cars news 10: Audi Q3 Updated for Europe With S Line Competition Trim

Audi has updated its Q3 compact crossover, giving it a more athletic body and a new S line competition trim. The model goes on sale in Europe later this year.

On the Sport trim, the Q3 receives larger air intakes and a stone gray finish for the grille. The blade below the center inlet is finished in the body color, in this case, yellow. The S line exterior package adds a diamond pattern inside the air inlets and a new front skirt. High-gloss black accents adorn certain sections of the car’s front face, and wheel arches are accented in stone gray. The Audi Q3 can now be had in Camouflage Green, and Tundra Brown is no longer available.

The new Audi Q3 S line competition adds glossy black accents to the wheel arches, roof rails, door trim strips, exterior mirrors, window trim, roof-mounted spoiler, and bumper. An S line badge is displayed in a subtle fashion along the fenders. New 19-inch gloss black wheels designed by Audi Sport finish off the look.

Inside, the competition package comes with S-line-embossed sport seats covered in a mix of black leather and fabric. Buyers also have the option to upgrade to sport seats with Nappa leather and Alcantara. Other touches include aluminum-finished controls, stainless steel pedals and foot rest on dual-clutch models, sport leather steering wheel with a three-spoke design and S badging, and an aluminum-and-leather shift knob for models paired with the manual transmission. The S line sport suspension system is standard on the competition model, which can be paired with any engine in the Q3 lineup.

Considering the current Audi Q3 has been on sale in Europe since 2011, the updates come as a welcome surprise. The new Audi Q3 launches overseas this fall, and deliveries will start later in the year. Audi says the new competition model will go for 33,050 euros, which is about $37,173 at today’s exchange rates. Pricing and availability in the U.S. has not yet been announced.

Source: Audi