Audi A3 1.5 Evo
FIRST DRIVE Petrol engine gives ageing hatch a boost
THE Audi A3 is reaching its twilight years now; it probably has another 18 months to run before a new version arrives.
But in the meantime Mercedes will launch an all-new A-class – and to give the existing A3 a fighting chance against it, Audi has slotted in the VW Group’s latest petrol engine.
This 1.5-litre motor is so new that it will ultimately be offered in the next generation of A3 as well. But its figures are likely to remain the same; it produces 148bhp and 250Nm of torque, and because it switches off cylinders when you’re cruising in order to save fuel, it manages to return combined fuel economy of 55.4mpg and emit 116g/km of CO2.
These efficiency figures are for the car we’re testing here – the three-door edition. Although it’s still on Audi UK’S website, it’s being quietly dropped from the price lists. The Sportback is continuing and the numbers for the five-door version aren’t wildly different, at 54.3mpg and 118g/km.
The 1.5 engine is a smooth performer, but it rarely feels as potent as its headline power figure suggests. In a way, that’s just down to the way the shove is delivered; it’s impressively linear, with not much turbo lag to catch you out. And the six-speed manual transmission is slick enough to allow you to swap gears as required.
Once up and running, the engine fades away nicely at a motorway cruise. It’s even more in the background if you choose an S line model like our test car, in fact, because on the larger wheels, there’s a fair amount of road noise.
The car’s ride is bordering on the uncomfortable, too, and we would advise you to test an A3 in this trim level before committing to the more extreme S line set-up.
Inside, the A3 doesn’t feel like a car that’s heading towards replacement. The materials are first-rate and while the infotainment system is no longer cutting edge, it’s still easy to use, with a decent-resolution screen and both Apple Carplay and Android Auto smartphone integration included.
Access to the rear seats remains an issue in the three-door A3, of course – but then, these are problems that the Sportback doesn’t suffer from. And as stocks of the three-door dry up, it’s fast becoming your only A3 option anyway.