New Audi Q3

• Hi-tech underpinnings will make new Q3 lighter than current car.
• Set to be roomier inside, with Virtual Cockpit instrument display.

- Jonathan Burn

AUDI is readying a lighter, more upmarket and practical Q3 that will arrive in dealers in 2018.

The current SUV is the oldest model in the Audi range, but increased competition within the VW Group – with the launch of the SEAT Ateca and new Volkswagen Tiguan – means it will get an overhaul inside and out to keep it on the pace. And our exclusive images show how it could look.

Under the skin, the existing Q3 uses running gear that can be traced back to the Mk5 VW Golf, and like so many other models within the VW Group, the new version will switch to the ubiquitous MQB platform – used on everything from Audi’s TT sports car to the Skoda Kodiaq SUV.

The new underpinnings present various advantages: less weight, more space and the possibility of plug-in hybrid technology.