By Prashirwin Naidu
My heart was pounding with excitement. Sylvester — not Stallone — had pulled into my driveway in the form of the tangerine-coloured Audi Q3 35 TDI. With the Easter weekend around the corner, a road trip was calling. Perhaps I was romanticising the drive a bit. I had planned a perfect escape from the city with the coolest passenger princess around: Jessyca Primo. She is lovely, tough, and shares my passion for speed. Hers comes from motorcycles, and she lives life a quarter mile at a time, just like Dominic Toretto from Fast & Furious.
Cruising to the South Coast, Margate to be exact, with her by my side, our planned 711 kilometre journey was soundtracked by smooth R&B and everything in between. Jessy has incredible taste in music. One standout was Contagious by The Isley Brothers. The car was alive with excitement, laughter and plenty of smiling from my giddy self — I do not hide my joy very well.
The Q3 impressed with its road performance. With a range of up to 900 kilometres and an average fuel consumption of 5.0 litres per 100 kilometres, this tangerine-toned SUV was built for the long haul.
But then came the detour. Mid-chatter, I missed a turn, and we found ourselves on a gravel road in the farmlands. I thought, why not? Jessy and I easily powered through the muddy patches until we hit a dead end. With darkness falling, time was no longer on our side. Soon, the Q3 lost grip, and the right wheel sank into a muddy patch. Starry- eyed, I glanced at Jessy and muttered, “Oh no.” We were stuck.
I did everything I could. I reversed, drove forward, but the tyre only dug in
deeper. I got my hands dirty, scooping out the mud around the tyre. Jessy was
a rock, encouraging and calm.
Rescue came in the form of a Toyota Land Cruiser, with three men in agricultural swag of shorts and Veldskoene in the cold. They tugged us out like pros.
Back on the road, we headed to our overnight stop at La LaNathi in Harrismith. A quick rest, hearty breakfast — eggs, bacon, toast for Jessy, and my mom’s vegetarian breyani for me — and we were back on the move with a freshly washed Q3. The rest of the drive was surprisingly easy. That 2.0l TDI engine delivered torquey richness and felt hearty yet efficient.
Inside, it’s pure Audi — refined, solid, and well thought out. You get premium materials, supportive heated sport seats, a panoramic sunroof, a rear-view camera, and a powered tailgate. It doesn’t go full sci-fi with screens, but its mix of digital and physical controls brings charm and usability. Insulation is superb — once inside, you wouldn’t even guess it’s a diesel.
On the outside, the Q3 Sportback Black Edition turns heads with its sleek, blacked-out trim, sloping rear roofline, and 19-inch alloys. For those who prefer practicality, the standard Q3 body style offers more boot space without sacrificing looks.
Pricing starts at R832 000 for the Urban Edition and climbs to about R908 000 for the Black Edition. Our fully-specced Sportback tester came in just under R947 000. It’s a premium offering, but it delivers on comfort, performance, and style, backed by a five-year/100,000km Freeway Plan.
At our getaway destination, we soaked in the ocean views and precious time
together. Even though we only had a day, it was filled with sweet moments,
made even better thanks to the trusty Audi Q3.
