Audi hasn’t owned up how the extra power is liberated but has admitted that the performance mods required a redesigned radiator for better cooling and “optimised” fuel pump, hinting at a remap.
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Audi has introduced a new range-topping version of its smallest SUV; called the RS Q3 Performance, it packs 362bhp and 465Nm of torque making it the most powerful version of the Q3 ever produced.
The RS Q3 Performance is on sale now at a £3,365 premium over the standard RS Q3 – with first deliveries expected in the spring.
The seven-speed S tronic transmission with tight ratios that complement the engine’s performance characteristics can take care of extremely rapid shifts itself or leave the driver to change gears manually using the shift paddles on the standard RS multifunction steering wheel. It brings more power and torque, and other sporty enhancements. It sits 20mm lower than a regular Q3, with “RS sport suspension plus” including damper control available as an option.
The quattro permanent all-wheel drive system smoothly delivers the engine’s power to the road via a hydraulically actuated, electronically controlled multi-plate clutch.
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Inside, the RS Q3 performance comes standard with parking system plus, MMI radio, a premium sound system and LED headlights as well as the option of a “performance design package” that adds yet more expensive leather and carbon fibre inserts. It also has a slightly revised body with a modified front bumper hosting larger air inlets, while the rear bumper is home to a prominent diffuser. And it wouldn’t be a fast Audi without plenty of RS logos; see the wheels, the grille, the brake calipers, the boot… The dial instruments feature grey faces, white dials and red needles.
