Audi A3 sedan 2013 Review - International

??Not so much:
?>> Higher price tag than A3 hatch?
>> Glovebox opens onto front passenger’s legs?
>> No seven-speed auto for diesel and quattro models???

OVERVIEW?

In fact, because small cars are now the fastest growing segment within the global luxury car market, led by sedan-favouring countries like North America and China, Audi expects the new sedan to account for more than half of all sales of the A3, which already generates over 20 per cent of its revenue.

Due on sale in Australia in January, Audi’s first A3 sedan will follow the new A3 Sportback (five-door), which was launched in Europe last year and arrived in Australia last month, although the replacement for Audi’s slow-selling three-door A3 remains unavailable here to leave room for the smaller A1 hatch.

Hot 2.0-litre turbo all-wheel drive S3 versions will join both the A3 Sportback and sedan model ranges, followed by the new A3 Cabriolet next year and the A3 e-tron – Audi Australia’s first electrified model – in 2015.

As with the A3 Sportback, all A3 sedans will be powered by turbocharged direct-injection four-cylinder engines, including two petrol fours and up to two diesels, all matched with six- and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissions.

However, despite being built in Hungary, where production costs are lower, the sedan will cost more than the hatch, entry-level pricing for which was reduced by more than $5000 to $35,600 – matching Mercedes-Benz’s cheapest new A-Class.

?
PRICE AND EQUIPMENT?

Audi says that’s because the newer sedan will be positioned as a sportier, more “style driven” alternative to the hatchback, which has long been the most popular body style in Europe, although small hatches outsell small sedans in Australia by a much smaller margin.

The A3 sedan line-up will mirror that of the Sportback, with the exception of the 1.6-litre turbo-diesel variant, which remains under consideration for the four-door.

That means the A3 sedan range will comprise three engines, two transmissions and two equipment levels, opening with the sub-$40,000 1.4 TFSI Attraction and closing with the more powerful, better equipped Ambition-spec 1.8 TFSI and 2.0 TDI models – both priced around $45,000 or about $10,000 less than the equivalent A4 sedan.

On top of that the 1.8 TFSI will become available in quattro all-wheel drive guise to crown the front-drive A3 sedan line-up, although Audi Australia is yet to decide if it will introduce the standard 1.4 TFSI or the more powerful and efficient ‘cylinder on demand’ version that will join the A3 Sportback range in October – or both.

All A3 engines will come standard with a dual-clutch S tronic transmission with steering wheel paddle shifters and the option of a six-speed manual transmission for the same price.

Also standard across the range will be leather-appointed seats, rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control, auto headlights and wipers, front seat height adjustment, Bluetooth phone/audio, Audi Music Interface with CD and SD card input, and a new multi-media interface (MMI) via which a plethora of vehicle systems can be controlled by a large central rotary dial and a 5.8-inch colour monitor that pops up from the dash top.

The base A3 1.4 TFSI also comes standard with 16-inch alloy wheels, an electric parking brake, power windows/mirrors, cruise control, a multifunction leather steering wheel, four floor mats and a space-saver spare wheel (there is no provision for a full-size spare).

If it is sold here, expect the same equipment in the entry-level turbo-diesel A3 1.6 TDI Attraction, which in Sportback form costs $900 more than the 1.4 TFSI and could therefore also undercut $40,000.

As with the A3 Sportback 1.8 TFSI and 2.0 TDI Ambition models, which both cost $42,500, the more powerful and better equipped A3 sedans add 17-inch alloys, aluminium window surrounds, door sills and cabin highlights, sports front seats, a sports steering wheel, more extensive trip computer and the four-mode Audi Drive Select system, which changes the car’s throttle, steering and transmission response.

Also echoing the A3 Sportback will be a host of grouped and individual options, including metallic paint (a pricey $1050), panoramic sunroof ($1950) and a cracking 14-speaker 705-Watt Bang & Olufsen stereo ($1750).

Apart from stand-alone 18- and even 19-inch wheel options and a full LED lighting system including automatic high beam and adaptive headlights, there will be a $2000 Style pack including xenon plus headlights, LED daytime running lights, larger alloys and sports suspension on Ambition models. ??For $2990, the Technik package bundles a larger seven-inch screen, satellite-navigation, a reversing camera, DVD player, self-parking system, front parking sensors, twin SD memory card readers, voice recognition, a 20GB hard drive and a clever touch-pad system that recognises even the worst handwriting. ??Audi will also offer sumptuous S Line ($1800), enhanced-ergonomics Comfort ($2200) and sensor-based Assistance ($1800) packages, the latter comprising the full gamut of driver safety aids including lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, Audi pre sense and high beam assistant.

?MECHANICAL

All models except the 1.6 TDI, which employs a torsion beam rear axle, feature four-link independent rear suspension, as well as MacPherson struts up front with aluminium pivot bearings and speed-sensitive electro-mechanical power steering.

Base kerb weight reduces by 28kg to 1235kg and braking is via vented front discs measuring 288mm (Attraction) and 312mm (Ambition) and 272mm rear discs.

The entry-level 1.4 TFSI’s new 1395cc turbo-petrol four is 15kg lighter than before and produces 90kW at 5000rpm and 200Nm of torque between 1400-4000rpm. Claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time is 9.4 seconds and combined fuel consumption is listed at 5.0L/100km.

A ‘cylinder on demand’ (COD) version that runs on just two cylinders under light load conditions is both more powerful (103kW/250Nm – the latter between a narrower 1500-3500rpm range), quicker (0-100km/h in 8.4 seconds) and efficient (4.7L/100km).

Expected to be the top-seller is the 1.8 TFSI, which packs a 1798cc turbo-petrol four offering 132kW and 250Nm (1250-5000rpm), a 7.3-second 0-100km/h sprint time, 235km/h top speed and 5.6L/100km fuel consumption, making it the thirstiest of a frugal bunch.

It will also be the most rapid until the S3 sedan arrives, powered by a 221kW/380Nm 2.0-litre turbo-four that propels it to 100km/h in 4.9 seconds (5.3 seconds manual) and a 250km/h top speed.

The A3 2.0 TDI is powered by a 1968cc turbo-diesel that produces 110kW at 3500rpm and 320Nm at 1750-3000rpm. It can hit 100km/h in 8.7 seconds and consumes just 4.1L/100km – only marginally more than the 77kW/1.6 TDI, which consumes a Toyota Prius-like 3.9L/100km.

?PACKAGING?

The four-door bodyshell features the same aluminium bonnet and prominent shoulder line linking the headlights and tail-lights, but wears wider wheel-arches and has a slippery aerodynamic drag coefficient of 0.29Cd.

Weight distribution is 59/41 per cent front/rear and there’s a 425-litre boot, making it 45 litres smaller than the Sportback’s rear luggage space but 60 litres bigger than the three-door A3’s.

A 60/40-split folding rear seatback liberates a total of 880 litres of cargo space and Audi says the rear seat is the most commodious in this class.

Indeed, there’s oodles of head and leg room in the front and back, where the soft-touch surfaces continue and the air-vents are almost as good as the innovative two-mode aircraft-style outlets up front, but the centre rear position is heavily humped and therefore highly uncomfortable and lacks headroom.

??SAFETY

All models come standard with seven airbags – including a driver's knee airbag – and electronic stability control and anti-lock brakes. ?
A host of advanced driver aids are available at extra cost, however, as part of an Assistance package ($1800) that includes radar-based active cruise control with stop-go functionality, active lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring and low-speed automatic braking.

??COMPETITORS?
>> CLA-Class the main protagonist
While BMW is yet to produce a sedan derivative of its 1 Series, Audi will have the luxury of pricing the A3 to compete with the all-new Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, which arrives Down Under about five months earlier, around August.

While pricing for both the A-Class upon which it’s based and the A3 Sportback upon which the A3 sedan is based, starts at $35,600, Mercedes is yet to confirm CLA pricing.

Audi, however, has already positioned the A3 sedan higher than the Sportback in all major markets and confirms it will carry a similar price premium of around $3000 in Australia, so expect both new German sedans to compete fiercely with starting prices under $40K.

?ON THE ROAD?

Built exclusively in Hungary for all countries outside China, the three-box A3 is as well designed and built as any Audi we’ve driven and meets the same exquisite standards of interior detail, fit and finish as the impeccable new A3 Sportback.

In fact, it’s difficult to choose a highlight from the classy, quiet, spacious and highly ergonomic interior, the range of efficient, refined and perky four-cylinder turbo engines, the sweet ride/handling combination and an overall feeling of quality and solidity, all of which are stand-out features of all A3 sedan models.

We thought the 1.8 TFSI would be hard to beat as the pick of the litter after driving it, given its sparkling performance, satisfyingly responsive steering, superb body control and firm yet compliant ride quality – even on optional 19-inch alloys and sports suspension.

The quattro version was even more rewarding, thanks to the rear-biased AWD system that actually offers a degree of power oversteer during aggressive cornering, even if it makes do with a six-speed dual-clutch auto.

Then we drove the lusty 2.0 TDI, which revs cleanly beyond 5000rpm and delivers smooth, effortless, muscular torque everywhere and therefore suffers less from the lack of a seventh S tronic ratio, although there’s more vibration through the steering wheel at low revs.

But the clear winner is the 1.4 TFSI, which even in entry-level 90kW guise delivers strong, crisp response in all of its seven auto ratios, even if it’s a little louder than the 1.8 and the six-speed manual version is typically Audi-notchy and its gearshifter positioned too far rearward.

The variable-displacement version of the 1.4 TFSI is even more impressive, delivering more performance and efficiency without any discernible reduction in refinement when it runs on just two cylinders – but it will cost more than the base 1.4.

It’s a shame the A3 sedan won’t come with the same new cut-price starting sticker as the A3 Sportback, and you’ll still need to pay handsomely for all the available safety, styling and convenience items, but the base model is a heck of a lot of car for less than $40K.

Whether it sets a new benchmark in the premium compact sedan segment will be up to the CLA, but the three-pointed star’s first compact sedan will need to be pretty special to offer more substance and value than the accomplished A3 sedan.

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