Life with an Audi Q3 | Testing the dirt road abilities

Black Edition trim contrasts well with brown dust.
Image: Brenwin Naidu

We may not have breathtaking mountain passes like Franschhoek or Du Toitskloof in Gauteng.

However, our Cradle of Humankind and its surrounding region, flirting with North West, offers a pleasant backdrop for open-road, countryside cruising on a Sunday.

There are countless dirt sections around the location too, including the R560 down to Skeerpoort, just off the famous R400 “satellite road” named for obvious reasons. A breakfast run favourite.

Entering the dirt road to Skeerpoort.
Image: Brenwin Naidu

No denying the Audi Q3 was primarily built for suburban and city environments. However, the appeal of owning a sport-utility vehicle is having the capability to, at bare minimum, conquer a gravel trail leading into the game lodge on a weekend away. I decided last Sunday to venture out and get the swanky wheels of our Black Edition tester a little filthy.

One of the driving modes toggled via a switch on the centre stack is tagged “offroad”, bringing slight changes to the engine mapping and readying the hill descent control.

There are no mechanical aspects that might aid serious off-road exploration. No Quattro all-wheel drive or suspension aids of any sort. Ground clearance of the model is 183mm.

Treading over corrugated sections gingerly.
Image: Brenwin Naidu

Given that our car is the range-topping Black Edition, with a slightly sportier constitution and 19-inch alloys, you might find it rides a tad lower than the base version with 17-inchers.

So far, on Johannesburg asphalt, our Q3 has proven itself to be an accomplished steed from a ride quality perspective. Remember the tar in Egoli is hardly perfect to begin with, where everything from surface pocks, crater-like potholes and open manhole covers conspire to mess up your morning commute.

Back to the Skeerpoort road. Treading gingerly, I remembered the last vehicle I drove down here was a Land Rover Defender. Barely broke a sweat, of course, with its air suspension and off-road tyres.

As a Toyota Fortuner hauling a trailer blasted past me in the opposite direction, engulfing the poor Q3 in a cloud of dust, the Audi and I both felt a little outside of our comfort zones.

A good cleansing is in order after this outing.
Image: Brenwin Naidu

Worst case scenario? I would be putting the spare wheel into commission. Worst, worst case scenario, I would be making an awkward call to the friendly Volkswagen SA fleet manager, with some details about missing chassis componentry.

Turns out neither of the two inconveniences befell the Q3 because it took the dirt road, down and up, in stride. Slow and steady does it. A very faded speed sign marked 40km/h can be seen at one section of the route, but it seems most motorists with ladder-frame bakkies and off-roaders press on at a minimum of 60km/h. In the Q3 I was taking it super easy, barely more than 25km/h over some sections where rock and stone protruded through the earth, with potential to perforate tyres if not careful. The Black Edition is shod with 235/50/19 rubber, Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 SUV to be specific.

19-inchers wearing a layer of sand with style
Image: Brenwin Naidu

In our last update we praised at length the interior build quality of the car. This sense of solidity was firmly cemented over the jarring corrugations of the dirt road, where the only acoustic nuisance to be heard was a jingly keychain.

The compliant, well-resolved suspension of the Q3 also deserves a positive word, managing a commendable job of filtering jiggles and bumps as effectively as you could expect from a road-biased compact SUV.

Rear window evidences dust-raising antics.
Image: Brenwin Naidu

Grip was perfectly adequate and the only time the traction control light signaled a lapse in purchase was when the organic mass behind the wheel booted the throttle for a ceremonious dust cloud on the way back up.

Stopping to inspect the wheels and bodywork once back on tar, all was in good order. Might keep the layer of filth on for a bit longer before getting a wash. Parked alongside other boring, clean, city-limited Q3 specimens, our brownish-grey unit has a well-travelled and more worldly air.

We have another month in possession of the grey Q3 35 TFSI Black Edition. Its next task will be a long-distance journey.