Audi RS Q3 to be had from $89,900 as of tomorrow

JUST a day before online reservations open, Audi Australia has revealed the pricing of its new RS Q3 hot SUV which will set customers back $89,900 plus on-road costs for the wagon and $92,900 plus on-roads for the Sportback.

Powered by Audi’s fire-breathing turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder petrol engine, the RS Q3 churns out 294kW of power and 480Nm of torque, fed to all four wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission.

This combination of power and grip will slingshot the small SUV from 0-100kmh in 4.5 seconds with Audi promising equally impressive feats in the bends thanks to “RS sport suspension with damper control, progressive steering and wheel-selective torque control.”

Standard equipment on the RS Q3 twins include MMI navigation plus with MMI touch, Audi virtual cockpit plus, 12.3-inch LCD screen, RS menu, Bang and Olufsen 3D Sound System, wireless charging, three-zone climate control, Audi smartphone interface (Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay), four USB outlets and Audi connect plus services.

While performance is without doubt the name of the game, the premium German brand has not skimped on safety features which comprise of adaptive cruise control with active lane assist and emergency assist, surround-view monitor, lane departure warning, rear cross-traffic assist, hill descent control and hill hold assist, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection and tyre pressure monitoring.

Practicality is another SUV trait not to have suffered from the go-faster diet with both the wagon and Sportback variants boasting sliding 40:20:40 split-fold rear seats.

Visually, the RS Q3 can be distinguished from its regular Q3 stablemate by its new three-dimensional honeycomb grille, unique 21-inch alloy wheels, RS sport exhaust system, black exterior styling package, metallic paint, privacy glass, Matrix LED headlights with RS dark-tinted surrounds and dynamic indicators. 

As of 10am AEST on February 13, aspiring customers will be able to reserve their RS Q3s via the new Audi Online Reservation platform, something Audi Australia chief customer and marketing officer Nikki Warburton said would “provide a seamless experience” for customers.

“The Audi Online Reservations platform enables customers to configure their vehicle, calculate any finance options they might choose and even enter their trade-in details,” she said.

“The system has been fully developed here to local Australian specifications… We look forward to seeing it launch with one of our most exciting vehicles to launch in 2020, the all-new Audi RS Q3 range.”

Customers will need to fork out a $1000 reservation fee in order to secure their cars before the rest of the transaction is made at their preferred Audi dealership ahead of the first deliveries in August.

So far this year ending January, Audi Australia has sold 364 Q3s, accounting for 23.7 per cent of the $40,000+ small SUV market – more than double the number of Mercedes-Benz GLAs sold in the same period (168).

2020 Audi RS Q3 pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs