Glasgow isn’t the first place you’d expect to get a sense of what India’s compact luxury SUV buyers want, but when the invite read “first drive of the all-new 2025 Audi Q3,” we packed our jackets and headed to the land of kilts, castles, and drizzle. Why? Because this car, in its 2-litre petrol guise, is what Audi India will serve us in the first half of 2026. And we wanted a taste before it hits the subcontinent. Now, let's get some context. More than two million Audi Q3s are on the road today globally, and more than ⅓ rd of Audi India sales come from Q3. This Segment is also the first taste of a discerning customer who has had a first sense of accomplishment and wants to be seen as arrived in life with a compact luxury SUV. It competes with the Volvo XC40, Mercedes-Benz GLA and BMW X1, and while the diesel & hybrid offering is not going to make it to India, it could have made this segment exciting for Audi.
Under that sharply creased bonnet is a 2-litre, four-cylinder TFSI turbo-petrol, good for just shy of 200bhp and 320Nm. It’s hooked up to a 7-speed dual-clutch S tronic and, crucially, Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system. On Scottish B-roads drenched in rain, the Q3 felt like it had suction cups for tyres. Grip is immense, traction is immediate, and confidence is sky-high and all the tech essentials.
Compared to its natural rivals - the BMW X1 sDrive18i and the Mercedes-Benz GLA 200 - the Q3 instantly feels the grown-up in the room. The X1’s three-cylinder petrol may be efficient, but it lacks the shove and soundtrack of Audi’s 2.0. The GLA is smooth and plush, but with just 158 bhp going to the front wheels, it struggles to match the Q3’s urgent character when you mash the throttle.
Scotland gave us crisp autumn skies and long ribbons of smooth tarmac — perfect for stretching the Q3’s legs, if not for really stress-testing its suspension. Out here, the 2.0-litre TFSI feels right at home: quick, linear, and refined. The sprint to 100 km/h takes just 7.3 seconds, which is brisk enough to edge ahead of the GLA and leave the X1 struggling to keep pace.
Top speed sits at around 220 km/h, but with Glasgow’s highways dotted with polite but unforgiving speed cameras, let’s just say we behaved. Mostly.
On these fast, open roads, the quattro AWD composure really shines. It’s not as sharp as the BMW’s rear-driven setup, but it feels more secure, more planted, confident in a straight line and assured in long, sweeping bends. The steering is light and precise, well-suited for high-speed cruising. Ride quality? Over good tarmac, it’s calm, flat, and settled - a trait India’s expressways will love. Unlike the X1, it doesn’t feel crashy at pace, and unlike the softer GLA, it doesn’t float around. Think of it as a balanced middle ground: comfort without compromise. Though the road noise is quite audible, you might need ANC earphones in case you are not the music guy, to be at peace. All the controls on steering make driving easy, and the new steering design is also very functional.
Slip inside, and Audi reminds you why “Virtual Cockpit” is more than a buzzword. The new Q3 gets a freestanding OLED MMI display, running Audi’s Android Automotive-based OS, complete with native apps and OTA smarts. The driver’s seat wraps you in tech -crisp dials, ambient lighting, wireless CarPlay, wireless charging, which is just designed for the 17pro max edge to edge and can double as another map being played without the smartphone throwing itself around. A refreshing cabin design with gear selectors and functions moving to the steering wheel and two screens of 11.6 inches and 12.8 inches, which are a little curved and wrapped around towards the driver.
The boot space is 530 litres, beating both the GLA (430 L) and the X1 (476 L). For Indian families who think “SUV = extra luggage,” the Q3 wins hands down. Rear seat space? Adequate, not limo-like, the X1 LWB edges it here. But two adults and a kid will be very comfortable for a Mumbai–Pune dash or a Delhi–Agra run, and the reason is a flat floor panel.
Visually, the 2025 Q3 is sharper and tauter than ever. Audi’s signature singleframe grille, angular DRLs, and clean surfacing make it look like a baby Q8. If parked next to a GLA, it feels less flashy but more sophisticated. Park it next to an X1, and it feels more premium, more sculpted.
It’s Audi’s knack: understated elegance with a dash of sportiness,s perfect for Indian buyers who like attention but not the kind that screams attention types.
Audi plans to bring the new Q3 to India in the first half of 2026. Expect CKD assembly at Aurangabad, which should keep pricing competitive. Today’s Q3 retails between ₹46–57 lakh; with the new-gen, expect a slight bump, putting it nose-to-nose with the GLA 200 and BMW X1 18i. The question is: why pick the Q3? If you want efficiency and badge flash, then go for the Mercedes GLA. If you want sharp handling and chauffeur-friendly rear space, then the BMW X1 LWB should be your choice. But if you want the best balance of performance, tech, grip, and practicality, the Audi Q3 2.0 is the sweet spot. Also, the BMW X1 just shouts like an entry-level badge, while Q3 somehow, for the larger world, compares it with X3; that’s a smart move by Audi of not calling it Audi Q1.
Scotland might be a long way from India, but the roads told us what we needed to know: the 2025 Audi Q3 is the compact luxury SUV India has been waiting for. It’s faster, more composed, more practical, and more premium inside than both the X1 and GLA.
Yes, it’ll drink more petrol than its rivals, and rear-seat kings will prefer the X1. But for the rest of us who want an SUV that’s equal parts driver’s delight, family haulier, and tech toy - the baby Audi has just grown up and as a package offers everything in the right proportion.
