New Audi Q3 Interior ‘Harmonizes’ Light, Sound and Space

[Source: Audi]

The third-generation Audi Q3 will arrive for the 2026 model year. It will bring a more functional and engaging interior with it. Audi promises a Q3 that shows how form and function become one. Despite being one of the least expensive Audi models, the new Q3 will feature premium materials, intelligent technologies, and customizable lighting and sound concepts. The goal is to create a driving experience that will engage the senses.

The Q3 interior will create a sense of space thanks to an application area that runs from the doors and across the entire width of the dashboard. The clear design of the dashboard echoes in the uncluttered console layout. The idea is to create what Audi calls “visual clarity.” An example of this can be seen in the covered charging tray and user-focused layout of the cupholders.

Sitting in the middle of it all is a new panoramic display with the 11.9-inch Audi virtual cockpit plus and a 12.8-inch MMI touch display. The new display is driver-oriented with a curved design. An optional head-up display further reinforces the cockpit-like feeling.

More Space

To create a more spacious cabin the new Audi Q3 will feature a steering wheel control unit with two stalks on the steering column. This offers several benefits. It allows for more storage space in the center console. A more spacious feel and a new user experience. The gear selector has been removed from the center console and is now controlled by the lever on the right of the steering wheel. The lever on the left controls lighting and windshield wiper functions. The cooled inductive charging tray with 15 watts of charging power including two USB-C ports can be closed by a sliding cover if desired. Two additional USB-C ports are located in the rear.

New Audi Q3 Lighting Effects

Audi has long been a leader in lighting technology and that continues inside the new Q3. There are multiple lighting packages available (ambient light package plus/pro) that will allow for the setting of mood lighting in the interior. Jochen Stumpf, interior lighting systems developer, explains: “We’ve worked with light guides, LED modules, and diffusers here. The light guides transport the light, and the diffuser scatters it so that it appears as a delicate strip in the console.” The indirect lighting under the MMI panoramic display and in the doors is meant to further accentuate the interior architecture and evokes a sense of lightness.

However, perhaps the most noticeable change is in the front doors which are now optionally available with large-area illumination. “To achieve this effect, over 300 diamond-shaped cutouts of varying sizes are laser-cut into the fabric panel. A light source in the door trim backlights the segments which, due to their different sizes, show a dynamic lighting progression – even when unlocking and locking the Q3,” explains Stumpf. Customers can choose from 30 different colors.

SONOS Surround Sound

An optional SONOS premium sound system provides immersive audio experience with virtually generated surround sound. Twelve premium speakers deliver 420 watts of power. There are four preconfigured sound profiles (neutral, concert, lounge, and podcast). Customers can also create a customizable sound profile to their liking.

Customers also have the option of enhancing their sound experience with features that can be added at any time via Functions on Demand (FoD). This sound function package supplements the selected sound system with three additional features. The first feature is Bass Intensification which creates a more precise and powerful bass experience. Automatic Level Adjustment maintains a constant volume when changing sources. And finally, Music Revitalization improves the sound of compressed music files.

Sustainably

The interior of the new Audi Q3 is not just beautiful, spacious and functional but it is also sustainably designed. The wood applications are sourced from fast-growing, resistant timber. The Impressum cloth materials are made from 100 percent recycled polyester. The same goes for the upholstery fabrics Passage, Impressum, single-color cloth, and microfiber.

All textile and microfiber seat covers have been systematically designed using monomaterials. That way they can later be recycled as single-origin materials in the circular economy. This eliminates waste and drastically reduces the carbon footprint. Audi produces velvet velour floor mats using Econyl, a completely recycled nylon fiber made from old fishing nets, carpet remnants, and industrial waste. Audi is not just trying to build the best driving and most advanced Q3 ever, but the most future-oriented and efficient.