Audi Q3 vs Cupra Terramar

What's the difference?

The Audi Q3 Sportback S line 40 TFSI quattro is a quiet achiever.

Not as flashy or performance driven as some of its rivals, it still manages to tick almost every box when it comes to comfort and features. Like most models in the class, space in the back seat is modest but for a top-spec non-performance model, the price is alright and it’s lovely to drive.

Creating a model-shared product that’s selling into a hotly contested – and crowded – marketplace is a great way to wind up with something derivative and easily overlooked. But Cupra seems to have managed to avoid that with an end result that is distinctive and has its own character within the VW family. In top-shelf VZ form, the Terramar is an entertaining drive and there’s enough driver involvement for it to be short-listed by anybody who values the journey as much as the destination.

The less powerful entry-level S version, meantime, can’t call on the services of that fabulous 2.0-litre engine and, instead, will possibly have a harder job convincing the masses of its worthiness. The lack of all-wheel drive probably won’t count for as much as the 'missing' 85kW (compared with the VZ) and some would-be buyers might find it hard to reconcile a driver’s SUV with the smaller engine in the S. Inside either variant, though, it’s prime family real estate with the clever rear seating and plenty of space and light inside. The value for money equation is pretty handy, too.

But for all that, you get the sense Cupra will need to shout about the Terramar if it’s to be heard over the general din of this fierce market segment. It would be a real shame if this car became simply a part of that background noise.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer with accommodation and meals provided.

The Q3 Sportback blends the practicality of an SUV with a sports-car presence due to its wide 2022mm stance and coupe-styled rear. With the black accents across the body, big 20-inch alloys and sharp Matrix LED headlights, the Q3 Sportback more than holds its own against the sporty prowess of its rivals.

The cabin establishes that it sits within the premium market with its leather mix upholstery and flashy-looking tech that headlines an angular dashboard. However, it's understated compared to its rivals, which all boast a stronger cabin presence.

Overall, it's not a ‘look at me car’ but the longer you look, the better it gets.

Depending on which angle you’re looking from, the Terramar has elements of the VW Tiguan and Porsche Macan in the way it sits on the road and in the metal shapes that make up the whole. Interestingly, though, it’s probably genetically closest to the new Audi Q3 alongside which it’s built in Hungary, although there is plenty of new Tiguan in the platform and engineering aspects.

The highlights remain the nth-degree detailing that every current-model Cupra displays, combined with a sensible, practical layout. The detailing extends to what Cupra calls parametric design which, for those with their nerd on, refers to the way the little shapes moulded into the interior fan out and subtly change shape while still continuing the overall pattern.

Think of the way a nautilus shell consists of circular loops but where each one is bigger than the previous. Has car design really come to this? Apparently.

On a more practical level, the sliding rear seat is a master stroke for a vehicle like this one. The two-storey luggage floor is a nice touch, too, although the boot needs to start empty for this to be set up initially. But given Cupra’s place in the scheme of things and its continual hints at cutting-edge technology, you may ask where’s the plug-in hybrid or EV version?

The short answer is production of the plug-in hybrid model starts this week with Australian deliveries due in November this year. And an EV must surely also be on the cards given VW’s announcement that Australia will receive the SUV version of its electric offering, the ID4, and not the hatchback ID3. All of which makes an electric Terramar even more logical. We’ll keep you posted.

The Q3 Sportback offers plenty of head- and legroom up front, with access that is accommodating because of the wider door apertures.

Like its rivals, the back seat offers modest space for my 168cm height, but it might be a squeeze if you taller. The middle seat suffers the most with legroom due to the tall transmission tunnel – keep this seat for kids only.

However, all other seats offer well-rounded comfort with decent-padding, side bolsters and the front get extendable under-thigh and lumbar supports, as well as heat functions.

The rear row also gets directional air vents, reading lights, two USB-C ports and a 12-volt socket. Longer trips will be comfortable for four occupants but five will elicit some grumbles.

Storage is good for the class with a glovebox that can fit a manual, a medium-sized middle console and a large phone tray. There are four cupholders and four drink-bottle holders throughout the car, and the rear row also get two map pockets.

The boot offers class leading space with its 530L capacity and only the BMW X2 beats it (by 30L). Storage options open up again with the 40/20/40 split of the rear row. The top model gets a powered tailgate with gesture control and temporary spare tyre.

Technology looks high-end and the touchscreen multimedia system is easy enough to use once you get your head around the menus. The built-in satellite navigation is top notch and the directions are pulled through to the digital instrument cluster.

The Q3 now gets wired/wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto. The CarPlay maintained a steady connection this week. Charging options are great with a total of four USB--C ports, two 12-volt sockets and a wireless charging pad to choose from.

There’s an awful lot going on inside the Terramar, stating with all that parametric detailing. But the copper-coloured accents are a genuine point of interest and most of the touchpoints are relatively plush as well as looking good.

Given the side profile of the car and its upswept waistline, you might think the interior would be a bit dark and gloomy. There’s certainly plenty of black on show, but the view out is actually great. Even the typical over-the-shoulder blind-spot isn’t really there.

We managed to sample the entry-level S version and the range-topping VZ and, to be honest, the major difference is the cloth-and-vinyl versus leather seating. The former is okay but never threatens to feel high-end, while the leather in the VZ is quite lovely.

There’s only one catch: If you don’t like burgundy leather, you’re out of luck, because that’s all that’s offered. Optional in the S and V variants, the idea of burgundy leather in, say, a blue car sounds awful, but in the flesh, the colour is quite subtle. Classy, even.

There’s a pair of USB charge ports in the front centre console, and another pair in the rear seat. That rear pew also gets its own climate controls (tri-zone) and central air-vents and there are reading lights as well. It also splits 40/20/40 and the centre armrest folds down to include a pair of cup-holders.

But while the rear seat offers plenty of foot and headroom, knee room is a bit tighter. It’s not terrible, but this car won’t necessarily fit families with older, taller teenage kids. Up front, there’s no shortage of space although the centre console feels quite bulky and definitely separates the front-seat occupants.

You can see and feel a bit of Audi ergonomics rubbing off in the Cupra’s touchscreens and customisable layouts and, as always, we’re big fans of having physical buttons on the centre stack for climate control and other important functions.

The luggage area isn’t huge, but is quite deep and the tailgate has a kick-sensor. Bins at each corner of the cargo area keep smaller items under control, but the inky blackness of the trim in this area means it looks like a black hole when you first open it.

The Cupra Terramar certainly looks like a premium product and that theme continues when you look at the specification.

The entry-level S version gets standard kit such as paddle shifters, 18-inch alloy wheels, LED lighting, a powered tailgate with a kick-sensor, keyless entry and start, powered and heated front seats with a memory function, a head-up display, a heated steering wheel, tri-zone climate control, dual info-screens, full wireless connectivity, ambient lighting and wireless phone charging.

Major accessories include a panoramic sunroof and a stereo upgrade and leather trim option bundled together. The drive-away price for the S is $58,490.

Move up to the $66,490 (drive-away) V variant and you add (aside from the driveline stuff we’ll get to in a moment) 19-inch copper-accented alloys and hill descent control.

The VZ at $73,490 (driveaway) goes one bigger in the wheels department with 20-inch alloys, adaptive suspension, the leather and stereo upgrade package as standard, selectable engine sound, matrix headlights, expanded driver-selectable drive modes and bigger brakes.

Our test vehicle keeps it's tried and tested 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, which produces 132kW of power and 320Nm of torque. Those outputs are slightly less than most of its nearest rivals and it sports a slower sprint time of 7.8 seconds.

The Q3 Sportback is a quattro, which means it has an all-wheel drive and it boasts a silky-smooth seven-speed auto transmission.

While it doesn't induce strong sports-car vibes on road, it’s not a car you'd ever have the audacity to call slow.

The Terramar range features a choice of two petrol engines and driveline layouts, three outputs and even a mild hybrid variant. In fact, the Terramar S which uses the hybrid driveline also happens to be the entry-level version of the car.

Generally, you’d expect the hybrid version of any line-up to be a more expensive option, but in this case, the hybrid system is one of those barely-there set-ups where a 48-volt electric motor – in this case disguised as the car’s alternator – also acts as the starter motor offering a little more 48-volt acceleration when required, and then recouping some otherwise lost during braking. Most drivers would need to be told the car is a hybrid at all.

Power for the S’s 1.5-litre, turbocharged engine tops out at 110kW, while torque peaks at 250Nm and the S is front-wheel-drive. Like the other variants, the S uses a seven-speed dual-clutch auto transmission.

The next step up the Terramar ladder is badged V and it gets a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine with no hybrid assistance, but an output of 150kW and 320Nm. This will be a familiar engine to anybody who has driven a mid-sized product from the Volkswagen family in the last decade or so.

In V form, the Terramar gains a part-time all-wheel-drive system. This is not driver-selectable but instead uses sensors to know when to shift some of the torque to the rear axle. In normal circumstances, the vehicle remains fundamentally a front-wheel drive one, but under full acceleration or on low-friction surfaces, the computer will send the torque rearward to maximise grip.

The range-topper is the Terramar VZ which is endowed with a retuned version of the same 2.0-litre engine in the V, but now punching out 195kW and 400Nm. The driveline is the same as the V’s but the VZ gets a premium brake package and also adds Cupra’s version of adaptive suspension to the mix. The system can adjust the dampers at up to 1000 times per second to provide the feel and feedback the driver chooses via the selectable driving modes.

And if you want even better brakes, there’s an optional braking package for the VZ which adds six-piston front calipers and larger front rotors. You might expect the mild-hybrid version of the Terramar to be a reasonably heavy vehicle, which it is at 1696kg. But it’s a lightweight compared with the rather hefty V at 1794kg and the decidedly portly VZ at 1803kg.

The official combined fuel cycle figure is 8.2L/100km, but the real-world usage is at 8.6L after doing a mix of open-road and urban driving. Considering the lack of restraint shown for really giving this model a real 'go' on the open-road, the fuel usage is respectable.

Based on the official combined fuel cycle and 60L fuel tank, you should see a theoretical driving range of up to 732km, which is good for any longer road trips you might want to tackle.

Cupra claims a different combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) fuel consumption number for each of the three engines on offer, starting with the mild-hybrid version’s 5.7 litres per 100km. The mid-spec two-litre claims 7.2 litres per 100km and the high output 2.0-litre carries an 8.2 litres per 100km claim.

The standard 55 litre fuel tank in the S, then, should be good for a theoretical range of around 950km, while the V and VZ with their slightly bigger fuel tanks should be able to cover about 830km and 730km, respectively, between trips to the pump.

It pays to keep in mind, however, that Cupra recommends all three engines are run on the pricier 95-octane fuel, rather than standard 91-octane. That will add a few dollars to every fill, but the efficiency of the engines can’t be faulted.

Interestingly, in a mix of highway and city driving, our test VZ managed about 8.5L/100km which is seriously close to the official combined number. Rarely does any car get that close to its government figure.

The power delivery for the Q3 Sportback S line model is effortless. It doesn’t have the thrum or burbling of a turbo, but the power is well and truly there whenever you need it. So, while not as ‘powerful’ as some of its rivals, you don’t feel like you’re missing out.

The low and wide stance of the Q3 Sportback translates to nimble and direct handling – you can take corners at speed with almost no roll and the steering sits within the goldilocks zone for firmness.

A downside is the cabin noise, which is fairly loud with road and wind no matter the speed – but you don't have to raise your voice. You'd expect a bit of noise with the big wheels, but you always hope for more refinement at this grade level.

The Q3 isn’t difficult to park, but it does take a moment to get your bearings on how it fits a space, as it’s bigger than you might expect. The 360-degree camera is super clear, which takes out a lot of the guesswork.

The car feels like an extension of you as a driver which elevates the overall on-road experience despite not being a performance model. This would be well-suited for a driver who wants great on-road performance without feeling like someone who is in a mid-life crisis.

Let’s start with the S model and its mild hybrid driveline. Frankly, if you can pick this is a hybrid of any sort, you’re doing very well. Sure, any hybrid tech should aim to be as transparent as possible, but this time around, it’s pretty much totally invisible.

So, in the absence of too much electric thrust, the petrol engine is left to do the heavy lifting. And, frankly, with just 110kW to propel it, the 1.5-litre engine has its work cut out. It’s perfectly fine at cruising velocities, but start asking the tough question in hilly country or when powering out of slow corners, and it can all start to feel and sound a bit busy. And yet there’s not the thrust to back up the perception of mechanical activity.

The seven-speed dual-clutch does a good job, but it too is kept mighty occupied by the task of improving velocity. Flapping at the paddle shifters might keep you happy for a while, but the transmission has its own smarts sufficient to make the most of those 110kW.

Which means, of course, the VZ variant is the one for keener drivers. But even then, the excellence of the 2.0-litre turbo when fitted to the Golf GTi is dulled a little when hauling around the Terramar's 1.8 tonnes. It still feels pretty perky, however, and this is certainly not a comparison between a very fast Golf and an SUV, so it’s fair to say the Terramar VZ gets along pretty well.

Again, the dual-clutch auto is your friend, although we reckon its shifts and shift-patterns might have been backed off a little to suit the heavier Cupra.

Ride quality is slightly superior in the S version (18-inch tyres play 20-inch on the VZ) but either specification is tied down pretty well with minimal body roll for this type of vehicle. That plays slightly against outright comfort, but the cabin remains quiet with very little suspension or tyre noise making it inside.

What’s a bit confusing is the way the adaptive dampers have been set-up in the VZ. Rather than using the 'Comfort' drive mode to soften the dampers for small, pattery bumps, Cupra seems to have concentrated on more dramatic, larger wheel movements for the 'Sport' setting. So, the mode-to-mode ride is very, very similar in normal work, but firms up a reasonable amount over longer, swooping bumps that start to use more and more of the available travel.

By far our biggest complaint is that old cracked record about the driver-assistance systems being too insistent. The Terramar is by no means the worst we’ve sampled, but the lane-keeping assistance is over-zealous to the point where you’ll turn it off (defeating the purpose of its inclusion). And the driver distraction alert is just flat out annoying for its habit of confusing any facial expression other than Blue Steel as a clue that you’re nodding off.

Speaking of such technologies, you’d expect all the latest driver assistance aids from a brand like Cupra, and you won’t be disappointed. There’s adaptive cruise control with follow-and-stop abilities, lane-keeping warning and assistance, collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, pedestrian and cyclist recognition, swerve-assist, traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, a 360-degree camera view, driver distraction warning and tyre pressure monitoring.

As well as seven airbags including a centre-front bag, there are also three top-tether restraint mounts in the rear seat and ISOFIX mounts on the outboard rear positions. ANCAP has given the Terramar a maximum five-star safety rating with a 2025 date stamp.

The Q3 comes with a five-year/unlimited-km warranty, which is a normal term for the class.

You can pre-purchase a five-year servicing plan, which costs $3330 overall, or $666 per service which is competitive for the premium segment.

Servicing intervals are reasonable at every 12 months or 15,000km whichever occurs first.

Cupra’s standard five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty applies to the entire Terramar range. While that’s a decent amount of cover, it trails some of the cheaper brands out there with seven, eight or even 10-year warranties.

The Terramar also comes with five years' of roadside assistance including extras like emergency accommodation, towing and even car rental should the unthinkable happen.

Cupra also offers capped-price servicing packages for the Terramar, with an option of three- and five-year plans. The first three years of servicing can be pre-paid at the time of purchase for $1490, while five years' of servicing costs $2590. That’s based on the Terramar’s 15,000km or 12 months service intervals.