We drove the New Audi A3: Excellent, but threatened

• Price (Base/Test): NIS 270,000/212,000
• Competitors: Mercedes A-Class, BMW Series 1
• What We Liked: Design, Engine, Ride Comfort, Design, Ergonomics
• What We Didn't Like: Rear Seat Space, Price
• Score: 7.5/10

The only revolution the Audi A3 has ever made is its very arrival on the market. Somewhere at the end of the last millennium, the concept of a compact car from a luxury manufacturer did not exist. The A3's entry into the market changed that landscape and forced other manufacturers, especially competitors from Munich and Stuttgart, to respond.

Since then, the A3 has not changed significantly. The concept remains the same: Take a Golf, improve the quality of materials, design, and multimedia systems, finely tune the suspension, and you have a better car at a premium price—everyone benefits. The design, cabin, and various systems have all undergone consistent evolution that positions it at the forefront of the category without shaking the category itself. In contrast, the competitors know what the taste of a revolution is. The BMW Series 1 switched platforms and moved from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive without blinking. You may not remember, but the Mercedes A-Class was quite a micro-van before it realized that the money is in compact and sporty cars.

However, tectonic shifts in the automotive world create changes that will also affect the compact Audi. The trend towards crossovers and electric vehicles casts a shadow over compact cars like it.

The facelift that is being tested today is meant to buy the A3 a bit more time before Audi has to decide if and how to cut into the aluminum life. And here stands Darwin. Will the slow evolution survive the electric meteor with a rugged appearance that is approaching the category at an alarming speed?

Design:

Even someone who froze in 2001 would likely recognize the A3. They would recognize it but understand the difference. The bulbousness of the first generation has been replaced over the years with sharp lines, folds, and celebrations of LED headlights. The new grille is deep but more elegant, and the emblem integrates into the frame and takes on the color of the vehicle—elegant.

The sharp angles, alongside the impressive aluminum wheels, give the A3 a look that is hard to miss, both as an Audi and as a beautiful and impressive compact car. The only reason it doesn't attract more glances is that it is not distinct enough from its sibling before the facelift.

Cabin:

It has undergone such minimal evolution that it’s doubtful anyone, including its mother, would struggle to recognize it. The gear lever has been replaced with another one. True, there are LED lights integrated into the doors that give the car a luxurious feel at night, but that is a negligible change.

And this brings us to the driver's seat. The seat is low, and in the S-line Luxury version being tested, it hugs the body well. Although the quality of materials is not uniform, the A3 conveys a premium feel with touches of fabric, plastic, and quality Alcantara in relevant places. The truncated steering wheel also sharpens a sporty feeling that we will elaborate on later.

The old multimedia system (MMI) offers an increasingly disappearing integration with a horizontal separation between the multimedia screen and the digital dashboard. In the next generation, whatever it may be, this system will be replaced with a new one that resembles what can already be seen in the brand-new Q6. Still, the A3's multimedia system is probably one of the best among systems offering a touchscreen since the trend emerged. The icons are large and comfortable, and after a short learning process, it’s easy to set shortcuts and customize the screen to the driver's requirements.

Alongside the multimedia screen are buttons to operate most of the important functions you will need while driving, including the air conditioning, driving mode selection system, and more. The system reminds us how convenient and safe it is to operate with the right combination of buttons and digital functions. The digital dashboard, on the other hand, reveals the age of the multimedia system. It is still very good and easy to operate, but it does not offer the pixel density richness of some competitors.

The driver's space is excellent. The sitting position is low, but there is plenty of room for legs and head. Some may complain that the central console can slightly obstruct the legroom, but that is a personal nuance and not an acute problem. In terms of equipment, the test vehicle offered more than enough.

In the rear, the situation is a bit less bright. The legroom and headroom for taller passengers are not impressive. Due to the sport seats with integrated headrests, the rear seat feels somewhat claustrophobic and dark. Only the opening of the sunroof improves the situation a bit. At least there are air conditioning outlets and a pair of USB-C ports.

Trunk: Offers a decent volume for a car in this category, 380 liters, and mainly a square and efficient structure thanks to a variable-height floor. Additionally, you will find hooks for bags and anchor points.

Equipment: 10.1-inch multimedia screen, 10.2-inch digital dashboard, leather upholstery, electrically adjustable and heated front sport seats, smart key, 18-inch alloy wheels, panoramic sunroof.

Safety: Autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane departure warning, which were more hysterical than we remember in other Audi vehicles. Alongside these, there are surround sensors, a rearview camera, an electric handbrake with a Hold function, and an automatic parking system (steering only).

Movement and Performance: The A3 offers one engine option, at least during the test. It is a turbocharged 1.5-liter engine that we have driven countless times in the past, in an updated version with a mild hybrid unit. This engine now offers two different outputs: 116 horsepower in the base version and 150 horsepower in the more expensive version being tested. This engine has a very specific character: A wealth of torque that allows it to provide a very relaxed driving experience and move forward consistently without the need to shift gears frequently or rev up to a noisy RPM. For everyday tasks, there is no lack of power, and the engine allows for relatively easy overtaking.

And here we must remember two things. Everything said is true as long as it is a gasoline-powered vehicle. Compared to electric engines, the engine in the A3 feels sluggish and lacking punch. The second thing is the character, as the engine is not a big fan of high RPMs and power that builds as the RPMs rise. Therefore, in sporty driving, it doesn’t feel most at home. In a car with a sporty design, S-line badges, and a sporty steering wheel, we would have preferred an engine with a bit more character and "pep." We will wait to test the S or RS version.

Alongside the engine, there is a dual-clutch transmission. It is not the smoothest and most relaxed transmission out there, and there may be slight vibrations at low RPM. Nevertheless, it is still a relatively good transmission for its kind, and it is free from many of the acute problems that some of them have. In the city, especially when the engine shutdown and Auto Hold systems are activated, the start-off can be a bit slow and jerky.

A combination of a calm and relaxed engine and a dual-clutch transmission, along with a moderate hybrid system, ensures excellent fuel consumption. Indeed, in our test, which included relatively fast intercity trips alongside standing in traffic, the overall fuel consumption stood at about 15-16 km per liter—very impressive.

Comfort: Evolution is a blessing when it comes to suspension tuning. Over the years, the term "bumpy but not crashing" has almost become the default for the suspension system of a compact German car. The A3 surprisingly excels in this regard. The suspension tuning is slightly softer and absorbs a lot of the damage that road work leaves behind when they finish.

This is true even though the test vehicle was equipped with larger wheels that should ostensibly harm ride comfort. Of course, the small Audi is not perfect, but even when it transmits some bumps into the cabin, it does so in a way that sweeps most of the blow away and transmits something gentle inside.

Ride comfort is maintained even as speed increases and the road becomes faster. Over hundreds of kilometers and on various types of asphalt with all the tortures they know how to offer, the A3 surprised positively. Wind and engine noise isolation is also done very well. Only road noise may intrude less politely into the cabin when encountering poorly paved surfaces.

Road Behavior: Before we discuss dynamic behavior, let's talk about behavior in general. The A3 feels relatively small; it is a very comfortable car for city driving. It offers good visibility all around, a relatively small turning radius, and parking assistance systems that allow it to park in many places. However, be mindful of the low and vulnerable bumpers in front.

Dynamically, the A3 does not meet the standard of the best in the group. The tuning of this version, despite being the S-line, is slightly soft, and when pushing this compact car into a turn, it can lean a bit. The steering itself is precise but does not offer a successful weight and definitely does not provide much feedback. The small Audi reacts well to throttle relaxation and corners well, but not with the determination and enthusiasm of many cars of its type. The brakes are good, but they are a bit spongy, requiring a relatively strong press to achieve good braking force. Nevertheless, for the average driver, it is still an excellent car with very good grip and mature, predictable behavior.

Bottom Line: The evolution of the Audi A3 positions it very successfully as a product. It offers an impressive and elegant design, a stunning cabin, excellent ergonomics, a decent trunk, a smooth and pleasant powertrain, and excellent ride comfort. Even in areas where it does not excel, such as rear space and road behavior, it seems to be a well-informed decision that stems from understanding the customers. Thus, the gradual evolution of the A3 allows it to excel in almost every category.

Except for one important section. Because there is one area where not only does the A3 undergo a revolution, it does so almost with every generation and sometimes even in the middle of its life cycle. We are, of course, talking about price. The test car presented an ambitious price tag of NIS 270,000. Even the entry-level version is offered at high prices that easily exceed the threshold of NIS 210,000. For a price not far off, you could buy several very successful electric cars like the Tesla Model 3 or Hyundai Ioniq 5. And that's for the entry-level version.

But luxury customers do not necessarily sit at home doing cost-benefit calculations. The brand emblem at the front plays a significant role as well. Here, too, the A3 is not in the most comfortable position. In fact, when looking at the strong powertrain, the A3 is very close in price to other attractive cars standing in the showroom—like the Audi Q3 crossover (NIS 280,000) or the Q4 electric (NIS 320,000). True, it is still significantly cheaper than direct competitors like the Mercedes A-Class, but this price does not encourage the purchase of the compact Audi as it deters people from buying the competitors.

From a car that is supposed to serve as a kind of entry ticket to the world of Audi, especially in light of the fact that the A1 will soon return to the heavenly realm of model names, we expected a competitive price that would attract young people to the brand. On the other hand, it may be that the electric revolution and SUVs have made the A3 a weak car in the tough food chain of the automotive market.

On the Technical Side: Audi A3 S-line

• Engine: Mild Hybrid Turbo Gasoline, 1,598 cc
• Maximum Power (hp): 150 at 5,000 RPM
• Maximum Torque (kgm): 25.5 at 1,500 RPM
• Transmission, Drive: 7-speed Dual-Clutch, Front-Wheel Drive

Dimensions:

• Length (m): 4.35
• Width (m): 1.816
• Height (m): 1.44
• Wheelbase (m): 2.635
• Trunk (liters): 380
• Curb Weight (kg): 1,325

Performance (Manufacturer):

• 0-100 km/h (seconds): 8.1
• Top Speed (km/h): 226
• Fuel Consumption, Manufacturer (km/l): 17.5
• Fuel Consumption, Test (km/l): 16

Safety:

• Euro NCAP Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
• Active Safety: Autonomous Emergency Braking Forward, Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Monitoring, Driver Fatigue and Distraction Alerts, Fuel Door Warning for Inaccessible Road

Warranty:

• 3 years or 100,000 km