Audi is looking to provide some
‘schnell’ to its sales courtesy of the new, more spacious, A3 Sportback.
After driving onto South African roads in
2005, Audi’s A3 Sportback went on to sell more than 15 000 units and land the
South African Car of the Year title back in 2006. The new A3 Sportback now
offers some extra head and legroom for rear seat passengers. Other practical
enhancements include a larger luggage compartment featuring 380 liters of space
in the basic configuration, and up to 1,220 liters of loading space with the
seats folded down.
Audi
A3 Sportback
The new A3 Sportback is not just more
practical but also a bit more eye-catching thanks to exterior design changes
including its single-frame grille with signature beveled edges and large air
intakes. Standard cabin equipment now includes Bluetooth with voice control and
audio streaming.
Powerplants
Under the bonnet resides a highly efficient
1.6 TDI engine that delivers a claimed combined-cycle fuel usage figure of just
3.9 liters per 100 km, while also being capable of rocketing the car from 0-100
km/h in under 11 seconds on its way to a top speed of 194 km/h.
Audi
A3 Sportback side
Buyers can also opt for two TFSI petrol
engines, namely a lighter new 1.4 TFSI and our pick of the two – the new 1.8
liter TFSI, which churns out 132 kW and 250 Nm of torque. With S tronic and
front-wheel drive, the 1.8TFSl sprints to 100 km/h in 7.3 seconds and has a top
speed of 232 km/h. Combined-cycle fuel consumption for this engine is 5.6 liters
per 100 km.
Audi
A3 Sportback back
To the point
The Audi A3 Sportback is a tech savvy
driver’s dream thanks to a plethora of tech, including the company’s excellent
MMI (multi-media interface) infotainment system. Buyers with deep pockets are
able to expand upon this courtesy of a laundry list of enticing options, the
likes of a Bang and Olufsen sound system and radar-based detection system that
incorporates park distance control.
Inside
Audi A3 Sportback
The pricing for the variants of the A3
Sportback that are currently locally available starts at $29,435 for the A3
1.4T FSI manual S and goes all the way up to $34,349 for the A3 1.8T FSI S
tronic SE.
