Audi Q3 To Be Launched In Fall?

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Audi might show its SUV for Lilliputians, the Q3, at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September for a launch later in the year. At least that’s what the buzz in Europe is.

The rumor mill guesses that the Q3 will be based on the Volkswagen Tiguan platform. It should look something like the Audi Cross Coupe Quattro Concept, first shown way back in Shanghai in 2007.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • Fred Fred on Jan 18, 2011

    To me the Q3 looks like an A3 jacked up in the air. I don't get it.

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    • MikeInCanada MikeInCanada on Jan 18, 2011

      I have to agree - my wife and I were looking at Hyundai's this past weekend and drove both sedan's and CUV's. When I pointed out that the CUV (I forgot the name) was practically the same on the inside she just looked at me like I was idiot. "Of course it's (the CUV) is bigger - it's so much taller..." Can't argue with that one.

  • Jeff Waingrow Jeff Waingrow on Jan 18, 2011

    colin 42 & fredtal: Exactly!

  • Wunsch Wunsch on Jan 18, 2011

    My understanding is that the Q5 is an A4/A5 on stilts. The Q3 is an A3 on stilts, so this is the one that shares the Tiguan platform, not the Q5.

    • Davekaybsc Davekaybsc on Jan 18, 2011

      Correct. Any Audi that offers the longitudinal mount 3.2 V6 and has real Torsen Quattro is on a dedicated Audi platform. Transverse 2.0T cars with Haldex AWD are VW based. The discontinued 3.2 TT and A3 don't count, that was the VW VR32, not an Audi engine. As for who wants an X1 or a Q3, I don't know. The Q5 3.2 isn't that expensive, and it's not that big either.

  • Johnxyz Johnxyz on Jan 19, 2011

    It’s the higher riding position that sells. The female demographic is the target so the shorter, taller CUV/SAV sells well for the urban female who occasionally goes to the ski resort. Stop by an Audi dealer and watch the activity around the Q5 and you’ll get it werewolf called it - I happened to be in an Audi showroom and the displayed Q5 had a supernatural magnetic force attraction on young (wealthy) moms there!

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