Audi A3 Sportback 35 TDI All-new compact hatch
We test the new A3 Sportback for the first time on UK roads in 148bhp diesel guise
So, the new fourth-generation Audi A3. Stylistically, the jump from where we were to where we are now is relatively small but, for what it’s worth, I think this new A3 Sportback remains a smartlooking thing – externally, at least.
The same cannot really be said of the inside. The second-generation model’s cabin raised the bar for design appeal and build and material quality. This new version represents a radical departure from the highly regarded aesthetic of its predecessors. There’s far more emphasis on digital screens and the like, but some of the material richness of the old A3 appears to have been lost. Glossy black and metalliceffect plastic is used much more liberally in the new A3, and I’m not sure it asserts itself as the flagship Volkswagen Group family hatch as convincingly as it once did.
It drives in the idiosyncratically Audi fashion that arguably attracts as many buyers as it turns away. The steering is accurate and nicely weighted but rather aloof in its communication. Grip levels are well matched to the muscular diesel performance on offer and body roll is kept smartly in check.
With Macpherson struts up front and multiple links at the rear, the Audi does a good job of smoothing compressions and getting vertical body movements back under control. Rougher stretches of road do tease a bit of choppiness out of the rear axle, but otherwise ride quality is comfortable enough. The cabin is generally well insulated, too, although there are instances when the 2.0-litre diesel engine can sound grumbly under load.
It’s worth pointing out that this 2.0-litre engine isn’t RDE2 compliant so it gets slapped with a 4% benefitin-kind surcharge, whereas diesel versions of the Mercedes-benz A-class and BMW 1 Series do not. For those looking to run this as a fleet car, that might well count for a lot.