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Many SUVs are designed to look capable of going off-road but also need to appeal to a city slicker. Enter Audi's latest SUV: the Q3 Sportback.
It appeals to millennial (those born between 1980 and 2000) and crucially it doesn't pretend to be a soft off-roader (that's left to its Q3 brother).
I drove the Sportback version at its international launch in Germany earlier in September and thought the car's designer, 33-year-old South Korean Seulah Park, got it spot on.
It's aggressive, sharp and is significantly different from the Q3 thanks to the use of vertical slats in the grille.
The drive was impressive and the Sportback felt more dynamic through a set of twisty mountain passes than I anticipated it to be.
Deutsche Welle's take on the Q3 Sportback: "A decision to buy an SUV is not usually based on logic. Who really needs high ground clearance and off-road capability? It's more about adventure - and looks."
Which models will we get in SA?
Two models have been earmarked for local introduction, the 35 TFSI with 110kW and 250Nm, powered by a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine mated to a six-speed S-Tronic gearbox.
The drive is through the front wheels and Audi reckons top speed is claimed at 204km/h with a 0-100km sprint time of just below 8.9 seconds.
While I drove the 45 TFSI model with 169kW with 350Nm the flagship model, for now, is the 40 TFSI with 132kW and 320Nm powered by a de-tuned version of the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine mated to a 7-speed S-Tronic.
The 40 TFSI will feature quattro all-wheel drive and Audi claim a 0-100km/h sprint time of 7.6 seconds.
