The passenger compartment of the Audi Q3 remained stable in the frontal offset test.  Dummy readings indicated good protection of the knees and femurs of both the driver and the front seat passenger. Audi showed that a similar level of protection would be provided to occupants of different sizes and to those sitting in different positions.  Analysis of the deceleration of the impact trolley during the test, and analysis of the deformable barrier after the test, revealed that the Audi Q3 would be a moderately benign impact partner in a frontal collision.  In the full-width rigid barrier test, dummy readings indicated marginal chest protection for the driver and rear passenger.  Moreover, the pelvis of the driver dummy slipped beneath the lap portion of the seatbelt, a phenomenon known as ‘submarining’, and a penalty was applied.    In both the side barrier test and the more severe side pole impact, good protection was provided to all critical body areas and the Audi Q3 scored maximum points in this part of the assessment.  Control of excursion (the extent to which a body is thrown to the other side of the vehicle when it is hit from the far side) was found to be adequate  The Audi Q3 has a countermeasure to mitigate against occupant-to-occupant injuries in such impacts.  Tests showed that, in some circumstances the centre airbag might not prevent head-to-head contact between the front seat occupants, and protection was rated as poor for this part of the assessment.  Tests on the front seats and head restraints demonstrated good protection against whiplash injuries in the event of a rear-end collision.  A geometric analysis of the rear seats also indicated good whiplash protection.  The car has an advanced eCall system which alerts the emergency services in the event of a crash, and a  system to prevent secondary impacts after the car has been in a collision.  Audi demonstrated that the doors and windows would be openable to allow occupants to escape in the event of vehicle submergence.

In the frontal offset test, protection of all critical parts of the body was good or adequate for both the 6 and 10 year dummies.  In the side barrier impact, protection was good for both the 6 and 10 year dummies and maximum points were scored.  The front passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position.  Clear information is provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag and the system was rewarded.  The Q3 is equipped with an indirect “child presence detection” system, which issues a warning when it detects a child or infant may have been left in the car.  All of the child restraint types for which the Audi Q3 is designed could be properly installed and accommodated in the car.

Protection of the head of a struck pedestrian or cyclist was largely good or adequate, with poor results recorded on the stiff windscreen pillars and at the base and top of the screen.  Protection of the pelvis was mostly good. Protection of the femur was good at all test locations, while that of the knee and tibia was good at all test locations  The autonomous emergency braking system of the Audi Q3 responds to vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, as well as to other vehicles.  In tests of its response to pedestrians, the system performed well but protection of those to the rear of the car is an option and was not included in this assessment.  Likewise, protection against ‘dooring’, where a door is opened into the path of a cyclist approaching from behind, is also optional and not assessed.  Otherwise, the system performed well in tests of its reaction to cyclists, while its response to motorcyclists was also good.

Overall, the performance of the autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system was good in tests of its reaction to other vehicles.  A seatbelt reminder system is fitted as standard to the front and rear seats.  The car has an indirect driver status monitoring system as standard, detecting driver fatigue but not distraction.  The lane support system gently corrects the vehicle’s path if it is drifting out of lane and also intervenes in some more critical situations.  The speed assistance system identifies the local speed limit.  The driver can choose to allow the limiter to be set automatically by the system.