The Q3 hails from a slightly simpler time for Audi interior design, when digital technology was plentiful but gear selector knobs were still reassuringly large, ventilation controls were physical, and steering wheels were (mostly) round. Getting into this car is, on one level, a little like meeting an old friend, then – and although this cabin doesn’t quite have the material highlights of Ingolstadt’s bigger models, it holds its own for tactile quality and solidity of feel among plenty of so-called ‘premium brand’ options that really don’t.
Opting for a plug-in hybrid TFSI e model gets you Audi’s S Line equipment level as a departure point, which brings with it some excellent sports seats with lots of manual adjustment (cushion length and angle, and lumbar support, with separate head restraints). Even taller drivers could easily find a comfortable driving position, in front of a clear and configurable set of digital instruments, and a touchscreen infotainment system which, while it lacks any physical cursor controller and can be a little unresponsive, remains fairly easy to navigate while driving.
Second-row space is only averagely roomy by compact SUV class standards; so taller adults won’t find the back seats especially comfortable, particularly in the case of the Q3 Sportback with its lowered roofline, but growing teenagers oughtn’t complain.
In the boot, while the hybrid system takes away any potential for really useful under-floor storage, there is at least a flat loading area, which can be rigged out with elasticated cargo nets, and has useful storage hooks too. The Q3 Sportback’s boot is, in real world use, notably shallower than the regular Q3’s though, and wouldn’t be quite as useful for carrying bulky items like pushchairs and large suitcases.
