Audi updates a classic
There was much to love about the A3. Now, it’s just that little bit better
The Audi A3 has been the “conservative and consistent, if somewhat predictable, option in the premium family hatchback class” since it was first rolled out in 1999, say Matt Prior and Felix Page in Autocar. “Now, halfway through its fourth generation, it’s been treated to a mild nip and tuck” to help it better compete with its rivals. The new A3 continues to use the “ubiquitous” MQB platform of its parent company Volkswagen Group, with enhancements to accommodate a wider spread of powertrain options that includes mild hybrid and, eventually, plug-in hybrid variants. A “widereaching package of visual, technological and mechanical revisions” have made the new A3 “a tangibly different proposition from the outgoing car”, which was last updated as recently as 2021.
Unmistakably Audi
There are also several engines on offer, says Seth Walton for Car magazine. There’s a 1.5-litre petrol 35 TFSI and a two-litre diesel 35 TDI, both producing 148bhp. The TDI editions “boast a little more” torque with 266ft lbs, compared with 184ft lbs for the petrol engines. All reach 0-62mph in 8.1 seconds. Top speed for the saloons is 144mph, 141mph for the Sportback diesels and 140mph for the Sportback petrols. Fuel economy and emissions also vary depending on the model. The diesel Sportback is the most economical at 58.9mpg and the petrol Sportback the most environmentally friendly, producing 119g/km of CO2.
Inside, “Audi’s hallmark build quality is all present and correct. The interior feels sound, well-built and worthy of a potential premium compact class-topper”. Audi has taken a “gently does it” approach as far as changes go, says Matt Robinson in The Sunday Times Driving. After all, the A3 already had one of the best cabins in class. The driving position is multiway adjustable and there is ample, if not a
“notably generous”, amount of space in the back.
Likewise, driving is “classic Audi” – safe and reliable. The steering is “light and accurate… You steer, it goes, and no one thinks any more about it”. The A3 takes corners with “a reasonable amount of aplomb, with little in the way of body roll or understeer” and it is “a very pleasant thing to amble about in”. Taken together, this updated A3 remains near the top of the premium-levelhatchback pile. Audi was never going to make “sweeping, wholesale” changes to a car that was already so desirable. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
From £32,630, Audi.co.uk
“Audi’s hallmark build quality is all present and correct”