Expectations For The 2020 Audi RS Q3 Grow
Although it’s not officially out yet, expectations for the 2020 Audi RS Q3 continue to grow. Major car performance magazines have had their spy cameras out catching significant images of the car being road tested as early as January of this year. With each new glimpse the car is coming into a clearer focus.
The latest spy shots come just when Audi introduces its new generation 2019 Q3, which is expected in dealerships in July.
The fact that the RS Q3 can be tracked now in conjunction with the release of the Q3 heightens expectations that Audi intends to progress directly to the RS.
The rambling prototype sports a pair of fat oval-shaped exhausts, a lowered suspension, substantial disc brakes in front, an assertive front fascia with larger intakes and more molded air dam and a new wheel design. Six cross-drilled rotors and blue brake calipers can be spotted sitting behind the wheels. This could be a hint that Audi plans to include blue brake calipers on all its ceramic brakes, similar to Porsche’s yellow painted calipers on models with ceramic brakes.
It’s speculated that a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-5 will power it and could generate as much as 414-horsepower and 354-lbs-ft. of torque. The engine should accelerate from 0-60-mph in under 5-seconds.
For comparison, the last RS Q3, which was never available in the United States, has a standard engine that achieves 340-horsepower or 367-horsepower for the performance model. One major reason imagined for the bump of horsepower is because the next Mercedes AMG 45-series, competition for the RS Q3, is said to be equipped with a 2.0-liter engine that will generate more than 400-horsepower.
A careful analysis of the spy shots show that the exterior body will include a lower suspension with adaptive dampers, oval tips on the exhaust, 20-inch wheels, black trim details, standard LED lights, larger wheel arches, and new taillight housings. A splitter blade on the bumpers adds a sportier look than the previous model, and large Polished aluminum surrounds trim the windows.
The interior is expected to include a touchscreen on the main center stack, the Audi Virtual Cockpit encompassing a full digital instrument cluster replaces the standard analogue gauges and tiny driver’s information display.
The gauge cluster is located directly behind a three-spoke steering wheel that includes buttons that control the infotainment system.
Materials used to trim the interior will lend a high-end appearance and include aluminum, Alcantara, leather, and carbon fiber.
The 2020 Audi RS Q3 is expected in dealerships a few months after the arrival of the Q3. There could be a small increase to the price with the current model going for more than $60,000.
The 2020 Audi RS Q3 is expected to compete with the Mercedes AMG GLA 45 and the BMW X1 M.
