The little big Audi A3 sedan

My second experience with the A3 sedan was at the local launch at the end of last year where I grew ever fonder of this little Audi. Some may argue, or should I say, some have argued the fact that the A3 and A4 look too much alike. It is obvious to see the similarities but I guess that’s because they are both Audis and thus share the same family features.

However, with Mercedes-Benz’s CLA and Opel’s Astra Sedan already competing for top spot in this segment the little Audi does have its work cut for it. For starters it does look pretty good…

From the front the headlight units are slightly narrower and are available with a combination of xenon and LED daytime running lights. The lights are split by Audis signature hexagonal radiator grille. At the rear -which happens to be very attractive- the A3 sedan has been given a new set of tail lights and with the added S-Line sports body kit one receives amongst many other things, shiny chrome tail pipes. I’m a particular fan of the S-line kit which gives the A3 sportier bumpers and sportier rims as well.

A key design element that caught my attention over and over again has to be the side profile view of the A3 sedan. Apart from the sharp lines I find that its bulging wheel arches add a rather masculine and somewhat aggressive character, which I and many other onlookers in traffic and at the shops rather liked.

Inside however the sedan and hatchback are identical, and that’s ok because the layout is neat, modern and very sporty. Once inside the new A3 you will find a very thin LCD display rise up out of the dashboard, the screen can also be withdrawn back down again without affecting any of the radio or Bluetooth functionalities, which is great because many manufacturers tend to have fixed units which have the tendency to obstruct your view. The LCD also serves as the main hub for Audis revised MMI system which, in my opinion, is one of the easiest systems to operate. I don’t particularly like loads of buttons littering the dashboard. It crates confusion and you spend more time fidgeting than driving. Thankfully though all the necessities are controlled via the MMI controller which can be found below the gear lever on the centre console.

The A3 sedan fits in perfectly between the A3 hatch and A4 models with regards to its dimensions, weight and interior space. The A3 sedan offers 425 litres of boot space which can be increased to 880 litres by folding down the rear seats. Folding rear seats are available as standard across the range.

Ride quality in the new A3 is exceptional. Audi have managed a near perfect balance between ride comfort and sporty handling.  One of the main reasons for this is the fact Audi have swapped steel for aluminium construction at the front end. Another noticeable element is that the A3 sedan feels bigger than what it actually is. It feels like a sedan, like a big family sedan

I drove the sporty 1.8TFSI with 132kW and 250Nm first and it was fitted with Audis brilliant S-Tronic automatic gearbox. Not being a fan of manual boxes and considering the enhancements of double clutch technology found in Audis S-Tronic automatic box I would definitely tick this on the options sheet. Another option worth ticking is the S-Line package. Yes, it is rather on the expensive side however it really transforms the look and feel of the A3 sedan. Audi claim that their new engine line-up is 12% more efficient on average versus the previous model A3s and I would have to agree. I was impressed by the A3s fuel sipping consumption, even more so by its very clever coasting function. If I had to find fault I would have to say that the steering does feel somewhat vague in comfort mode but once you select dynamic mode via the drive select option it does get slightly heavier.

I’ll be honest here and say that at first I didn’t see the point of the A3 sedan, I thought it was silly and would take sales away from the A4, however, after spending time with it I can see Audis point. The car just makes sense and is perfect for young people with long term plans. The sedan derivative will be available in SE spec as standard across the range which means that the standard features list is rather long.

So, is this just an A3 with a boot? No, it’s not. The sedan opens up a whole new segment for Audi customers. The A3 sedan is priced rather competitively as well, however with added options like on my test vehicle that competitive price can become rather laughable. The 1.8TFSI S-Tronic that I tested retails for around R3 its price as tested thanks to some optional extras was touching R450 000. That said though, if you are cautious with the options list the A3 sedan remains a very attractive proposition when considering a sporty, stylish and premium compact sedan.