Audi adds the wow factor
With the new VW Golf bursting onto the scene at the end of 2019, the arrival of similarly-sized models from its sister brands was inevitable. We’ve already seen Skoda and Seat’s offerings, and now it’s time for the most premium of the lot to show its face - the Audi A3. There are no big surprises here, but no revolution is needed - this is Audi’s bestseller in the UK, after all. The last A3 was widely considered as one of the best cars in its class, though it was really starting to show its age. So can this new car amend that?
WHAT’S NEW?
On styling alone, you might think this is a facelift, rather than the all-new fourthgeneration model. But with its larger front grille and fancy
LED lights, it’s certainly helped to improve the looks. The main differences, though, lie in the cabin. Gone is the easy-to-use but old-fashioned feeling pop-up media screen, and in place is a
WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET?
At launch, buyers have a rather limited choice of engines to choose from. If you want a petrol, it has to be the 35 TFSI - a 148bhp 1.5-litre unit - and it’s mated exclusively to a six-speed manual transmission. But it’s the diesel option we’re trying - a 148bhp 2.0-litre engine paired to a seven-speed S tronic automatic gearbox, with power being sent to the front wheels. It offers a good mix of performance and efficiency, with 0-60mph taking 8.2 seconds, and maxed out, it could hit a top speed of 139mph. In terms of fuel economy, Audi says it can return nearly 60mpg, with CO2 emissions of 127g/km. The introduction of the mild-hybrid 1.5-litre petrol engine will boost the A3’s appeal to the fleet market, as will the new 114bhp 2.0-litre diesel and a plug-in hybrid later this year.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
Audi isn’t known for being particularly wild with its designs, and the A3 is a perfect example of that. Side-on, it’s much the same as the outgoing car, just with a few more angles and marginally stretched dimensions. The front represents probably the biggest difference, with the A3 featuring a larger version of Audi’s trademark singleframe front grille, as well as the option to have Matrix LEDs.
The latter means you can have a fancy ‘look at me’ lighting sequence on the A3 for the first time too. So while this might not be a revolution in design, the A3 caters to an audience that isn’t looking for concept car-like styling, and in our eyes at least this update has done everything it needed to continue to make the A3 look as classy as ever.
THE VERDICT
This A3 successfully continues where the last model left off adding additional technology to the interior, and improving the way it drives. With its classy styling and upmarket cabin, it’s a model that is likely to continue being Audi’s best-selling car on these shores. The interior of the A-Class might offer more, and the 1 Series remains more fun to drive, but as an all-round package, the A3 could have both of those two cars beaten.