No Substitute for Style

The Audi Q3 Sportback may appear to be riding in on the coat-tails of the Q3, but that is not the case. This one has its own style and a unique character to go with it

- Joshua Varghese

AUDI AND THEIR "QUATTRO" SYSTEM ARE A LEGEND IN the sporting world but with the Q3, most of this motor sport heritage is not visible at the surface. In India, the Q3 has always been the best option to step into the Audi family and while it excels at being a premium SUV, the rally lineage is not on display and, to be fair, style is not among its many virtues. To spice things up and to offer another exciting route into the Audi family, here is the Q3 Sportback, the sporty and stylish extreme of the Q3's versatility.

A sporty car must be fun to drive and a car that is fun to drive must look the part too. It is a self-balancing equation. The "Turbo Blue" paint option in the Q3 Sportback does full justice to the car's sporty credentials because it promises to be lively even before opening the driver's door. While the front half of the car is largely similar to that of the Q3, the rear, with its sloping SUV coupé roof-line, is the Sportback's main attraction. From a side profile, it presents a shape that is instantly more sporty and interesting than the regular Q3. The S-line is the only variant on offer for the Sportback, so this car gets the beautiful 18-inch wheels and other special items, including badging in and on the car.

There are no surprises in the cabin because, like any Audi, this one also receives an elegant interior that remains true to the German manufacturer's minimalist approach. Multiple materials, including leatherette, brushed aluminium, and different types of plastic, have been used to liven up the interior to match the car's sporty credentials and the overall effect is subtle. To round it off, Audi have also supplied ambient lighting, making this cabin a nice place to be in, particularly in the evenings.