Is Audi running out of niches to fill? You have to wonder. The latest model is the Q3, which I had the chance to drive for the first time yesterday. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that it fits in beneath the Q5 and Q7 as the smallest SUV in the range, but how much smaller is it? The Q5 is 4.62 metres long while the Q3 is 4.38 metres, so just 24 cms difference bumper to bumper. Get a tape measure out or just hold your fingers up. Is that enough to justify a whole new car? I’m not sure. Audi says the Q3 will appeal to a younger buyer but it seems a moot point to me. That said, Audi is having another excellent year; sales and market share are at a record high and 14 new or replacement vehicles due in 2012. Unsurprisingly it drives very well and is full of premium features. One element that interested me was the driver’s seat, as it always does because I’m 6ft 4ins tall. Opt for the electric adjusting chair and there’s a far smaller range of movement than if you pick the one with levers to manually pull and push. In the former my head was brushing the ceiling lining when on the lowest setting, on the latter I had clear space. Bizarre.
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