Audi Q3 in Scotland: driver aids, city agility, highland poise

From Glasgow to the Highlands, the Audi Q3 showed city tech—Park assist plus, traffic-sign recognition—and a composed ride; presented by Audi. Learn more.

The new Audi Q3 makes its entrance with confidence and character rarely seen in the compact segment. Audi has combined expressive design, digital intelligence, and advanced driver assistance systems, while Scotland’s dramatic landscapes served as the perfect backdrop for the car’s debut.

The journey began in Glasgow, at the Riverside Museum, and led from bustling city streets to the wide horizons of the Highlands. Here, the Q3 revealed itself as a versatile companion. Park assist plus easily managed tight urban parking, traffic sign recognition projected limits and construction zones onto the head-up display, and the reverse assistant took control in narrow alleys, steering the car backwards over the last 50 meters with precision.

Once out of the city, the adaptive systems took over. Cruise assist plus maintained speed, distance, and even supported lane changes. Meanwhile, the Audi assistant added convenience: a short voice command was enough to adjust the climate, set navigation, or locate the nearest gas station.

On highways and winding Highland roads, the adaptive suspension with damper control proved its range – softening uneven asphalt yet sharpening cornering response. Engineers clearly aimed to balance comfort and sportiness within a single setup.

Lighting technology took center stage as dusk settled in. For the first time in this class, the Q3 features digital Matrix LED headlights, each equipped with 25,600 micro-LEDs. Their sharpness and precision stood out in the Scottish mist. OLED rear lights, with a continuous light strip and illuminated rings, reinforced the car’s premium aspirations.

The stop at Glen Etive, a location immortalized in Skyfall, symbolized the union of cinematic drama and automotive presence. Against the backdrop of waterfalls and rugged terrain, the new Q3 showed it can combine everyday practicality with driving emotion.

Audi presented three versions: the Q3 SUV, the Q3 Sportback, and the Q3 Sportback e-hybrid. Fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions vary depending on the model – from 9.0 to 5.3 liters per 100 km and 205 to 137 g/km CO₂ for combustion models, while the hybrid achieves 2.2–1.7 l/100 km and 50–40 g/km CO₂ in its electric-assisted mode.

At its official launch in Ingolstadt, Audi emphasized that the new Q3 is designed to hold a strong position among premium compact SUVs. Judging by its smooth integration into Glasgow’s urban rhythm and its assured performance in the Highlands, the model seems well equipped to meet that goal.