Test drive Audi Q3 against Range Rover Evoque
Three million rubles a month ago opened the doors to almost all classes: SUVs, four-wheel drive sedans or even coupes. But now everything has changed
The new generation of Audi Q3 took a long time to reach Russia, where a whole scattering of models of this segment like BMW X2 with Jaguar E-Pace and fashion Lexus UX with Volvo XC40 have already settled. But the Q3 seems to have grown up and acquired such equipment that it can challenge not only all of them, but also the luminary of the genre - the Range Rover Evoque.
The compact Audi Q3 has already been nicknamed "the little Q8". It is believed that it is just as comfortable and advanced, a kind of reduced copy of the flagship crossover. But is it really so? Let's try to figure it out.
Just a couple of hours behind the wheel of a Q3 is enough to realize that Audi's interior designers are the strongest on the market right now. These guys were able to create an incredibly stylish, but at the same time very functional salon. And the ability to equip your car with a decent set of premium options like the Bang & Olufsen audio system is a nice bonus to that.
Our test car has top-end seats with electronic settings and even lumbar support adjustments, but you can get comfortable in standard ones, with basic mechanical adjustments. The cushions and backs of all versions are perfectly profiled, and they are finished with high quality: the seats with a deep relief are sheathed with artificial suede with ornate stitching. By the way, both front panel details and door cards are trimmed with Alcantara. Moreover, when trimming the interior, you can choose from three colors: orange, gray or brown. In short, everything is great with style here.
Control of almost all equipment is assigned to sensors, and even the interior light is turned on with the touch of a button, and not by pressing. The "live" buttons here, in fact, are only on the steering wheel: the "steering wheel" is equipped with very convenient switches for music and cruise control.
The center console features a 10,5-inch MMI touchscreen. It is located at a slight angle to the driver, making it easy to use even while driving. However, almost all information from it can be duplicated on the digital instrument panel - Audi Virtual Cockpit. It can display not only the readings of the on-board computer, but also navigation, road tips and even instructions from driver assistants.
In addition, Audi has an intelligent voice assistant. The system was taught to answer in free form and ask clarifying questions if the computer did not recognize any of the commands. For example, if you want coffee, you can loudly declare your desire - and the addresses of the nearest cafes will appear on the screen, and the navigator will offer to build a route to them.
On the go, the Q3 feels like a noble car: comfortable, quiet and fast. And this is despite the fact that he shares the MQB platform with a whole range of models of more affordable brands of the Volkswagen concern.
However, thanks to mechatronics and adaptive dampers, the Q3 has several riding modes. So, in "comfort" the suspension works softly, but does not reveal the potential of the chassis. From this car you want more flamboyant behavior, so the "dynamic" style suits the Q3 much more. The dampers become denser, the reaction to gas sharpens, and the "robot" S tronic allows the motor to spin properly, hovering longer in a lower gear.
At the same time, it is difficult to imagine the most customer-oriented car. The new Q3 is offered in an all-wheel drive version with a 2,0-liter 180 horsepower engine. It is this option that is able to compete for the client with the Range Rover Evoque, and this version costs from 2,6 million rubles. But the obvious advantage of the Q3 is that the British cannot boast - the possibility of a wider choice. For example, the Q3 has a basic mono-drive version for 2,3 million rubles.
The Range Rover Evoque is generally not perceived as competing with most premium compact SUVs. He has a special off-road DNA inherited from his distant ancestors, and seems to stand apart. So it was with the car of the previous generation, the same image was preserved in the car of the new generation. Although his image has become much more glamorous: what are the retractable door handles in the style of the older Velar or narrow diode optics, which is now relied on for all versions.
A special chic reigns in the interior as well. Here, in the manner of Velar, the number of buttons is minimized, and the control of all equipment is assigned to two touch screens. When I first saw such an interior, I immediately asked myself: "How will this all work in frost?"
Alas, it was not possible to answer this question. The end of winter and early spring this year were atypical and abnormally warm. However, one unpleasant moment happened to the sensors. During one of the evening trips home from work, the screens first froze, and then simply turned off. And it would be fine if only the radio would not turn on - it was impossible to activate even the climate control. But the problem was solved 15–20 minutes after the next, third restart of the motor, when I popped into the store.
But what has always pleased Evoque is the chassis. Perhaps, marketers will write down the lack of an available front-wheel drive version as a minus, but the 4x4 transmission and high ground clearance instill special confidence in the driver. Short overhangs and high ground clearance provide excellent body geometry, so that it is not scary to drive up to the curb of almost any height.
The Evoque is a true Range Rover, just small. The energy intensity of the suspensions is at a height: both small and large irregularities, the dampers swallow almost silently, transmitting only minor vibrations to the cabin. In the cabin there is silence and calmness: you can only slightly hear the diesel rumble under the hood. However, there is an alternative to two diesels with a capacity of 150 and 180 horsepower - this is a two-liter petrol engine of the Ingenium family, which, depending on the boost, produces 200 or 249 horsepower.
There are no complaints at all about the operation of power units. Yes, they are all of different power, but, as a rule, they have good traction, and even the base engines give the car decent dynamics. Moreover, all motors are combined with a nine-speed "automatic" ZF, which is rightfully considered one of the most advanced right now.
Yes, the Evoque doesn't have an available front-wheel-drive input version like the Audi Q3, but once you fork out for a Range Rover, you get it all. Isn't that what premium brand customers appreciate?
| Body type | Crossover | Crossover |
| dimensions (length, width, height), mm | 4484/1849/1368 | 4371/1904/1649 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2680 | 2681 |
| Curb weight, kg | 1579 | 1845 |
| Ground clearance, mm | 170 | 212 |
| Cargo space, l | 530 | 590 |
| engine's type | Turbocharged petrol | Turbocharged diesel |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm | 1984 | 1999 |
| Max. power, l. with. (at rpm) | 180 / 4200-6700 | 180/4000 |
| Max. cool. moment, Nm (at rpm) | 320 / 1500-4500 | 430 / 1750-2500 |
| Drive type, transmission | Full, RCP7 | Full, AKP8 |
| Max. speed km / h | 220 | 205 |
| Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s | 7,4 | 9,3 |
| Fuel consumption (mixed cycle), l per 100 km | 7,5 | 5,9 |
| Price from, USD | 34550 | 38 370 |
