Audi Q3 Vail Concept

The Audi Q3 Vail is named after the famous winter sports venue in the United States, and previews a potential high performance, offroad oriented variation of the Q3 model.

The themed compact SUV is powered by a 2-5 liter turbocharged TFSI engine, coupled with a seven speed S tronic transmission and quattro permanent all-wheel drive.

The main performance are a top speed of 262 km/h and a 0-100 km/h sprint in 5.5 seconds.

Exterior Design

The dynamic character is underlined by the new specific color called “Energy Red”, which contains golden pearlescent particles. The add-on body parts are in matt gray quartz-based paint, and underline the vehicle’s robust and rugged appearance.

The front end of the Q3 Vail is characterized by a grille with distinctive aluminum vertical struts, that extend across the full height of the grille and are pulled outwards in the area generally used for the license plate.

The struts have lateral edges painted in matt quartz-based paint, while the slim front faces have a high-gloss finish.

In the headlights the zones in the lower area of the light-guide elements, which generate the daytime running lights, are painted anthracite.

The top areas of the side air inlets are covered by solid aluminum panels, which are matched by the aluminum underbody guard.

Additional elements are the flared wheel arches and running boards, which will be available as accessories, and the restyled aluminum roof rails, designed for transporting skis and snowboards.

The front roof-rail support integrates a wide-angled LED lights, controlled via buttons in the roof module.

The Audi Q3 Vail is fitted with five-arm wheels in 8.5 J x 20 format. Mirroring the single-frame grille, their visible edges have a high-gloss finish, while the inside areas feature the same matt quartz-based paint. The off-road tires are size 255/45.

Compared to the series model, the track width has been increased by 40 millimeters (1.57 inches) at the front and rear and the body is 30 millimeters (1.18 inches) higher.

At the rear the Q3 Vail features two tailpipes of the dual-branch exhaust system integrated in the diffuser and underbody guard area.

Interior Design

The interior of the Audi Q3 Vail is characterized by a three colors scheme: black, gray and red. The headlining is made from titanium gray Alcantara, while the upholstery makes use of a special leather/fabric material, which features thin strips of leather just a few tenths of a millimeter wide, interwoven with yarn.

The upholstery features piping with double seams; like the contrasting stitching, the piping is red.

Small sections of the upholstery are made from red velvet-finish leather – a hardwearing material that looks similar to nubuck leather at first glance, but in fact has a finer structure.

The segments integrated in the door trims are also in red velvet-finish leather, trimmed in steel gray Fine Nappa leather.

The inlays around the S tronic selector level, at the front of the cockpit and in the doors comprise a three-dimensional stainless steel mesh that requires a complex manufacturing process.

The selector lever features a high-gloss black ring and an aluminum badge with a milled “Q3 Vail” signature.

In the instrument cluster the metal dials around the speedometer and rev counter were made using a rotary-grinding process

Horizontal bars and small fins give the dials and needle centers a sporty, three-dimensional look.

The interior of the Audi Q3 Vail includes two practical devices for winter sports fans. The side wall of the trunk houses a charging station. It can be used for storing flashlights and charging them inductively at the same time.

The same technology is used for the Thermos bottle. It is located in the cup holder between the front seats and is able to chill or warm drinks.

Both devices have LEDs that show the current charge level. One attractive extra is that, in addition to LED lighting, the flashlights incorporate an infra-red heating element that can be used for warming your hands or a pair of ski boots.

Another original solution is the trunk mat, which has integrated heated seat cushions. The mat can be folded out and laid over the loading lip.

This protects the trunk edge while the vehicle is being loaded or unloaded, and also provides a warm area to sit on when putting on or taking off your ski boots. Small LED spotlights on the inside of the tailgate provide light.

(Source: Audi)