Audi is sharing more images and the full
details of the new A3 Sportback, which hopes to successfully challenge other
premium compact models like the BMW 1-Series and the Mercedes A-Class. The new
Audi A3’s launch, as with every new model coming to the market right now, may
have been disrupted by the global virus outbreak but that doesn’t stop us from
delving into the company’s latest product.
The design of the new A3 is unsurprisingly
an evolution of a familiar shape, influenced by Audi’s latest styling
exercises. As with the Q3, the model’s SUV sibling, the new Audi A3 makes use
of a wider hexagonal Singleframe front grille, paired with a set of LED
headlights that are taller towards their outer edges to highlight the vehicle’s
width and the slightly blistered fenders.
Audi has been playing quite a lot with
concave surfaces lately, trying to invoke the Quattro heritage with its regular
models in addition to the RS lineup. The new Audi A3 continues that trend,
adopting a more dynamic appearance that we’re used to from them.
And while the exterior is instantly
recognizable as an Audi, the interior received a proper overhaul, changing from
the minimal style of its predecessor to a much sportier dashboard riddled with
sharp angles, vents in unusual for Audi places and of course nice large digital
displays for the instrument cluster and the infotainment system.
During this launch phase of the new Audi
A3, customers in Europe will get the choice between two petrol and two diesel
options; the familiar 1.5-liter TFSI four-cylinder petrol with 148 HP and 250 Nm of torque in both regular and mild-hybrid versions, with
the latter employing a 48-volt belt alternator starter. Buyers looking for
diesel can choose between the two available versions of the 2.0-liter TDI
four-cylinder unit, offering 114 HP and 148 HP respectively.
Both a six-speed manual and a seven-speed
dual-clutch automatic are available from the get-go, the latter featuring that
tiny selector as seen in the latest VW Golf, while more engines and the option
of Quattro all-wheel drive will be added to the range shortly.
