The Wörthersee GTI event is the event that keeps on giving. In addition to a swag of one-off concepts, the VW Group has shown off the Q3 camping tent.
PART OF AUDI’S Original Accessories range, the Q3 camping tent is intended to make the Audi Q3 a little more practical. In addition to the tent, the Q3 also gets a kayak rack … basically, this is the Q3 the Solo Man would own.
The Q3 camping tent apparently has a wind load rating of up to 70km/h is also suitable for harsher weather. According to Audi, the tent can be removed from the supplied bag and set up in roughly seven minutes: roll it out, pump it up and the free-standing tent is, apparently, ready. Then, when you get back to the camp site, the tent can be fastened to the open rear hatch of the Q3.
The Q3 camping tent might be new for the Audi brand, but it’s not a new thing for the VW Group which offered a similar, but very basic version, for the short-lived Volkwagen Caddy Camper (see pic below). Having travelled in a Caddy Camper, spending a week hopping from camp site to camp site along the Great Ocean Road, I can tell you that that set-up made sense – you couldn’t get the tent fastened onto the back of the Caddy and erected in less than 10 minutes, though, and you needed two people, too. So, while I reckon the Q3 camping tent makes sense too, it looks like it’d take a lot longer than seven minutes, and you’d definitely need two people.
While reports elsewhere state the Q3 camping tent is only a concept, the official release from Audi suggests its an Official Accessories product. We’ll find out for sure this week and report back. But, we want to know what you think. Would you buy one if you owned a Q3? And, should more rough and tumble brands like Nissan and Subaru be making things like this for its range of SUVs? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Holden had a similar setup for the Torana Hatchback in the late 70s.
Very true, Doug. I’m sure there are others, too. Might make a good Facebook quiz.