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Audi Q3 F3 exhaust system: the complete guide

10 min read

Audi Q3 F3 exhaust system: the complete guide

The Q3 F3 is the everyday compact SUV, practical and discreet, very discreet. Our exhaust gives it a more assertive, rewarding tone that changes how it feels behind the wheel, while keeping family-friendly discretion just a press of the remote away. Here you will find everything that matters before configuring the exhaust for your Audi Q3 F3: catalytic converter, material, valves, tips and French MOT.

Written by ROG Motorsport · Updated

ROG valved exhaust system for Audi Q3 F3

Your ROG exhaust for Audi Q3 F3

From €2,405 in stainless steel, €3,005 in titanium

Configure my exhaust
Vehicles
Audi Q3 F3 (2018+)
Engine
150 hp · 250 Nm
Exhaust
Valved cat-back, built for your VIN
Material
304 stainless steel or titanium
Front section
Optional: catted downpipe with 200 or 100 cells, or decat
Valves
ROG remote, or factory control if your vehicle has it
Lead time
20 working days from order confirmation to delivery
Warranty
3 years, parts and workmanship

Closely related versions have their own guide: Audi RSQ3 F3.

The TFSI 4-cylinder: more character than you might think

The 4-cylinder turbo in your Q3 F3 is a modern, robust engine, tuned by Audi for efficiency and quietness, not emotion. The result: an anonymous factory sound. What few drivers know is that a TFSI responds very well to a well-engineered exhaust: by removing the unnecessary silencers and optimising the routing, you get a full, sporty and rewarding tone, with crisp crackles on the overrun.

The ROG exhaust delivers exactly that, and the controllable valves do the rest: character when you want it, total discretion when you need it.

What makes up the exhaust on your Audi Q3 F3

An exhaust system is best understood in two parts. Here is what each one does, and what ROG replaces.

How the exhaust system is laid out From left to right: the engine, the front section, then the ROG cat-back with its valved silencer and tips.Front sectionROG cat-back: the complete exhaustEngine
Valves closed: the silencer does its work and the sound stays discreet.Valves open: the direct path opens up and the engine finds its full voice.Schematic only; the actual routing depends on the vehicle.

The cat-back is the complete exhaust system

It is everything you can see under your Audi Q3 F3, from the outlet of the front section to the tips: pipes, silencer, valves. This is the part where most of our research and development goes: it is what shapes the sound, and it is enough on its own to transform the car.

The front section, where the catalytic converter sits

On your Audi Q3 F3, it is the downpipe, the pipe leading from the engine. It contains the factory catalytic converter: the second restriction in the exhaust, after the silencer. Replacing it is optional: it frees up the flow, and it is the ECU remap that turns that into horsepower.

Your Audi Q3 F3 in figures

An exhaust system is judged first by ear and on the scales. The extra horsepower comes from an ECU remap.

Power

Factory150 hp
Stage 2220 hp

Torque

Factory250 Nm
Stage 2340 Nm

Published factory and Stage 2 figures.

The ROG exhaust works with or without an ECU remap. To get the full potential out of your Audi Q3 F3, we advise taking it to an approved tuning centre afterwards.

To be completely transparent: on a turbocharged 4-cylinder, the exhaust alone mainly improves breathing and sound. The significant power gains come with Stage 2, the exhaust plus an ECU remap at an approved tuning centre, and the TFSI handles them with ease. It is the combination we recommend to anyone who also wants to transform performance.

Configuring your exhaust, step by step

4 choices, in the same order as the product page configurator.

  1. Step 1 of 4: Material: stainless steel or titanium

    For your Audi Q3 F3, the exhaust costs €2,405 in stainless steel and €3,005 in titanium.

    304 stainless steel

    2 405 €

    Weight
    Baseline
    Sound
    Full and rounded

    The safe bet: strong, corrosion-proof, with a full, rounded sound. The best value for money.

    Titanium

    3 005 €

    Weight
    Around 40% lighter
    Sound
    Metallic, crystal-clear

    It makes the exhaust around 40% lighter for the same design. Its note is more metallic and clearer higher up the rev range, and its finish ranges from brushed to blued.

    No worries on durability: 304 stainless steel shrugs off winter road salt and titanium does not rust. Stainless steel or titanium: what really changes.

  2. Step 2 of 4: Front section: downpipe and catalytic converter

    Optional: the downpipe on your Audi Q3 F3, with its catalytic converter. Each option is placed on our sound scale of 0 to 10, valves open, with the factory exhaust at 3.

    Cat-back only

    Included

    7/10

    Factory emissions control

    The factory front section stays in place. It is already a complete transformation, and the choice of many of our customers.

    200-cell sports catalytic converter

    +760 €

    8/10

    Road use and French MOT

    More flow, emissions control retained: the right option for road use.

    100-cell sports catalytic converter

    +760 €

    9/10

    French MOT pass not guaranteed

    More open than the 200-cell: the sound hardens at high revs and emissions control is reduced.

    Decat

    +565 €

    10/10

    Track use only

    Flow with no filter at all: the rawest sound and the sharpest response.

    Sound intensity, on a scale of 0 to 10

    1. 10/10Decat downpipe + ROG cat-back
    2. 9/10100-cell sports catalytic converter + ROG cat-back
    3. 8/10200-cell sports catalytic converter + ROG cat-back
    4. 7/10ROG cat-back only, factory catalytic converter retained
    5. 3/10Factory exhaust, for comparison

    Valves open. With the valves closed, every configuration becomes discreet again.

    What about the engine warning light? With a sports catalytic converter it can come on, because the rear oxygen sensor reads less cleaning. Nothing mechanical is wrong: an ECU remap or a session with a diagnostic tool sorts it out. Without a catalytic converter, you will need an ECU remap. If it happens to you, call us and we will point you in the right direction. Passing the French MOT with a sports exhaust.

  3. Step 3 of 4: Valves: ROG remote or factory control

    Two ways to control the valves on your Audi Q3 F3.

    ROG remote

    ROG remote for opening and closing the valves

    A discreet control unit in the boot and a two-button remote: you open and close whenever you like, independently of the drive modes. For fitting, we support you by phone or by email.

    Factory control

    • Only for vehicles fitted with factory valves
    • Controlled by the drive modes

    For vehicles fitted with factory valves: the exhaust connects to their control and the drive modes stay in charge, with no extra control unit.

    At 130 km/h, many sports exhausts drone. Here, with the valves closed, the exhaust flows through the silencer and stays composed when cruising; open, it makes itself heard when you choose. More about exhaust drone.

  4. Step 4 of 4: Tips: the visual signature

    Match the tips to the style of your Audi Q3 F3, understated or bold. A particular finish in mind? Send us a photo and we will look at it together.

    • Stainless steel
    • Black
    • Carbon
    • Blued titanium
    Exhaust tips for Audi Q3 F3

The ROG sound signature on the 4-cylinder

Our optimised routing gives the TFSI a full, sporty tone, far richer than the thin factory sound, with crisp crackles on the overrun with the valves open. The goal is not volume at any cost but a rewarding, controlled sound that becomes completely discreet again with the valves closed.

Valves open and valves closed: the gas path through the ROG silencer
Valves open, valves closed: the path the gases take through the silencer.

From order to fitting

  1. Configuration

    You configure the exhaust and enter the VIN from box E of your registration certificate.

  2. Check

    Your VIN is checked before any manufacturing begins.

  3. Manufacturing

    The exhaust is produced to order, for your vehicle.

  4. Delivery

    Free in Europe, insured parcel, tracking number from dispatch.

  5. Fitting

    Around two hours in the workshop, with no welding or cutting.

20 working days from order confirmation to delivery

Warranty
3 years, parts and workmanship, from the date of delivery
Payment
In instalments with Klarna
Installation
At the garage of your choice

Is your Audi Q3 F3 still under the manufacturer's warranty? In Europe, the manufacturer cannot refuse cover simply because a part from another brand has been fitted: it is up to the manufacturer to prove that the fault comes from that part. Our article on the manufacturer's warranty.

Our recommendations for your Audi Q3 F3

  • Daily driving

    2 405 €

    • Stainless
    • Cat-back only
    • ROG remote

    Your Audi Q3 F3 stays easy to live with, the factory emissions control is retained, and you open the valves whenever you decide.

    View this configuration
  • Fast road

    3 760 €

    • Titanium
    • 200-cell downpipe
    • ECU remap

    The best of both worlds: character and breathing, with emissions control retained.

    View this configuration
  • Track

    3 575 €

    • Titanium
    • Decat downpipe
    • Stage 2

    The most extreme configuration, for track use only.

    View this configuration

Every Audi Q3 F3 has its own story and its own use: if none of these profiles sounds like you, let's talk.

Audi Q3 F3: your questions

How much power does an exhaust add on the Audi Q3 F3?

As standard, the Audi Q3 F3 produces 150 hp and 250 Nm. The exhaust alone acts first on sound, breathing and weight; the extra horsepower comes from an ECU remap. With a Stage 2 build, the published figures reach 220 hp and 340 Nm.

Stainless steel or titanium: which material for the Audi Q3 F3?

For the Audi Q3 F3, the ROG exhaust costs €2,405 in stainless steel and €3,005 in titanium. Stainless steel is the safe bet, with a full sound; titanium makes the exhaust around 40% lighter and gives a more metallic note higher up the rev range.

Do you need to replace the catalytic converter on the Audi Q3 F3?

It is not compulsory. The cat-back alone is enough to change the character of the Audi Q3 F3. Replacing the downpipe is how you go further, together with an ECU remap: 200 cells for the road, 100 cells or decat for more radical use.

Can the Audi Q3 F3 pass the French MOT with a ROG exhaust?

The cat-back only and the 200-cell converter both retain emissions control: present the Audi Q3 F3 with the valves closed. With the 100-cell converter, a pass is no longer guaranteed; the decat fails the emissions test.

How is the ROG exhaust fitted on the Audi Q3 F3?

With clamps and gaskets, no welding or cutting: around two hours in the workshop for a well-equipped mechanic. The exhaust is built to the VIN of your Audi Q3 F3.

What price and lead time for a ROG exhaust on the Audi Q3 F3?

From €2,405 to €3,760 depending on the configuration. Allow 20 working days from order confirmation to delivery. Delivery is free and the exhaust comes with a 3-year warranty.

Unsure about your configuration? Give us a call.

Stainless steel or titanium, cat-back only or the complete system: the right choice depends on how you drive and on your Audi Q3 F3. We take the time to talk it through before you order, with a reply within 24 hours. We are not here to sell to you over the phone: we help you choose, even if that means a cheaper option because it suits the way you drive.

ROG is a French brand, and the way we work comes down to one idea: an exhaust system should be sold with advice, not just a product page. More than 500 exhaust systems fitted and a rating of 4.9 out of 5.

Further reading