The 2019 Audi Q3 is a compelling crossover point of entry to the brand

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  The all-new 2019 Audi Q3 is also available in more somber colors like white or metallic grey. [credit: Jonathan Gitlin ]

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—I’m not normally one to gush over crossovers. But when Audi brought its new Q3 to the New York International Auto Show earlier this year, its looks won me over. From the outside it looks like a nine-tenths Q8 and all the better for being less imposingly large. Open a door and the interior greets you with fashion-forward styling—including orange Alcantara if you’re bold—and an infotainment system that’s better than anything else on sale. It’s well priced for this highly competitive market segment and a huge leap forward compared to the first-generation Q3.

But is the new Q3 as good to drive as it is to look at? That’s the question I went Nashville to answer.

The 2019 Q3 is built using a Volkswagen Group architecture called MQB. This big bucket of parts and designs is used to make all of the group’s transverse-engine vehicles—everything from the Audi TT to the VW Atlas. The new Q3 is bigger than the model it replaces, having grown 3.8 inches (97mm) in length, 0.7 inches (18mm) in width, and 1.5 inches (38mm) in height. (Length: 176.6″/4,486mm, width: 72.8″/1,849mm, height: 64.1″/1,628mm) Most of the increase in length—3 inches (76.2mm) to be precise—was added to the wheelbase, much to the benefit of rear seat passengers.