The 2015 Audi Q3 and RS Q3 facelift has been revealed ahead of a scheduled February 2015 public debut.

Updated design

Visual changes to the 2015 Q3 consist of a new grille, revised bumpers and new alloy wheel designs. The revised headlights are equipped with xenon bulbs as standard, as well as LED daytime running lights and reworked LED taillights.

The interior remains unchanged but benefits from additional features such as a luggage compartment package, a pass-through and the power tailgate, and an extensible luggage compartment cover.

S-Line spec adds a powered tailgate as standard, while SE-spec Q3s feature new sports seats and a new steering wheel. In addition, S-Line plus models now get tinted windows and metallic paint, larger 19-inch alloy wheels, a new sat-nav system, perforated leather, cruise control, and a parking guidance system.

The equipment list includes the MMI Plus, Audi Drive Select, blind spot alert, power adjustable front seats, LED ambient lighting, secondary collision brake assist, lane departure warning, etc.

Engine upgrades

The 2015 Audi Q3 will be available with three TFSI and three TDI four-cylinder engines. All of these engines are said to be turbocharged and will emit up to 17 percent less CO2 than before. These Euro 6-compliant units will range from 1.4 to 2.0 litres producing between 88 kW and 162 kW.

The Audi RS Q3 will also receive a range of updates to make it even more performance oriented. The model’s 2.5-litre five-cylinder unit now produces 250 kW which is 30 PS more and 450 Nm of torque guided to a quattro AWD system through a seven-speed S tronic transmission.

This setup enables the high-performance crossover to complete the 0-100 km/h sprint in 4.8 seconds (0.7s quicker) before hitting a top speed of 250 kph.

Aside from the power increase, the crossover will also be equipped with an RS exhaust system featuring switchable flaps to provide even more volume to the unmistakable sound of the five-cylinder engine.

Deliveries of the 2015 Audi Q3 facelift are said to start in February 2015. South African availability is yet to be confirmed.