As we mentioned in yesterday’s Hyundai Elantra First Drive, small sedans seem to be the done thing this year. Our second launch this week was also a small sedan – the new sedan version of the Audi A3.
Are small sedans the new black? Well, we drove a red on at the Audi launch, so probably not. But the A3 sedan was rather a nice little machine, especially in red.
What is it?
Rather obviously, it is an Audi A3 with a boot.
There isn’t really a hell of a lot to say after that, as it pretty much says it all.
As Audi NZ boss, Dean Sheed said at the launch, New Zealand’s multi-cultural society is seeing a constant influx of people from cultures that accept the small sedan far more readily than we traditionally do here, so the time is right for Audi to get into that segment here.
Which is sound thinking. But there is also the Great Downsizing to keep in mind – the trend of buying a smaller car that started when money became ore scarce than petrol a while back.
So that puts the A3 sedan pretty much at the right moment for a small Audi sedan to appear – now. And so it has.
The A3 sedan will initially appear locally as a single model with a choice of two engines – a $62,000 Sport S Tronic model with either a 132kW/250Nm 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine hooked up to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission or a 110kW/310Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine hooked up to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.
The A3 sedan comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, automatic halogen headlights, dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth connectivity, cruise control, a sports multi-function steering wheel with paddle shifters, sports seats and a Technology Package that features MMI navigation plus, Audi parking system Plus and a rear view camera.
An S Line package is available for $5,000 that adds an S Line exterior styling kit an S Line Sports package, a black interior headlining, brushed aluminium inlays, unique cloth/leather seat upholstery, xenon headlights, and 18-inch 5-spoke alloy wheels.
An S3 version of the sedan will also be available – although it wasn’t at the launch – and will feature the same 221kW/380Nm four-cylinder turbo petrol engine as the S3 Sportback. It will cost an equally hefty price tag of $86,000.
What’s it like?
Well, it’s very much like an A3 hatch, to be honest. Which makes it rather like a VW Golf with a boot as well, for that matter.
So that is actually a very good thing, in case you were wondering, because it means the addition of 146mm in overall length, a boot and the Technology Package as standard (basically the main differences between the hatch and sedan) hasn’t in any way affected the A3’s delightful balance and agility.
Local Audi boss, Dean Sheed, suggested that the A3 sedan may well cannibalise entry-level FWD A4 sedan sales and we would agree, but only to a point.
While the A3 sedan is more eager and lithe than an A4, the smaller size is particularly noticeable inside the cabin. From the outside they look remarkably close in size, but the rear leg room in the A3 is very much on the tight side and shoulder room across the car is glaringly less than the bigger A4. Boot space is very impressive, but the only way the A3 sedan is going to be an alternative to an A4 is in terms of looks and badge presence, certainly not in terms of space and practicality.
That said, the A3 sedan is a very impressive small car. Massive interior quality and a simply faultless paint finish impart the impression of deep quality and, while a few interior rattles in the car we drove may do their best to dispel that impression, overall the A3 is built to a very high standard.
What’s good about it?
High quality standards (those few rattles aside…) and an impressively high level of standard specification are highlights, as is the eager handling and the enthusiastic petrol engine (we didn’t get to drive the diesel, but on past experience with the same engine, we have no reason to doubt it is just as impressive).
What’s not so good?
We are not entirely convinced by the price, despite the fact that it is very well specced. The nagging spectre of the exceptional (and exceptionally well priced) VW Golf still haunts the A3…
First Impressions?
A very tasty little package indeed, as long as you can justify the price and don’t plan on trying to force fully-formed adults to ride in the back.
Every bit as appealing as the A3 Sportback, but with the added attraction of the sleeker, sexier sedan styling for only $2,500 (the addition of the Technology Package as standard accounts for $3,500 of the price difference…).
If small sedans are your thing – and they certainly seem to be an ever-increasing number of people’s thing – then the A3 sedan is a great little option. However, if you prefer the space of a larger A4, then you are going to have to settle for a far more basic package for more money.
The choice will depend on your circumstances, but you would have to really, really need that extra space…
Models/prices
1.8 TFSI Sport – $62,000
2.0 TDI Sports – $62,000
Powertrain
1.8-litre inline four-cylinder petrol producing 132kW/250Nm; seven-speed dual clutch transmission; front-wheel drive or 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder diesel producing 110kW/320Nm; six-speed dual clutch transmission; front-wheel drive.
Fuel consumption: 5.6l/100km (petrol), 4.1L/100km (diesel)
CO2 emissions: 129g/km (diesel), 107g/km (petrol)
Safety
ANCAP/EuroNCAP rating: 5 Star
Air bags: 6
Stability control: yes
Lap/diagonal belts: 5
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