SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8
This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. I drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under real-world South African conditions. Many of the vehicles driven are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you get where you live.
My most recent drive is on the home page. Archived reviews and opinion pieces are in the active menu down the left side. Hover your cursor over a heading or manufacturer's name and follow the drop-down.
Editor's note: SA Roadtests accepts multi-day vehicle loans from manufacturers in order to provide editorial reviews. All vehicle reviews are conducted on our turf and on our terms.
For out-of-province vehicle launch features however, travel costs are covered by the manufacturer concerned. This is common in the motor industry, as it's more economical to ship journalists to cars than to ship cars to journalists.
Judgments and opinions expressed on this site are our own. We do not accept paid editorial content or ads of any kind.
Posted: October 31, 2019
The numbers
Prices: R565 000 to R599 000
Engine: 1395 cc, DOHC 16-valve, four-cylinder with direct injection and turbocharger
Power: 110 kW between 500 and 6000 rpm
Torque: 250 Nm between 1500 and 3500 rpm
Zero to 100 km/h: 8.9 seconds
Top speed: 204 km/h
Real life fuel consumption: About 8.2 l/100 km
Fuel tank: 58 litres
Luggage: 530-675-1525 litres
Turning circle: 11.8 metres
Ground clearance: 170 mm
Maximum towing capacity, braked: 2000 kg
Warranty: One year/unlimited km
Freeway Plan: 5 years/100 000 km
Audi’s Q3 is a neat, medium sized SUV; solidly built, well-appointed, spacious and loaded with safety kit. It’s slightly bigger for 2020, boasts a bigger boot and the old bus-style driving position has been rendered more sedan-like.
A demographic study conducted in the USA found that two-thirds of its buyers are 30 to 40 years old, the balance are empty-nesters and 60 percent are female. Audi research suggests that such buyers want a premium look with the latest technology but performance is not highly prioritised. There are more important things to consider.
Unluckily for us, Audi South Africa chose to sidestep a golden opportunity. Whereas other markets switched to the 1500 cc, turbopetrol motor and seven-speed DSG, introduced here in the new A1, the locals opted for the old 1.4 turbo with six-speed automatic.
It makes a certain amount of sense, on paper, because power and torque outputs are the same, 110 kW and 250 Nm, at the same rpm numbers. But it would have been nice to be allowed the latest engine technology. And the newer gearbox.
In case you were hoping to read about 2.0-litre diesels or quattro, these have been dropped from the SA line-up; there is only one basic version for the time being although buyers can Line-, Pack- or Option it up almost endlessly.
Following A1’s example, three notional models – Standard, Advanced and S Line – differ mainly in appearance items and standard wheels, with sportier suspension added for S line.
Standard equipment includes dual zone climate management; six airbags; three ISOFix mounting sets; cruise control; ESC; hill hold and hill descent control; electric parking brake; single-touch window motors; leather and leatherette upholstery with manual adjusters; LED headlights and rear combination lamps; light and rain sensors; digital instrumentation; Audi sound system with Bluetooth, voice recognition, USB and SD card playback and SIM card slot; automatically dimming rear view mirror; rear parking aid; spacesaver spare and tyre pressure monitoring.
Most modern “essentials” like a sporty, flat-bottomed steering wheel with shift paddles, electric hatch opener, powered seat adjusters, navigation system, sun roof and Drive Select can be added individually or by means of various packages listed under headings entitled Comfort, Sport, Technology, Parking, Black Styling and S Line Interior (different from the regular S Line offering). Study them carefully because some “always fitted” items like seatback pockets and fold-down rear armrest with cup holders can be had only by ticking options boxes.
But let’s get to the important stuff:
• If you drive on gravel roads regularly, you will find the Q3 very comfortable even if you choose optional, 50-profile, 19” tyres,
• The most used ancillary controls, air and entertainment, are easy to find without having to delve into obscure menus,
• There is plenty of head- and knee room for a pair of tall passengers in the back but the seats are shaped for two and the central tunnel is high, so only a kid could get comfortable in the middle,
• The squabs can slide forward by up to 15 cm so, if knee room is temporarily unimportant, boot space can be increased substantially,
• Rear door bottle holders are bigger than most and
• Repeater vents on the console share the air conditioning.
The loading shelf is set conveniently at 75 cm above ground level but if you want lights or an extra 12-volt socket you will have to pick the Storage and Luggage Compartment Package that also adds map pockets to the front seats. The spare is a spacesaver but at least there is one.
Audi Q3: Solid, well built, spacious and decently appointed. It’s worth a second look. Goes better than the survey suggests too.
Test unit from Audi SA press fleet
This is a one-man show, which means that every car reviewed is given my personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.
Every test car goes through real world driving; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads or goat tracks as well. As a result, my test cars do occasionally get dirty. It's all part of the reviewing process.
I do my best to include relevant information like real life fuel economy or a close mathematical calculation, boot size or luggage space, whether the space is both usable and accessible, whether life-sized people can use the back seat (where that applies), basic specs of the vehicle and performance figures if they are published. In the case of clearly identified launch reports, fuel figures are of necessity the laboratory numbers provided with the release material.
If ever I place an article that doesn't cover most things, it's probably because I have dealt with a very similar vehicle already, so you will be able to find what you want in another report under the same manufacturer's heading in the menu on the left.
Hope you like what you see, because there are no commercial interests at work here. There are no advertisers and no “editorial policy” rules. I add bylines to acknowledge sponsored launch functions and the manufacturers or dealerships that provide the test vehicles. And, as quite a few readers have found, I answer every serious enquiry from my home email address, with my phone numbers attached, so you can see I do actually exist.
Comments or questions?
Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you completely disagree with what I say? If you want advice or have a genuine concern, I will be happy to hear from you. All I ask is that you write something in the subject line so I know which vehicle you're talking about.
This site is operated by Scarlet Pumpkin Communications in Pietermaritzburg.
Unless otherwise stated, all photographs are courtesy of www.quickpic.co.za
Copyright this business. All rights reserved.
SA Roadtests
South Africa
ctjag8