic around the area separating the grille from the lower air intake. The panel will also feature a new pattern with overlapping U-shaped motifs. This won’t be the largest change though, as two big rectangular headlights will sit on the two corners of the bumper acting as the low and high beams.
While not seen on these renderings, the rear end is expected to receive a more conservative redesign. The taillights will be slimmer but will retain their basic shapes, as seen in the spy photos from September. To a certain extent, the rear lights will be similar in form to the clusters seen on the Q4 E-Tron, though there won’t be an LED strip connecting them through the boot – at least we can’t see one for now.
The third generation Q3 – and the final one with a combustion engine under the hood – will ride on Volkswagen Group’s MQB Evo platform. The architecture will be shared with the new Volkswagen Tiguan, which has a plug-in hybrid version with up to 62 miles of purely electric range. In fact, two PHEV models are available with an output of 201 horsepower and 268 hp. There’s also a base 1.5-liter mild-hybrid turbo gas engine, as well as a larger and more powerful 2.0-liter four-banger. The engine lineup of the new Q3 is expected to be very similar.
The crossover from Ingolstadt will be produced in Gyor, Hungary, together with the new Cupra Terramar. The current entry-level Audi crossover, the Q2, will be retired very soon, leaving the next-generation Q3 as the brand’s most affordable crossover in the future. When will we see it? Most likely, at some point during the first half of 2024.
