06 AUDI RS Q3

THE SECOND-GENERATION

JUST LAUNCHED

Small performance SUV gets angrier looks and more power

THE SECOND-GENERATION RS Q3 arrives in a crowded market - a far cry from the original car, which effectively kick-started the trend for performance compact SUVs when it arrived in 2013.

Sitting 10mm lower than a standard Q3 and riding on 20-inch alloy wheels (21s on the test car), the RS now gets twin exhausts, but a petrol particulate filter means the carryover five-pot turbo engine doesn’t pop and bang quite as vigorously as before.

LIKE: Reduced weight; extra power; AWD traction; grip levels; information screens