- A redesigned Audi Q3 debuts in 2025
- The third-generation compact crossover will include a more coupe-like Sportback body style in some markets
- The new Q3 range will likely be the last to offer gas engines
A new generation of the Audi Q3 compact crossover debuts later this year, and it will once again offer the option of a more coupe-like body style dubbed the Sportback in some markets.
A prototype for the redesigned Q3 Sportback has been spotted for the first time ahead of its expected debut late this year or early next.
Audi never sold the outgoing Q3 Sportback in the U.S., and it isn’t clear whether the new one will come either. Should a local launch be planned, it will likely arrive as a 2027 model. The redesigned regular Q3 is expected to reach the U.S. as a 2026 model.
The redesigned Q3 Sportback has proportions similar to the outgoing model, which makes sense as both vehicles are expected to share Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform. However, the new Q3 Sportback, like the rest of the redesigned Q3 range, is likely to adopt the updated MQB Evo version.
2027 Audi Q3 Sportback spy shots – Photo via Baldauf
New design details present on the prototype include split headlights with slim daytime running lights, resembling those on Audi’s recently launched Q6 E-Tron electric compact crossover. Additionally, the grille mesh introduces a fresh design for Audi, and the rear is anticipated to include a light strip connecting the brake lights.
Some of the prototypes for the regular Q3 were equipped with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, featuring a charging port located on the driver’s side front fender. It’s likely the Q3 Sportback will also offer a plug-in option. A mild-hybrid variant may also be available, though Audi has yet to confirm any specific plans for the vehicle.
Additionally, a future RS Q3 Sportback is expected to arrive with a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-5 engine with around 400 hp, likely serving as a final tribute to this powertrain. After 2026, Audi plans to no longer introduce new models with internal-combustion engines, though the cutoff date may be pushed back depending on how the EV market develops. Similar adjustments have been seen with other established automakers that previously committed to EV-only lineups.
