Audi Q3 2.0 TDI review, test drive

The Q3 is Audi’s brand-new baby soft-roader. It will be on sale in India in the second quarter of 2012 and will rival the BMW X1.

 

The Q3 is compact, measuring less than 4.4 metres from nose to tail, which makes it almost 250mm shorter than the Q5. With a wheelbase of 2603mm, it is 157mm less than the X1 too. The difference lies in the packaging. The Q3 is based on the same platform as the Volkswagen Tiguan, which means it has a transversely placed four-cylinder engines, and there is a front-wheel-drive version as well. India will get a 177hp 2.0-litre turbo-diesel and a 211hp 2.0-litre turbo-petrol, both mated to a seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox, powering all four wheels.

On the move, the diesel, with its 38.7kgm of torque is responsive and shifts its 1585kg kerb weight well. Audi claims it will sprint to 100kph in 8.2sec and it certainly feels like it. In traffic, the motor is responsive but we did find it a tad noisy when it is worked hard.

 

The petrol on the other hand is very refined. Performance is strong and it pulls hard and smooth all the way from 3000rpm to its redline. It feels a world away from the 150bhp 2.0-litre petrol in the BMW X1.

 

As for its interiors, there are five doors and reasonably comfortable accommodation for four adults, provided the ones in the rear cabin aren’t particularly tall, and there is a reasonably sized boot as well.

 

The Q3 does have other virtues typical of a larger 4x4. Its raised driving position makes for easy entry and exit from the car, as well as for a relaxing elevated view of the road ahead; for good visibility to the sides and out of the rear of the car too.

 

The cars we drove had manual seat and steering adjust, but expect India cars to get powered options. Cabin quality is impressive and it is well-equipped as well. Our test car was appointed with a mix of black alcantara, leather seats and silver trim, which felt quite good.

 

Our test car was equipped with Audi’s adaptive dampers which you’ll find supple and compliant over rougher surfaces – provided you select the right Drive-Select mode. While the ‘Dynamic’ setting adds weight to the car’s steering and dials-in body control and stability for very testing roads, Audi’s ‘Comfort’ preset is the one you’ll default to. It allows for a smooth ride, enough to bear comparison with the most refined cars in its class. It can easily handle urban road scars without disturbing the calm of the Q3’s cabin and doesn’t sacrifice too much handling or steering precision at higher speeds. Also, the Q3’s Stronic gearbox is a smoother operating setting with which the car performs wafting part-throttle getaways without any of the unseemly rushing or shoving that twin clutch transmissions suffer with.

Audi plans to assemble the Q3 at its Aurangabad facility and it will be the cheapest Audi in India. It is compact, well-appointed, looks sharp and the very fact that it feels premium will no doubt make it popular here.

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Verna CRDi Auto review, test drive

The all-new Hyundai Verna looks nothing like its predecessor and is the only diesel automatic saloon in its segment. It is set to take on its rivals, the Honda City and the Volkswagen Vento. It is also the cheapest diesel automatic on sale today, the next option being the Mahindra Scorpio which is an SUV. Priced at Rs 10.74 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), the automatic Verna costs Rs 70,000 over the manual version.

 

The transmission is the same old-school, four-speed automatic that did duty in the previous model, but the internals have been strengthened considerably to handle the extra twisting force. The Verna’s 1582cc common-rail turbo-diesel churns out 126bhp and 26.50kgm of torque efficiently to the power-sapping converter. Since it’s a four-speed, the gear ratios are tall and widely spaced, which is why the Verna doesn’t feel all that quick and accelerates in an extremely linear and relaxed manner. In traffic, it is extremely stress-free to drive thanks to the auto-box which eliminates some of the turbo-lag present in the manual version. The controls are light; it upshifts early, with fuel economy in mind, and the shifts are smooth and linear.

 

On the highway, the Verna cruises nicely and isn’t very taxing to drive. There’s adequate power for overtaking, but the gearbox calls upon the engine’s torque reserves rather than kick-down. There is a fair bit of lag from the automatic-box, which means you will have to plan a bit before overtaking, especially on two-lane roads. The car is much quicker than it feels. It goes from 0-60kph in 5.20sec, which is only 0.7sec slower than the manual, and it touches 100kph in just 11.19sec, as compared to 10.54sec taken by the manual. The Verna is pretty good in terms of driveability. It takes 6.48sec to go from 20-80kph and 9.20sec for 40-100kph, which is actually much faster than its main rival, the petrol-powered Honda City auto. The manual variant and the automatic share the same soft suspension, which helps keep most minor irregularities out of the cabin at low speeds.

However, it feels a little unsettled thanks to the soft spring and hard damper settings on the car. At high speeds, the car bobs around on large dips and driving on an uneven road can be a little unsettling. The SX version comes equipped with ABS and four-wheel disc brakes. The pedal feels decent and the brakes bite well but they tend to fade after hard use. In terms of fuel efficiency, the Verna manages 11.5kpl and 15.3kpl in the city and highway respectively. In the city, the Verna’s mileage is 2kpl less than that of the manual; it does redeem itself on the highway though thanks to the tall fourth gear. The gearbox works well and though fuel efficiency is lower than that of the manual, it’s better than what you’d expect. It provides the economy of a diesel and the user-friendliness of an auto at an affordable price considering all the standard equipment on offer.

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