If you thought only automatic Audis were fun, then it’s high time you revised your opinion, because the Q3 S Edition equipped with manual transmission is a cute little bag of entertainment.
Story: Ravi Chandnani
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
Today, German car manufacturers are launching somewhat affordable hot hatches in India which are available from as low as Rs 30 lakh. However, Audi seem to be the most sensible. Instead of simply importing the A3 hatch, the company decided to play around with the cute little Q3 and make it an affordable and fun proposition.
What Audi have actually done is that they have rid the car of a few features. This has made the Q3 S Edition Audi’s most affordable compact luxury SUV in India. In this process the Q3 has also become much more fun to drive. This new variant is priced in such a way that it gives the other luxury hot hatches a run for their money. Audi recently sent a scorching red Q3 S Edition to Car India for us to conduct a thorough test and, believe me, I was left with a big grin plastered on my face.
The moment I saw the Q3 S Edition I felt a connection. I have always loved the Q3 for what it is and the test car Audi sent us just took it to another level. It misses out on some of the cool-looking features on the outside, but the replaced ones are pretty appealing too. The cool LED daytime running lights have given way to a more conventional set of lights. The headlamps no longer feature the projector beams. The black plastic cladding on the bottom of the bodywork stands out more prominently and, yes, the quattro logo is also missing from the front grille. The rear tail-lamps are not LED, but they looked amazing none the less. These changes have given the S a very distinct personality and, honestly, I love it. It looks as sharp as a standard Q3 and it really is.
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