But few vehicles are so capable of coddling occupants in a wintry climate as the Q3 Vail concept that Audi introduced at the 2012 Detroit auto show. Mechanically, it’s a Q3 with a 314-hp turbocharged five-cylinder, a seven-speed automatic, and Quattro all-wheel drive. The fenders are flared and the track widened by 1.6 inches front and rear, and it sits 1.2 inches higher. Nothing all that special there.
Between the front seats, however, there’s a cupholder that can heat or cool a drink. What’s that? Chrysler already does that in real cars that people can actually buy? Well, Chrysler doesn’t have a port in the cargo area to charge flashlights—er, wait. It does. But Audi’s drink container has its own battery and can heat or cool beverages even when out of the car. And Audi’s flashlights can heat your fingers and or pre-warm a pair of ski boots using infrared light. There’s your German engineering. Additionally, the mat that folds out of the cargo hold to protect the rear bumper from scratches and scuffs as gear is loaded inside has integrated heated-seat cushions. So once your boards and skis are stashed, you can sit and warm your rear before you drive home in a seat that presumably will do the same thing.
Here’s Where It Gets Good
The fact that Audi showed a Q3 concept at the Detroit auto show is more notable than the concept itself. The company has thus far refused to comment on whether or not it would sell the Q3—which was introduced in Europe in 2011—in the U.S. At the Vail reveal in Detroit, though, we finally got our confirmation. Production of the U.S.-spec Audi Q3 will begin at the end of 2013, and the car will arrive here as a 2014 model.
Better yet, the production car, like the concept, will pack Audi’s 2.5-liter five-cylinder. You may recognize this engine from production vehicles like the TT RS, where it makes 340 hp, and concepts such as the Quattro, where it made 408. In the Q3, it’ll be detuned to somewhere closer to the Vail concept’s 314 horses and 295 lb-ft. Even more than snowboards and a bun-warming cargo mat, that has us looking forward to the Q3.
