The crossover SUV segment has taken a turn for the small.  Because many shoppers don’t really like the idea of driving a wagon, but they also don’t want the larger size of the standard crossover SUV or large SUV the compact crossover SUV market has become another segment in the automotive world that has come forth and offers the vehicles that are the size many people want.  What is craved is the drivability of a sedan with size that will give some cargo space like SUVs offer.  With this in mind Audi shows us the Q3 which is their smallest SUV.

The Q3 is meant to rival others such as the Mercedes-Benz GLA, BMW X1 and Lexus NX.  As an affordable small SUV the Q3 comes in with a price that is reasonable for the market and gives you access to the company that currently offers the best interiors on the market.  This is a really intelligent feature from Audi as the cabin is where you will spend all of your time while driving this excellent vehicle.  For this new model year the Q3 adds a new grill, headlights and some exterior trim elements to up the ante for the exterior.  On the inside the SUV adds Alu-optic interior MMI controls, a rearview camera and parking sensors which are now standard fare.

When you look to the compact crossover segment of the automotive world you want to have the driving dynamics of a sedan.  The Q3 gives you that in a comfortable and controlled environment that benefits from a stiffer suspension and better steering system than before.  The cabin is very quiet, keeping out all road noises and makes for a great place for the whole family to enjoy the ride to the destination of choice.  Whether you need to run some errands or its time for a weekend getaway, the Q3 is the perfect vehicle that take you there and get the job done.

As with just about every Audi vehicle, the Q3 boasts a fantastic interior that is laid out perfectly.  There is room for five in this vehicle, but with the smaller size, four will be more comfortable.  The balance, great looks, reasonable space, and high-end materials make for a vehicle that is easy to enjoy and a great ride.  Even though it has a small size, the cargo space expands to up to 48 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded down giving you the space you want in a vehicle that is fun to drive and well-equipped.

On the outside the Q3 starts with some very attractive looks that make this small SUV a great little vehicle to enjoy.  It does appear to be the Q5 in shrunken form, which is exactly what Audi wants to offer you.  the smooth lines and great design give you an attractive and alluring vehicle to witness that rides on a set of beautiful spoked wheels that finish the great appearance with style.

This small SUV offers only one engine which is a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that gives you 200 horsepower and 207 lb.-ft. of torque.  This engine gets attached to a six-speed automatic transmission and can be had in either FWD or AWD setup.  The fuel numbers come in at 20 city/29 hwy mpg for the FWD and 20 city/28 hwy for the AWD to give a nice efficiency to go with the performance of the vehicle.

As a luxury model there are certain features you expect to receive on a vehicle such as this.  These features include the rearview camera, parking sensors, leather seating, 12-way heated and power operated front seats, a 60/40 split folding rear bench, dual-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, push button starting, bright xenon headlights, a ten speaker audio system with HD and satellite radio, Bluetooth streaming and iPod integration.  All of this is the standard fare on the Q3 with options bringing the luxury up even more.

These additional options that can be added include are the Audio connect which makes the Q3 become a rolling Wi-Fi hotspot, an enhanced navigation system, a power tailgate, voice controlled navigation, a 14-speaker Bose audio system, the Driver Assistance system with blind spot monitoring, a Sport package that adds front sport seats, a leather wrapped steering wheel with shift paddles and the Audi drive select which adjusts the handling and response.  These options are mostly trim based so you will have to pay attention to what is offered at each trim.

The Q3 is a great little SUV in this new segment which gives us the space of an SUV we want and the drive of a sedan we also want.  Check out the Q3 and see how much you enjoy driving this little vehicle that gives you so much.