Audi A3, A Serious Compact Outdated
The Audi A3 is the compact model of the German firm and of which the third generation is currently being sold, which dates from 2012 and will sooner rather than later receive a generational change. Be that as it may, he is one of the veterans of the Audi range, and one of the pioneers in the use of the MQB platform.
Initially marketed as three-door and five-door (Sportback), a Sedan and Convertible version recently joined the range . However, since the end of 2017 the 3-door variant has been scrapped from the range, already removed from the firm’s online configurator .
Exterior and interior design
How could it be otherwise, the front is dominated by the Singleframe grille along with Full LED headlights, accompanied by a bumper with large fake air intakes. The profile, for its part, could be defined as the meeting of straight lines, with great horizontality and few flourishes.
The rear, on the other hand, is a mixture of what is seen from the front and the side; It combines a certain aggressiveness due to the shape of the pilots and the false diffuser with the horizontality and solidity provided by the straight lines. The differences with respect to the Sportback and the Sedan are presented in the profile and the rear, the latter the closest thing to an Audi A4.
Regarding the S3 sports versions, apart from the mechanical section, these integrate a body kit that differs slightly from an A3 equipped with the S-Line exterior package. The differences are exclusive design wheels and a rear diffuser accompanied by four tailpipes.
Looking at the interior, we find a very clean design in which the presence of buttons is almost testimonial, and it is that these are reduced to air conditioning and little else.
The large central screen stands out, through which you can navigate through a touch pad located in the center console, while the control panel can be completely digital since the last update thanks to the Virtual Cockpit. Of course, you have to go through the box previously.
Mechanical
Mechanically, the Audi A3 has a parallel range when it comes to available fuels. This means that both the TFSI and the TDI offer the same power: 116, 150 and 190 hp, although in the last step the TDI loses 6 hp –184 hp– due to issues related to emission control.
The Audi A3 g-tron has a modified mechanics that supports alternative fuels such as methane, while the e-tron is a traditional hybrid: combustion engine + electric motor.
Closing the range at the top we find the S3 in all its variants, which exceed the barrier of 300 hp, which leaves a wide margin to reach the Audi RS3 model that we treat separately for its positioning.
In the S3, the traction is the well-known Quattro and the gear change an automatic 7-speed S-tronic, elements that in the rest of the range are an option with which to replace the front-wheel drive and the 6-speed manual transmission.
Prices
Regarding the pricing policy of the Audi A3, there is no doubt that it is a premium C-segment vehicle . Rates start from € 26,900, a figure that in the case of opting for the sedan body includes a surcharge of between 700 and 800 compared to the Sportback.
Meanwhile, the Cabrio version is placed a step higher than these, several thousand euros more expensive for the same equipment and engine. At least you have the consolation that this body is not offered by any of its rivals, the BMW 1 Series and the Mercedes A-Class.
