WITHIN the saturated market of medium-sized SUVs there's a sweet spot occupied by cars such as the Audi Q3, Range Rover Evoque and Volvo XC-40.

They're compact enough to avoid being labelled Chelsea tractors, yet large enough to shuttle round the family and their kit in comfort.

Inevitably they are models that many of us aspire to ⦠that's important in the minds of Britain's badge-conscious buyers.

But with the rise of the Chinese makes and more adventurous styling by the Japanese and South Koreans, some of the European rivals have started to look somewhat staid, if not downright dull.

Enter the new-look Audi Q3. Now in its third incarnation, the compact five-door is sporting a fancy new suit of clothes that includes a big single-frame grille, muscular wheel arches and aggressive slit-style LED headlights.

The overall effect is classy, and far from staid. It definitely puts the old design in the shade.

There's the usual wide spectrum of power units, ranging from a 1.5 TFSI to 2.0-litre 261bhp.

It was the relatively humble 1.5,148bhp version we drove. While it lacks the initial get-up-and-go of a full hybrid, the little four-cylinder still gets you to 62mph in nine seconds, so not exactly sluggish.

Cabin design is smart and swish, and the quality of materials used for the new version are a noticeable step up.

A 12.8 inch touchscreen and infotainment centre plays centre stage and, as usual, needs some mastering. At least you're able to steady your hand on a slight ledge as you jab at the chosen control. How much easier old-school knobs and switches would be!

Vision from the driving seat is excellent thanks to the deep glass area and slim pillars. Front seats are well-shaped and extremely comfortable.

For the Q3, Audi has redesigned the usage of the steering wheel stalks - the gear selector being on the right side of the wheel, while on the left there's a combined indicator control with a tiny rotary wheel to control the wipers. It can prove tricky to operate over uneven surfaces.

Slightly larger than previous Q3 models, there's noticeably more passenger space which particularly translates into improved legroom both front and rear.

The boot can accommodate 488 litres of luggage with rear seats in place and almost 1,400 litres when they are folded.

The 1.5-litre engine with mild hybridisation and cylinder-on-demand system is generally reasonably quiet unless pushed when some harshness creeps in.

It marries up well with the dual clutch automatic gearbox delivering smooth changes that are well timed.

With more powerful versions available for higher performance, the 1.5-litre option is perfectly adequate for most family motorists. This version is front-drive, but quattro four-wheel-drive is available on bigger engined models.

Our average fuel consumption hovered around the 40mpg mark, but gentle running puts 45mpg easily within sight.

Ride over a variety of surfaces is better than average with good bump absorption and well-controlled body roll.