Audi A3 Sportback 2013 Review - International

OVERVIEW

A proven sales performer, the five-door premium compact hatch will represent the best opportunity for the brand to grow volume significantly next year following on from what is shaping up as a zero growth 2012, the first time since 2005 it hasn’t enjoyed a double digit percentage sales increase.

At first glance the new A3 Sportback is an evolutionary effort, but under Audi’s ‘Russian doll’ exterior styling is a massive amount of new technology, be it mechanical, safety or connectivity-related.

However, we do know there will be 1.4 and 1.8-litre TFSI turbo-petrol four-cylinder engines at launch, along with a 2.0-litre TDI turbo-diesel. The final choice on which 1.4 we see is yet to be made (see MECHANICAL for more on that). A second version of the 2.0 TDI is also under consideration, as is a smaller 1.6 TDI.

All A3 Sportbacks will be offered with six or seven-speed S tronic dual cutch transmissions, but not all will necessarily get manual gearboxes.

They will all be front-wheel drive, with quattro all-wheel drive likely restricted to the S3 Sportback hot hatch that launches in quarter three.
And if you are keen on the new three-door A3, then you’ll have to import one yourself, because Audi Australia doesn’t see realistic sales potential.

A sedan, yet to be revealed in production form, and a plug-in hybrid e-tron due in 2014, are also under consideration.

As per the current Sportback generation, equipment levels will be based on the powertrain level and much of the staple stuff will carry over. So expect 16 and 17-inch alloy wheels, leather trim, climate control, cruise control, a decent sound system and Bluetooth connectivity. The spare tyre will be a space saver and there will be options galore, many of them bundled together, including an S Line package.

There are some new high-end technologies destined for the A3, including a whole swag of driver assistance systems (see SAFETY). But how many of them make it to Australia and what is optional and standard is yet to be made revealed.

We do know the flagship Audi Connect internet service will definitely come to Australia in some form and will definitely be optional.

When briefing the media at the drive event, Audi spent more time on Audi Connect than the rest of the car combined. It’s the latest greatest version of a system that debuted in the Audi A8 and provides all sorts of navigational, information and social media services tailored for the car.

In Europe you can Google, Twitter and Facebook and connect up to eight mobile devices in the car.

In Australia, many functions are likely to be stripped away because of technical and legal limitations. So most likely Audi Connect will be a sophisticated sat-nav and WLAN device.

Right now Audi is giving no hints on pricing structure except to say the A3 will be “competitive”, but considering the current range kicks off at $40,500 and the 1 Series and new A-class (that goes on-sale next March) are pitched just above mid-$30,000, clearly there is some downward adjusting required.

This is one reason why the final spec of the 1.4-litre entry-level engine is yet to be finalised. Audi Australia would like the higher-powered 103kW unit with fuel-saving ‘cylinder on demand’ technology, but may not be able to get the pricing right.

MECHANICAL

Indeed, the A3 is the first Volkswagen Group car to migrate onto the all-singing all-dancing transverse engine front and all-wheel drive MQB platform. The new Golf Mk VII has also just rolled out on it in Europe and arrives in Australia shortly after the A3. Skoda and Seat will also use MQB extensively.

MQB is lighter and stronger than the predecessor ‘PQ35’ platform, utilising more ultra-high strength steel and aluminium componentry. The benefit of that is obvious in Audi’s claim up to 90kg has been shed from the weight of individual models.

That has a significant impact on fuel economy, as do such initiative as electro-mechanical steering, idle stop-start and a range of more efficient -- and powerful -- new or substantially developed engines.

The biggest seller in the range is expected to be the 1.8-litre TFSI, which now combines indirect and direct fuel injection to aid fuel consumption and emissions. Power is boosted from 118kW to 132kW while torque stays at 250Nm. Fuel consumption drops from 6.7L/100km to 5.6L/100km.

The 2.0-litre TDI’s power level climbs from 103kW to 110kW, while torque remains at 320Nm. Fuel consumption drops from 5.3L/100km to 4.2L/100km. The other 2.0 TDI under consideration puts out 135kW and 380Nm and averages 4.4L/100km.

If Audi Australia manages to get hold of the all-new ‘COD’ 1.4 TFSI at the price it wants then it will be able to offer an engine that produces 103kW and 250Nm, while averaging just 4.7L/00km. The alternative non-COD 1.4 produces 90KW and 200Nm and averages 5.0L/100km.

But the fuel efficiency King would be the 1.6-litre TDI, which produces 77kW and 250Nm, while averaging a hybrid-rivalling 3.8L/100km and issuing only 99g CO2/km.

The performance leader in the range is the 1.8 TFSI, which scoots from 0-100km/h in 7.3 secs.

Underpinning the powertrains is a conventional combination of Macpherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear-end. The entry-level models use a torsion beam rear-end, but that would only apply to the 1.6 -- if it makes it to Australia.

Audi has been able to do more than just some shock, spring and steering software tuning work to separate the A3 from the Golf. An aluminium front subframe and pivot bearing (steering knuckle in our vernacular) lighten weight and increase strength of the front-end. That’s important considering front-wheel drive produces a weight bias over the front axle.

Audi will offer a 15mm lowered sports suspension in Australia, as well as 18-inch optional tyres. Electromagnetic dampers should continue on as an option.

Audi’s Drive Select system allows adjustment of the power steering, accelerator and S tronic through Comfort, Auto, Dynamic, Individual and Efficiency settings. It also adjusts the electromagnetic dampers if fitted. It should be optional in Australia.

PACKAGING

Most of the key measurements vary by only a few millimetres compared to its predecessor. The big change is in the wheelbase which stretches 58mm. However Audi says only small gains have been made in terms of rear knee room and head room.

There have also been some increases in the luggage compartment, which climbs 10 litres in capacity to 380 litres. Fold the rear seat down (60:40 split) and there is an appreciable increase from the old car’s 1100 litres to 1220 litres.

The cargo floor can be inserted on two levels and the supports on which it rests are marked by small LED lights. There are also bag hooks and lashing eyes to secure cargo.

The most obvious packaging change is the A3’s dashboard, which is minimalist compared to the typical Audi’s predilection for a profusion of buttons. The swap from traditional park brake to an electronic switch aids the clean and simple presentation.

More controls are routed through the latest iteration of Audi’s MMI contoroller, which in its top-spec has hand writing recognition and mates to a seven-inch monitor that emerges from the dashboard.

However, we can’t say what the dashboard looks like in lower-spec non-MMI form. Hopefully it retains that clean design.

There are hints of other Audis in the four round jet-design air vents (A1) and the TT-like knee rests on either side of the centre console.

SAFETY

The A3 will come with all the expected fundamental safety features, including seven airbags, stability and traction control and anti-lock brake with the assistance of electronic brakeforce distribution and brake assist.

It leaps into the 21st century with a family of driver assist systems that will almost all come to Australia in one form or another. They include active cruise control, stop and go brake assist (S tronic only), side assist, active lane assist (with steering input), park assist with 360-degree view and a pre-sense collision alert system that will brake S tronic-equipped cars to a halt below 30km/h.

There is also a traffic sign recognition system but that won’t be coming to Australia.

COMPETITORS
>> BMW and Benz of course… but Golf too
It’s not hard to figure out the obvious competition for the A3. Just like in every other range Audi sells the closes and keenest rivals are from BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

BMW’s contender is the five-door rear-wheel drive 1 Series, which kicks off its pricing at $36,900 for the base model 116i manual, and progresses through a range of turbo-petrol and diesel variants until it tops out at the $68,900 M 135i.

Benz is the big mover, announcing it will start the new A-Class from $35,600 when it launches next March. That’s as a 90kW A 180 BE with a standard automatic transmission. Pricing extends to $49,900 for the A 250.

The B-Class five-door wagon cum mini people-mover, which is based on the same new MLB platform as the A-Class, is priced between $39,500 and $44,500.

What else is out there? The Lexus CT 200h fits the bill on size but only one model in the range is priced under $50,000.

Of course, the elephant in the room is the Golf Mk VII, which is expected to set new standards in the mainstream small car class for refinement and have a starting price thousands of dollars cheaper than the A3.

ON THE ROAD
>> Undoubtedly improved, but is it enough?
Back when the A3 first launched in 1996 (1997 in Australia), the equivalent Golf was the stolid, solid and totally dull Mk IV. It was easy to tell the difference and advantage the Audi offered over its parent’s small car.

But 13 years on that advantage has been remorselessly worn away; yes the A3 has got better through each successive generation, but the Golf has improved to the extent that is now a car of premium quality at a mainstream price.

That poses a problem for all of VW’s small car rivals, but no-one more than Audi which lacks the ability to differentiate the A3 too much from the Golf
because they share so much mechanically and technically.

So why buy the more expensive car? For the premium price and badge? No doubt it’s a headache, but one Audi has plenty of experience of considering the amount of product sharing it conducts with its parent (A1 = Polo, Q3 = Tiguan and so on). And I must be said, considering its constantly growing global sales, not an issue that’s hurt it seriously.

So having pondered the A3 versus Golf issue, let’s look at what the Sportback is like to drive. From our experience on a variety of roads in and around Monaco it is a clear and distinct improvement on its predecessor.

The provisos must be added that the drive program was rushed and it was a struggle to experience cars truly appropriate when considering what the range will comprise in Australia.

For instance, our first 1.4-litre TFSI was a manual when wanted S tronic, our second was S tronic but rode on optional low profile 18-inch rubber.

Our 1.8 TFSI was a quattro, also riding on 18s as well as sports suspension. Our 2.0 TDI was a manual rather than S tronic.

However, there were still some clear lessons to be learned.
The 103kW 1.4-litre turbo-petrol is a clean, smooth and widely flexible performer that dispels any concerns we may have had about its role as the replacement for the superb Twincharger TFSI in the VW Group engine lineup.

Unless you are paying acute attention, cylinder shutdown is undetectable.
It is also mates so cleanly with its seven-speed dual clutch transmission it’s hard to pick it apart from a torque converter. There’s none of the stuttering or hesitation that marred early S tronic generations. Manual gearchanges – always a positive – seemed sharper than ever.

The revised 110kW diesel is a clatter and lag-free classic. A revver when required, or happy to pull from its boot-straps, it is an elite performer.

The 1.8 TFSI is the high-quality spear-carrier in this pack. Not a bad engine, but obviously the one with the most hesitations and steps when called on to accelerate. It was not helped by a sometimes dithering six-speed S tronic that didn’t have the fine-tuning of the seven-speed.

The A3’s overall refinement is quite outstanding. The cabin is hushed even when working engines hard. Only coarse surfaces and 18-inch rubber produced intrusive rumbles.

We’d be hard-pressed to recommend the 18s or sports suspension, as they produced a jarring ride on the only really rough roads of the test route.

The diesel, on 17s, coped with speed humps and road joins more comfortably.
Progress is less obvious when it comes to chassis dynamics. In all cars the steering was accurate yet devoid of life, with not much suggestion of what the surfaces were like under the wheels. Grip levels were reassuring and body control quite good, although it wasn’t of a class that had us salivating for more.

It was solid and utterly reliable drive in that typical Audi way
Cabin quality was also typically Audi in its high quality. The minimalist design works beautifully in the upper-spec cars we were limited to, as did the supportive seats. In the back-seat, space isn’t generous, but a 180cm adult can fit behind a 180cm driver without knees banging into the seatbacks.

So based on these preliminary and hardly definitive experiences we’d suggest the 103kW 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine allied with S tronic, rolling on 16- or 17-inch wheels and standard suspension would be the optimum A3 set-up. In other words, the entry-level car – if Audi can actually make the pricing work and bring it in.

Otherwise… you can always buy a Golf!