RS Q3 Shows its AWD Heritage on Snow and Ice
Audi's quattro technology is always present during a drive, keeping you safe. But nowhere is its capability better displayed, than on a frozen lake.
Freezing conditions for a hot new RS
Since introducing its quattro all-wheel-drive technology in the early 1980s, Audi has set the standard for all-weather driving dynamics. quattro was born from the German brand's motorsport ambitions, in particular, rallying. And where all-wheel drive proved most valuable, was on snow and ice.
Carving a reputation - on ice
Perfecting the all-wheel-drive system in testing conditions, at motorsport speeds, has meant that Audi's quattro road cars have always been excellent when the weather turns nasty. And to prove that point, Audi sent a few of its new RS Q3s to Sweden. For a driving demonstration like no other.
>>Join the conversation about the RS Q3 on ice winter show right here on Audiworld.com.
Cold but worth it
Equipped with appropriate tires, Audi does validation testing for its new technological developments in the far north of Sweden. Near the settlement of Arvidsjaur, deep in the traditional Lapland area of Sweden, Audi's engineers endure bitterly cold conditions, to find the best configuration, for its all-wheel-drive systems.
>>Join the conversation about the RS Q3 on ice winter show right here on Audiworld.com.
Valuable testing terrain
Conditions in northern Sweden, during winter, as equal to the worst blizzard you'll ever experience in the upper American north-east. These conditions enable Audi's engineers to spend a lot of time tuning the RS Q3's traction control system and core drivetrain features, to serve customers in the safest and most predictable way.
>>Join the conversation about the RS Q3 on ice winter show right here on Audiworld.com.
Who says all-wheel drive can't do sideways?
The RS Q3 absolutely revels in the frozen conditions of northern Sweden. True to the great quattro performance cars which have gone before it, Audi's new RS Q3 is engineered for driving pleasure, especially in testing weather conditions. It might be compact in size, but the potent five-cylinder engine makes more than enough power to keep this hot crossover sliding along in glorious four-wheel drifts.
>>Join the conversation about the RS Q3 on ice winter show right here on Audiworld.com.
The best conditions to test vehicle balance
On frozen lakes, Audi's test teams carve their own driving circuits. Due to the lack of friction, this allows for extreme oversteer, without damaging components in the steering, suspension, or drivetrain. Ice is a great surface, to learn car control, in a controlled environment. It allows for large yaw-moments (mostly power-on oversteer), at very low speeds. Something which would be impossible to recreate on tarmac or gravel.
>>Join the conversation about the RS Q3 on ice winter show right here on Audiworld.com.
All-wheel drive with some rear-end bias
Anchoring the RS Q3's all-wheel-drive system is an electronically controlled multi-plate center differential. This is very much the heart of RS Q3's quattro system and what allows this high-performance crossover to act with such dynamic excellence on ice. To ensure a positive steering response, the RS Q3's quattro set-up can send a lot more torque to the rear wheels, allowing the car to pivot around its own center.
>>Join the conversation about the RS Q3 on ice winter show right here on Audiworld.com.
Potent and perfectly in sync
The RS Q3 has a surplus of engine performance, for a vehicle of its size. That iconic 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine boasts 394hp and 354 lb-ft, thanks to carefully calibrated turbocharging. A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission ensures lightning-fast gear changes, to ensure that drivers are always channeling exactly how much power they want, delivered into the quattro all-wheel-drive system. And best of all: the RS Q3 can send up to 85% of its total engine power, to the rear axle, as required.
>>Join the conversation about the RS Q3 on ice winter show right here on Audiworld.com.
Never shy of some snow or ice
Very few high-performance vehicles relish snow and ice. But Audi's RS Q3 has the heritage to turns these challenging driving conditions, into a pure driving delight. Four decades of quattro development has matured Audi's all-wheel-drive technology to a level, where it doesn't sacrifice either traction or driver feedback. Unlike many rival all-wheel-drive systems. Much of that credit, must go to the testing teams who journey to northern Sweden, in the depth of winter, and get the best, out of their Audi project cars.
>>Join the conversation about the RS Q3 on ice winter show right here on Audiworld.com.
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