All-new sedan to double A3 sales

Audi Australia expects its first ever A3 sedan – the most important model it will launch in 2014 -- to double sales of its new A3 line-up, despite the fact it commands a $2300 price premium over the Sportback in a hatchback-dominated small-car market.

“Our first A3 sedan highlights what Audi can do and brings the benefits of larger models to a compact sedan,” said Audi Australia Managing Director Andrew Doyle at this week’s A3 sedan launch.

“Small in size and big on features, it comes at a time when luxury car buyers are heading towards smaller cars for city driving.

“The A3 sedan sets a benchmark for premium compact luxury and we believe it will match the sales of the A3 Sportback.”

Audi sold 2138 examples of the A3 in Australia last year (93 per cent more than in 2012), with the third-generation hatchback finding almost 1800 customers here since May.

Mercedes-Benz led the small luxury car segment with its B-Class (3248) and new A-Class (3218), followed by BMW’s 1 Series (2311).

That means Audi Oz expects to sell in excess of 4000 A3s this year, without cannibalising sales of the five-door.

Audi says the A3 sedan will appeal to different buyers than the hatch, with which it shares no body panels but the same four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines with class-leading efficiency and the same outstanding five-star ANCAP safety rating.

It believes the A3 sedan, which like the A3 hatch is based on the same modular MQB platform as the Volkswagen Golf, will attract young (mostly male) professionals and families, including connected, urban, tech-savvy early-adopters.

Priced from $39,800 plus on-road costs, the A3 sedan line-up comprises the same four direct-injection turbocharged engines and two trim levels as the A3 Sportback, which opens at $35,600 -- or $37,900 with cylinder-on-demand technology, which is standard in the base sedan.

Opening the range is the A3 1.4 TFSI COD Attraction S tronic, which is powered by a 103kW/250Nm 1.4-litre turbo-four that consumes just 4.7L/100km, has a 1250kg kerb weight and is expected to account for 45 per cent of sales.

The three Ambition-spec models are led by the 132kW/250Nm 1.8 TFSI petrol S tronic (5.6L/100km) and the 110kW/320Nm 2.0 TDI diesel S tronic (just 4.1L/100km), both priced at $44,800 and both expected to find about 20 per cent of customers.

The all-wheel drive 132kW/280Nm 1.8 TFSI quattro S tronic tops the A3 sedan range at $47,800 and is forecast account for 10 per cent of sales.

All A3 sedans are fitted with a dual-clutch automatic S tronic transmission – seven-speed for the 1.4 and 1.8 TFSI, and six-speed for the 1.8 TFSI quattro and 2.0 TDI.

Key differences between the sedan and hatch, both of which are built in Hungary, include an overall length of 4456mm (up 140mm) and wheelbase of 2637mm (up 1mm), and the four-door body is also 11mm wider, rides on 20mm-wider wheel tracks and offers 18mm more rear head room.

The sedan’s all-new bodyshell incorporates an aluminium bonnet and front quarter panels, a full-length “tornado line” shoulder crease that links the slim headlights to the two-piece tail-lights, and an inbuilt bootlid lip spoiler.

Underneath it is a 425-litre boot (up 45 litres on the hatch) that expands via a 60/40-split rear seat to offer 880 litres of total cargo capacity, and Dynamic Suspension comprising MacPherson front struts with aluminium lower wishbones and a four-link rear axle.

All A3 sedans come standard with Audi Music Interface with Bluetooth audio streaming and eight speakers, the MMI infotainment system comprising 5.8-inch power-retractable colour screen, leather-appointed seats and a leather-clad multi-function steering wheel with paddle shifters.

Also standard across the range are automatic headlights and wipers, climate-control air-conditioning with digital display and rear vents, compartments under the front passenger and rear seats, LED interior lighting, rear parking sensors, cruise control, trip computer, power windows/mirrors and a 12-volt power outlet in the boot.

Range-wide safety features include seven airbags, traction/stability control, anti-skid brakes, electronic differential lock and electronic brake-force distribution.

Ambition-level models retain the 17-inch alloy wheels of Attraction models, but add front sports seats with height, depth and seat rake adjustment, a high-gloss package including aluminium window surrounds, aluminium-look interior styling including sill trims, front fog lights, colour trip computer display, Audi Drive Select and a three-spoke sports steering wheel.

Five optional equipment packages are available for each model, led by the $2000 Style package including xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, the choice of four 18-inch alloy wheels and 15mm-lower sports suspension.

The Technik package ($2990) comprises MMI navigation plus with MMI touch pad and 7.0-inch colour display monitor, Audi parking assist with rear-view camera and Audi sound system.

The Comfort package ($2200) includes heated and power-adjustable front seats with electric lumbar adjust, Convenience key, auto-dimming interior mirror and heated, power-folding wing mirrors with kerb view.

The Assistance package ($1800) offers adaptive cruise control including automatic emergency city braking, lane departure warning and high beam assist, while the top-shelf S line sports package ($4200) adds the S line exterior package, S line sports package, xenon headlights with LED DRLs and 18-inch alloys (19s for a further $1000).

Individual options include metallic paint ($1150), a panoramic sunroof ($1950), rear privacy glass ($700), LED headlights ($2950), Milano leather trim ($1450) and a 14-speaker 705-Watt Bang & Olufsen sounds system ($1750).

Audi says the entry-level A3 1.4 TFSI sedan is quicker, more efficient and more than $10,000 cheaper than its nearest competitor, the Mercedes-Benz CLA 200.

While the A3 Sportback was joined by the S3 Sportback in December, the A3 sedan range will be bolstered by the S3 sedan in April, with the A3 Cabriolet to follow in July, the S3 Cabriolet to arrive in late 2014 and the A3 etron – Audi Australia’s first electrified model – to be launched here next year.

Before then, Audi Australia will release the RS Q3 and RS 7 in February and the facelifted A8 and S8 in March, with redesigned A4, TT, Q7 and R8 models and mild hybrid versions of the A6, A8 and Q5 to follow in 2015, before the all-new Q1 arrives in 2016.

Audi Australia sold 16,009 vehicles in 2013 (up 10.1 per cent year-on-year) and hopes to achieve luxury market leadership by selling 20,000 annually by 2020, by which time it will have extended its model range from 49 to 60 models.

A3 sedan pricing (plus on-road costs):
1.4 TFSI COD Attraction (a) -- $39,800
1.8 TFSI Ambition (a) -- $44,800
2.0 TDI Ambition (a) -- $44,800
1.8 TFSI quattro Ambition (a) -- $47,800

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