Audi A3 Saloon review

Seven of the ten best-selling cars in Britain last year were sedans, the other three were crossovers, obviously, which means that while you’ll see plenty of new A3 Sportbacks coming to light (Sportback is Audi-speak for hatchback), you won’t. I see a lot of A3 sedans. Which is a shame because it’s a beautiful thing. Better proportioned than the outgoing car thanks to longer and wider and 6 inches longer than the hatchback it shares, well, almost everything with. It looks every inch like mini A4, doesn’t it?

Let’s start inside. The old A3 had the “best dash design of any car in modern times”, at least according to my colleague Ollie Kew, and will be sorely missed as Audi has totally redesigned the interior of the A3. The screen is bigger and more tactile, the architecture more angular and the materials cheaper. BUT it’s much better than the new Golf’s interior (it’s the same car underneath, remember) because Audi has kept separate physical climate controls. be pray The sedan’s 425-liter trunk is technically larger than the sedan’s, but its shape is far less useful. At least the seats still fold.

Engines: There will be a fast S3, a faster RS3 and probably a fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid in due course, but for now you can choose between 1.0 and 1.5-litre petrol and a 2.0-litre diesel. 1.5 petrol cars get mild hybrid assist for smooth stop/start, slightly better fuel economy (Audi claims 0.4 liters saved per 62 miles traveled) thanks to engine coasting, and a small increase in fuel economy. pair. Diesels benefit from ‘double dosing’ to reduce nasty nitrogen emissions by up to 80% compared to the last generation.

The base version is called the Sport, but you can upgrade to the popular S-line, the pricey Edition 1, and from October, the fully equipped Vorsprung. Not that you need it: entry-level specs are generous, with Audi’s great MMI infotainment system, ‘Virtual Cockpit’ instrument cluster, dual-zone climate control and LED headlights. Spec for spec, the A3 Saloon is just under £600 more expensive to buy (or just a few pounds a month) than the Sportback. Prices start at £24,375 and go up to over £30,000. The great rivals are the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupé and the Mercedes A-Class Sedan or CLA.

The A3 Sedan is a beautiful thing. It handles better than the car it replaces, and while it doesn’t feel or look as expensive inside, its interior is still friendlier than the new Golf’s. Should you choose one over the Sportback? Maybe, but only if you prefer the optics of driving a three-box sedan over a hatchback. We’d go with the latter for its more practical interior, which is why the Saloon gets 7/10 to the Sportback’s 8/10. Get one in an A-Class sedan, though, and check it out before you dive into a Gran Coupe or CLA 2 Series.