Whoops! 2025 Audi Q3 prototype crashes into ditch

The 2025 Audi Q3 has had a whoopsie while being tested on Europe's icy roads.

Audi engineers were testing the new-generation Q3 in the snow when our spy photography partners caught the embarrassing moment as the small SUV slid off the road.

It appears the camouflaged vehicle was carrying too much speed for the conditions, and went wide into a ditch on the side of the road – thankfully with a snow bank stopping the Audi from ending up in a forest.

It's not known whether the prototype had any active safety features switched on – such as traction control or electronic stability control – or if the engineer was helping to calibrate these safety systems at the time.

The new Audi Q3 looks set to adopt a similar design language from its bigger sibling, the electric Audi Q6 E-Tron – with a split-headlight look at the front and a pronounced crease over the rear wheel arches.

The Q3 is also said to come with an LED light bar connecting the rear tail-lights, and LED daytime-running lights and indicators.

As reported earlier this month, the Cupra Terramar is the Q3's twin-under-the-skin, with the two models to be built alongside each other in Hungary with four-cylinder turbo engines assisted by mild-hybrid or plug-in hybrid technology.

No details have been revealed for the Audi, but Cupra has already announced the plug-in hybrid Terramar will offer up to 100 kilometres of claimed electric-only driving range – with the Q3 expected to have similar capabilities when it comes to market.

It is not clear if Audi is working on a high-performance RS Q3 – possibly as the swan-song of the 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder engine – though it could be a limited edition, or mated with hybrid technology, given the model will need to comply with Europe's ever-tightening emissions regulations.

However, it's not known whether a coupe-style Q3 Sportback is in development, given no prototype has been spotted at this stage – though this could be introduced at a later stage.

While minor accidents like this likely happen all the time when testing new vehicles – even with well-trained experts behind the wheel – it was just unfortunate (for them) that so-called car 'spies' were there to photograph the incident.