• Commendably roomy for a sportier SUV bodystyle
• Ample space for four adults and their luggage
• Stylish, airy upmarket feel to the cabin

Ordinarily, buying a coupe version of a car means a significant decrease in its practicality, but with the Q3 Sportback many of the drawbacks simply don’t exist. Some will claim that to be a coupe a car can’t have rear doors – this isn’t the case. The word is derived from the French to cut, as in the height of the roof, not the number of access points. And, with a 16mm lower roof than the SUV, it has been cut.

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Sure, other Audi Sportback signatures are missing, though – the doors are framed, whereas those on an A5 Sportback aren’t – so it does smack a little of pfennig-pinching in that regard, but essentially it remains an easy car to get in and out of, with the elevated SUV stance meaning reaching in to install little ones into car seats is a doddle, too.

It has five seats, but in reality it works best as a four-seater, whether those aforementioned child seats or adults are in the back. Taller folk will find their heads brush against the tapered roof, but it’s not going to be an issue for many. Elbow-, leg- and foot-room are all fine for a compact car, albeit one that is a tad longer than the SUV version. As with its more upright sibling, the backrest angle can be adjusted and the seat itself will slide to and fro by 130mm allowing a useful degree of flexibility depending upon the occupants needs.

Storage spaces are plentiful with usefully sized door bins and cubbies, with a number of USB charging points dotted about for additional convenience.

Boot remains spacious

Similarly, there’s a small compromise to pay with regards to the Sportback’s bootspace. With the rear seats up there’s 530 litres of usable volume, the same as the SUV version, doubtless aided by the Sportback’s longer tail. This easily allows a few large holdalls to slot in, or a couple of big suitcases. Loaded beneath the load cover, it’s a very square and useful shape. 

Fold the 40:20:40-split rear seats over and the overall cargo space increases to 1,400 litres, a bit shy of the SUV’s 1,525-litre tally, thanks to the more aggressive slope to the tailgate, but still one of the most practical compact crossovers on sale. High marks for packaging, here with figures that trounce all of its rivals barring the Range Rover Evoque.

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Audi Q3 Sportback safety

• Five-star Euro NCAP crash-test rating
• Lots of standard safety kit
• Good visibility in spite of shallower roof

Although much of the Q3 Sportback’s bodywork is different from the conventional SUV version, it is fundamentally an alternative bodystyle of the same car. As such, it’s unlikely to be subjected to a separate crash-test by the safety experts at Euro NCAP and consequently is a five-star car.

Its safety systems are closely alighted with its more upright sibling, meaning kits such as a 360-degree parking camera, a suite of six airbags, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-departure warning and LED lighting are all standard.

Progress up the trim level hierarchy and additional features such as adaptive matrix LED headlamps and adaptive cruise control also come as part of the package, along with self-parking functions.

Audi Q3 Euro NCAP crash test