New A3 raises the bar

The new Audi A3 and S3 range redefines the word ‘class’ in the compact luxury class – again.

Building on the tremendous success of the class it effectively created, Audi has launched a new and improved A3 and S3 range of vehicles in Australia – once again setting a new standard for the compact, luxury class.

15 November, 2016

In the beginning

Once upon a time, the compact luxury segment didn’t exist. Buyers looking for a premium, compact vehicle were forced to live with compromise or look to the larger vehicle ranks to satisfy their motoring needs.

But then, in 1996, along came Audi with the original A3 and the game was changed forever. Suddenly, luxury appointment, state-of-the-art safety equipment and a premium driving experience was available in a compact form and a whole new automotive segment was born.

Originally, the A3 was available as a three or a five-door model, and then just to really flummox the opposition, Audi introduced an S version, and brought high-performance to the segment as well.

For the second generation, the three-door remained but the design of the five-door was completely revised and the Audi A3 Sportback was born. The addition of a Cabriolet version further broadened the reach and appeal of the range, and then with the third generation, a stunning Sedan joined the mix along with a range-topping RS model.

Along the way Audi has also expanded on the award-winning A3 range with e-tron and g-tron* variants, giving the segment extraordinary appeal to a whole range of buyers. The brand has also continually raised the bar with each successive new model and model improvement, introducing greater performance, efficiency and the very latest in technology to maintain the company’s leadership in the category it quite literally created.

The result is a boon for customers looking for all of the premium inclusions and technology of larger models in a smaller, more compact form.

*Audi g-tron not available in Australia at time of writing.

Ever upward

The latest incarnation of the A3 range once again sets the standard, building on the enormous success of the last A3 release, which claimed the title of World Car of the Year in 2014.

This latest product improvement introduces a raft of the very latest technology and an extraordinary list of standard equipment from the entry level model right throughout the range. Not only has equipment been improved, but so too has performance and efficiency.

A new 1.0 TFSI and 2.0 TFSI engine has been added to the range which includes both Sedan and Sportback variants, a Cabriolet as well as S3 Sedan, Sportback and Cabriolet. Both 6-speed manual and 7-speed S tronic transmissions are on offer, with quattro permanent all-wheel drive available in selected models and of course in the S models.

In Australia, the Sportback model will count for just on half of all sales, while the Sedan, so successfully launched in 2012, makes up 41 percent of the volume. The remaining nine percent are accounted for by the sun lovers, who prefer the added lifestyle dimension of open top motoring.

Powerful and efficient

Across the board, the styling of the A3 and S3 range has been refreshed, with sharper lines, a wider Singleframe grille, dynamic turn indicators and three-dimensional rear tail light design. The effect is dramatic, giving the new A3s a whole new presence on the road.

New colours have been added to the range (four in all) and the list of options, from wheels (16-inches up to 19-inches) as well as infotainment, is impressive. Inside too, a new MMI operating system has been introduced, along with new multi-function steering wheel in a beautifully appointed, driver focused cabin.

Performance across the range has been improved, with two new engines introduced as well as a third which has been further refined over the previous model.

New to the mix is the aforementioned three-cylinder, 1.0 TFSI S-tronic boasting 85kW of power and 200Nm of torque, which translates to a 0 to 100km/h time of sub 10 seconds. Delivering 4.8 litres per 100km, this new entry level model provides maximum efficiency in a car that lacks nothing in terms of drivability and appointment.

Once upon a time, the very idea of a three-cylinder, one-litre would have been unthinkable, but such is the engineering in this case, the smaller displacement engine delivers the goods in any real driving situation and does so with extraordinary frugality.

Also available is the 1.4 TFSI COD (cylinder on demand), which ups the performance ante to 110kW of power and 250Nm of torque for those wanting more urge in their motoring. Mated to a seven-speed S tronic transmission the 1.4-litre variant takes just 8.5 seconds to 100km/h yet still manages to deliver 5-litres per 100km.

Performance edge

Moving further into performance territory, the new 2.0 TFSI S tronic produces 140kW and 320Nm of torque, and working in concert with the seven-speed S tronic transmission produces a 6.8 second 0 to 100km/h time and 5.9-litres per 100km/h.

Delivering seamless power, this powerplant, particularly in the Cabriolet with the top down, provides an exhilarating driving experience.

Top of the engine solutions in the A3 ranks is the powerful 2.0 TFSI quattro combination, which likewise produces 140kW and 320Nm, but with the addition of quattro reduces the sprint to 100km/h to just 6.2 seconds. Available in Sedan and Sportback configurations, this engine and quattro combination, working in concert with the seven-speed S tronic transmission is a true driver’s car, a beautifully balanced vehicle that delivers sporty performance and driving experience in a car that boasts luxurious accommodation for four adults as well as practical storage for luggage or equipment.

Across the board, the A3 models are not only the lightest but boast the most efficient powerplants in their class. Their standard equipment is likewise class leading with pricing that is no less impressive. The range starts at $35,900 for the 1.0 TFSI through to $62,900 for the S3 Sportback models. The A3 Sedan starts at $41,500 for the 1.4 TFSI COD through to the S3 Sedan at $64, 500 and the Cabriolet at $45,000 (1.4 TFSI COD) to S3 Cabriolet 2.0 TFSI quattro at $72,000.

Impressive equipment

Building on the already comprehensive equipment on offer, the new improved A3 range adds xenon headlights (LED headlights for the 2.0 TFSI quattro) with LED daytime running lights as well as MMI Navigation with seven-inch display. The driver is kept abreast of the vehicle’s systems and infotainment via a colour information screen, while the new sports steering brings a range of functions to the driver’s fingertips, without them having to leave the wheel.

Driver assistance systems, including Pre-sense city with AEB all adding another level of safety to the A3 range while Audi side assist has been added to the 2.0 TFSI model and above.

The Audi S line adds sports suspension to the mix as well as 18-inch alloy wheels and the distinctive S line exterior package.

S for sport

Topping the range of new additions, the S3 Sedan, Sportback and Cabriolet models raise that performance bar still further, with a massive 213kW of power on offer between 5300-6200rpm and 380Nm of torque on tap from as low as 1800rpm right through to 5200rpm for extraordinary performance and acceleration.

The race from standstill to 100km/h takes just 5.4 seconds (six-speed manual) or 4.8 seconds (seven-speed S tronic) on the way to an electronically governed top speed of 250km/h. Yet despite this level of performance, the S3 still manages to deliver 7.1-litres per 100km in the six-speed manual model or 6.5-litres per 100km when mated to the seven-speed S tronic.

Matching its extraordinary performance is a comprehensive package that includes an impressive array of standard equipment and a beautifully finished cockpit. The Audi virtual cockpit is standard equipment, as are LED headlights with LED daytime running lights, Audi side assist with rear cross traffic assist and Audi pre-sense city with AEB. Audi smartphone interface is likewise standard equipment as is the digital radio preparation.

It’s an impressive combination that is both exciting to drive on twisting country roads, yet its wilder side is impressively absent when traffic conditions call for a more sedate pace.

Traditionalists will opt for the six-speed manual transmission (Sedan and Sportback only), but the seven-speed S tronic with wheel-mounted paddle shifts is seamless through the esses yet a welcome addition when stop and go city traffic conspires to test even the most patient.

A new standard

Across the board, the driving experience in the A3 range is seriously impressive. Certainly for those looking to really stir the blood, the S3 is pretty much impossible to go past (unless you jump into the RS 3 Sportback or hold out for the newly unveiled RS 3 Sedan – but that’s another story). Sharp styling, superb interior and a level of appointment that once upon a time would have been confined to the large luxury segment – the S3 Sedan, Sportback and Cabriolet are performance specials that can be driven and enjoyed on a daily basis.

But the performance and appointment throughout the range is impressive and even those looking for the most efficient model need not forgo driving pleasure or the luxury appointment that has always set the Audi A3 range apart from the opposition. After 20 years, the Audi A3 – in all of its guises – continues to set the standard and offer big performance and big car comfort and appointment in the compact class.

New A3 raises the bar

The new Audi A3 and S3 range redefines the word ‘class’ in the compact luxury class – again.

In the beginning

Ever upward

Powerful and efficient

Performance edge

Impressive equipment

S for sport

A new standard

New benchmark

The S factor

First glimpse of S3 prototype

The compact performer