The Audi A3 might get success this year.
You see, if you were looking for something more upmarket than the Skoda Superb
or Volkswagen Jetta and around $48,980 – $57,145, then your options were
limited to the BMW 1 Series and the Mercedes A-Class. However, if you were
really keen on a sedan in that price bracket from one of the three German
luxury car-makers, you had absolutely nothing. Until now, that is, which means
Audi have effectively created a brand-new segment for themselves and,
therefore, by default a bit of a monopoly in that segment.
The
Audi A3 impresses in each and every department and is an unrivalled package
The car itself looks very similar to any of
the sedans sporting the four rings. In fact, if you're not careful, you might
even mistake it to be the A4. Yes, the A3 docs look larger than it really is
from the outside and especially from a distance. The first time I saw the car
(it was a display unit that Audi had put up on the lawns of the Oberoi Udai
Vilas in Udaipur where the media drive had been organised), I thought it was a
very good-looking car, except for the wheels. The 205/55 R16 tyres that the
display car was shod with did not seem to fill the wheel-wells as snugly as
they should have. The next morning, though, such thoughts were put paid to. The
cars we drove were S-Line diesels fined with 225/45 R17 tyres on nice-looking
five-spoke alloys. From the outside the car looks dynamic with typical Audi
lines, a wide and low-slung stance with a, flowing roof-line that ends in a
short boot that makes the A3 look sporty.
Interiors
are well put together with high quality materials enhancing the touch and feel
The in-cabin experience is again signature
Audi with that pop-up screen on an otherwise neat dash, the round clocks with
multi-information display between the two roundels and the very positive
feeling scroll buttons on the meaty four-spoke steering wheel. However, the
blower vents for the dual-zone climate control unit arc new. They are shaped
like jet turbines with the centre turbine knob doubling up as a switch that
allows the user to set the blower to a diffused setting or one where the
air-con blast is focused on wherever the user wants it. A smart-looking bezel
ring around the blower vent, finished in polished silver, acts as a rotary
switch to control air-flow or even shut it.
The
dual clutch 6-speed S-tronic automatic gearbox does duty on the diesel version
Space-wise there's plenty of it up front.
The front seats are very comfortable and supportive. They are also electrically
adjustable for myriad settings to help the driver and front passenger find the
most comfortable spot. The relation between the seat, pedals and steering wheel
too is very positive with switchgear and control levers falling to the hand
quite easily and naturally. Ergonomics, therefore, are top-notch. At the back,
though, while the seats are plush yet supportive, space is at a bit of a
premium. This is after all a compact sedan, luxury or not. As a result, while
four people can be accommodated quite easily and comfortably, a fifth passenger
is a squeeze. Yes, even a child, especially courtesy a high central tunnel that
virtually bisects the rear seat. No such reservations when it comes to the A3's
boot, though, which, at 425 litres, is quite capacious. The fact that it can be
extended to 880 litres with the rear bench folded down adds to versatility.
The
dual-zone AC works well to cool the cabin, vents are provided at the rear
So far as fit-and-finish, build quality and
quality of the material used go, it's all top-notch. There's nothing in the A3
to suggest that this is a cut-price Audi; quite the opposite, in fact. This
stepping stone to the Audi family feels just as premium and plush as all their
other products.
