Small Premium SUV of the Year 2026: Audi Q3
The Audi Q3 is the Auto Express 2026 Small Premium SUV of the Year with the MINI Countryman and Volkswagen T-Roc commended
Buyers of premium cars demand the best, and that’s exactly what they get with the latest Audi Q3. It’s been further refined with
a very slick infotainment system, a high-end interior and a wide range of highly efficient petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid engines.
And it’s the plug-in hybrid version we recommend the most after having experienced what it can do in our plug-in hybrid megatest. We achieved a very healthy 54 miles on electric power alone from a Q3 Sportback e-Hybrid, and a highly respectable 42.3mpg when the batteries were depleted. The petrol-electric Q3 is also capable of rapid charging at up to 40kW (which isn’t possible with its BMW X1 rival), for a quick 10-80 per cent top-up time of 26 minutes, while a wallbox charge at home should take just three hours.
The driving experience came in for particular praise from our testers, with plenty of grip and not much body lean in the bends, giving premium-SUV buyers the safe and predictable handling they expect. They were also impressed with the Q3’s well weighted and progressive steering, which helps you to confidently place this SUV on a twisty road.
While the low-speed ride in a car with standard suspension may be a little fidgety, things settle down nicely at speed. But models equipped with adaptive suspension have a much wider range of abilities, and provide a far more forgiving ride in town.
To top it all off, the Q3 features Audi’s latest infotainment system; it’s highly responsive and features a logical layout. It's also great
to be able to have a full map display on the driver’s instrument cluster, leaving the main screen free for everything else.
Configure your perfect Audi Q3 through our Buy A Car service now. Alternatively, check out the best deals out there on a new Audi Q3 from stock or top prices on used Audi Q3 models...
Our choice
- Audi Q3 1.5 e-Hybrid S line (£48,665)
The e-Hybrid system used in the Audi Q3 provides more than enough driving range for most drivers to cover the majority of their motoring using electric power alone. And we prefer S line trim, because it has the sportier looks premium-SUV buyers are after and it can be ordered with some of our preferred options, whereas the entry-level Sport trim can’t.
Commended
The MINI Countryman’s playful interior design, fine driving dynamics and high-end tech are all standout features for the class, and the entry-level petrol version we recommend provides all the performance you need.
The latest Volkswagen T-Roc has had a bit of a glow-up compared with its predecessor, and it offers not only a very high-quality interior that’s available with lots of premium kit, but also a more mature driving experience.
See all the winners...
Click on the gallery below to see all the winners of our 2026 New Car Awards...
You can find all the information on our New Car Awards 2026 winners and the reasons why we chose them on the pages below. Just follow the links to read more…
New Car Awards 2026: the winners
Special edition of Auto Express
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Audi Q3
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