Audi A3 Sedan Facelift First Drive Review
23 Apr 2024|16,731 views
Facelift (What's New)
New grille, rear bumper and taillight design
New head lights featuring four selectable daytime running light signatures
New interior design
Cat A variant now relies on a 1.5-litre engine, producing more power
Most luxury carmakers have gotten some skin into the compact segment game today, but Audi will have you know that it was its rightful pioneer. Right before the dawn of the 2000s, pint-sized three- and five-door hatches bearing 'A3' badging were already birthed. Then, in 2013, the first ever A3 Sedan followed.
Not content with relinquishing its trailblazing coat of honour, however, the A3 family continues to grow and reinvent itself. And along the way, so too has the time come: For the current-generation A3 to receive a crackle of new energy.
Despite the new front and rear bumpers, frameless grille, the new A3 takes only a small step away from the pre-facelifted iteration visually
Doubling down: Extra digitalisation and illumination
In more typical Audi fashion (and in contrast to its hotted-up, S-badged twin), the refreshed A3 may be hard to distinguish at first from the car it replaces.
Peer closer, however, and the changes will be more apparent. Most notably, the car's 'Singleframe' grille has lost its, well, protruding frame, and gotten flatter and wider too in the process. Larger aesthetic-only intakes are now also part of the lower bumper. Despite Audi's sportier intentions, the A3 is still appropriately (perhaps reservedly) styled for its smaller proportions; the opposite of loud and brash.
In the time between, Audi's general corporate identity has gotten its own 'facelift' too, and the new A3 bears these new markers, with its two-dimensional Four Ring badges, and laser-engraved B-pillars.
The car's new DRLs can be customised between up to four different patterns - each of which adds a slightly different flavour to the A3's face
While the new taillight clusters are certainly cool in their mimicry of outward-pointing arrows, what undeniably takes the cake are the car's new LED Matrix daytime running lights (DRLs).
Light, as a concept, points the way forward to a new world of customisation and individuality.
Containing 24 modules each, the new DRLs present a driver with up to four different patterns to choose from (the standard LEDs offer 'only' three), the idea being that some joy will be evoked for the driver with this new ability to slightly tweak their A3's face at will.
To be clear, no one buys a car based solely on this - but this digital touch is nonetheless superbly charming; a tech flex, pulled off in dependable Audi-fashion.
A new flattened gear shifter neatens out the centre console, while the A3 can now be served up with a more generous dose of ambient lighting
Similarly, Audi has turned to the concept of light to spruce up the A3's cabin - which has also gotten chrome-tinged vents to emphasise the width of its dashboard, and a new flattened gear shifter, for a cleaner-looking cockpit.
Ambient lighting can now trace the centre console, and encircle the cupholders, for extra tinges of pizazz in the A3's otherwise reservedly-designed cabin. The new star (or stars) are optional perforated fabric pieces on the front door cards, which elevate the cabin's glow by also allowing light to shine through.
Finally, a new wave of digitalisation now allows for third-party apps to be downloaded directly into Audi's MMI infotainment system - circumventing the need for smartphone pairing. A mere couple of hours spent with the car (and the enduring intuitiveness of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) throws the actual value of such functionality into question - although it's also likely that appreciation for this more seamless integration might unfurl and slowly swell over the longer term.
The same drive - with one slight, but significant change on its way
A key aspect of this facelift, however, comes with the choice of powertrain variants now offered with the A3.
What we know as the Cat B variant (officially designated as the 35 TFSI) hasn't changed: The same 48V mild hybrid system remains, the heart of it being a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine. System output is carried over exactly, too, at 148bhp and 250Nm of peak torque.
The (unexpected) switchup, however, is that the Cat A variant now (the 30 TFSI) also uses the same engine, as opposed to the smaller 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit previously. This is tuned instead to 114bhp and 220Nm of torque, which, in turn, is a step higher than the 109bhp and 200Nm managed by the 1.0-litre A3 - meaning that the power gap between the Cat A and B selections has been narrowed.
We only got to try the 35 TFSI on our drive, but considering that the same engine now comes into play across both variants, the experience - in terms of balance and polish - should hold quite consistently.
Gear changes with its seven-speed transmission, for starters, are decently snappy - although it does hesitate slightly to downshift, which can occasionally make the A3 feel languid. Having said that, manage your expectations (and remember that there's also the new S3) - and you'll find the A3 still pulls forward with sufficient grunt.
Even more delightful is the fact that it feels well-sized and lithe when ambling through the smaller townships encircling Munich airport, yet settles into faster-moving thoroughfares with impressive composure and ease.
On this note, the car's more laidback air, as mentioned above, feels perfectly coherent with its gifts as a cruiser anyway. The A3 continues to exhibit better-than-expected levels of refinement not matched by some of its segment rivals. In particular, its suspension feels well-judged for a car with a shorter wheelbase.
Beneath the extra glitz of its added tech, the A3's appeal as one of Audi's most compact offerings hasn't changed
Fundamentally, the new A3 hasn't been overhauled drastically.
This is still the same compact sedan (or hatch) that less ostentatious drivers will relish if they want a downsized Audi experience that rides high on build quality, and a measured portion of creature comforts. What can effectively be dubbed Version 2.5 of the A3 Sedan - with its enduringly well-sized boot, and pleasant road manners - also reinforces the fact that Audi's decision to introduce a three-box shape to the family nearly a decade ago was right.
The upgrades chucked into the new A3 on the whole should, however, function as a clear bellwether of where Audi sees the future of its cars: In a more intricate, more complex world of digitalisation and illumination. As the idea of a premium car continues to be reshaped in the process of every manufacturer bringing along its A-game, the A3 continues to fascinate as an embodiment of Audi's tech-centricity.
Don't forget to check out our review of the facelifted Audi S3 here too!
And here are some contenders of the A3 Sedan to consider:
Facelift (What's New)
New grille, rear bumper and taillight design
New head lights featuring four selectable daytime running light signatures
New interior design
Cat A variant now relies on a 1.5-litre engine, producing more power
Most luxury carmakers have gotten some skin into the compact segment game today, but Audi will have you know that it was its rightful pioneer. Right before the dawn of the 2000s, pint-sized three- and five-door hatches bearing 'A3' badging were already birthed. Then, in 2013, the first ever A3 Sedan followed.
Not content with relinquishing its trailblazing coat of honour, however, the A3 family continues to grow and reinvent itself. And along the way, so too has the time come: For the current-generation A3 to receive a crackle of new energy.
Despite the new front and rear bumpers, frameless grille, the new A3 takes only a small step away from the pre-facelifted iteration visually
Doubling down: Extra digitalisation and illumination
In more typical Audi fashion (and in contrast to its hotted-up, S-badged twin), the refreshed A3 may be hard to distinguish at first from the car it replaces.
Peer closer, however, and the changes will be more apparent. Most notably, the car's 'Singleframe' grille has lost its, well, protruding frame, and gotten flatter and wider too in the process. Larger aesthetic-only intakes are now also part of the lower bumper. Despite Audi's sportier intentions, the A3 is still appropriately (perhaps reservedly) styled for its smaller proportions; the opposite of loud and brash.
In the time between, Audi's general corporate identity has gotten its own 'facelift' too, and the new A3 bears these new markers, with its two-dimensional Four Ring badges, and laser-engraved B-pillars.
The car's new DRLs can be customised between up to four different patterns - each of which adds a slightly different flavour to the A3's face
While the new taillight clusters are certainly cool in their mimicry of outward-pointing arrows, what undeniably takes the cake are the car's new LED Matrix daytime running lights (DRLs).
Light, as a concept, points the way forward to a new world of customisation and individuality.
Containing 24 modules each, the new DRLs present a driver with up to four different patterns to choose from (the standard LEDs offer 'only' three), the idea being that some joy will be evoked for the driver with this new ability to slightly tweak their A3's face at will.
To be clear, no one buys a car based solely on this - but this digital touch is nonetheless superbly charming; a tech flex, pulled off in dependable Audi-fashion.
A new flattened gear shifter neatens out the centre console, while the A3 can now be served up with a more generous dose of ambient lighting
Similarly, Audi has turned to the concept of light to spruce up the A3's cabin - which has also gotten chrome-tinged vents to emphasise the width of its dashboard, and a new flattened gear shifter, for a cleaner-looking cockpit.
Ambient lighting can now trace the centre console, and encircle the cupholders, for extra tinges of pizazz in the A3's otherwise reservedly-designed cabin. The new star (or stars) are optional perforated fabric pieces on the front door cards, which elevate the cabin's glow by also allowing light to shine through.
Finally, a new wave of digitalisation now allows for third-party apps to be downloaded directly into Audi's MMI infotainment system - circumventing the need for smartphone pairing. A mere couple of hours spent with the car (and the enduring intuitiveness of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) throws the actual value of such functionality into question - although it's also likely that appreciation for this more seamless integration might unfurl and slowly swell over the longer term.
The same drive - with one slight, but significant change on its way
A key aspect of this facelift, however, comes with the choice of powertrain variants now offered with the A3.
What we know as the Cat B variant (officially designated as the 35 TFSI) hasn't changed: The same 48V mild hybrid system remains, the heart of it being a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine. System output is carried over exactly, too, at 148bhp and 250Nm of peak torque.
The (unexpected) switchup, however, is that the Cat A variant now (the 30 TFSI) also uses the same engine, as opposed to the smaller 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit previously. This is tuned instead to 114bhp and 220Nm of torque, which, in turn, is a step higher than the 109bhp and 200Nm managed by the 1.0-litre A3 - meaning that the power gap between the Cat A and B selections has been narrowed.
We only got to try the 35 TFSI on our drive, but considering that the same engine now comes into play across both variants, the experience - in terms of balance and polish - should hold quite consistently.
Gear changes with its seven-speed transmission, for starters, are decently snappy - although it does hesitate slightly to downshift, which can occasionally make the A3 feel languid. Having said that, manage your expectations (and remember that there's also the new S3) - and you'll find the A3 still pulls forward with sufficient grunt.
Even more delightful is the fact that it feels well-sized and lithe when ambling through the smaller townships encircling Munich airport, yet settles into faster-moving thoroughfares with impressive composure and ease.
On this note, the car's more laidback air, as mentioned above, feels perfectly coherent with its gifts as a cruiser anyway. The A3 continues to exhibit better-than-expected levels of refinement not matched by some of its segment rivals. In particular, its suspension feels well-judged for a car with a shorter wheelbase.
Beneath the extra glitz of its added tech, the A3's appeal as one of Audi's most compact offerings hasn't changed
Fundamentally, the new A3 hasn't been overhauled drastically.
This is still the same compact sedan (or hatch) that less ostentatious drivers will relish if they want a downsized Audi experience that rides high on build quality, and a measured portion of creature comforts. What can effectively be dubbed Version 2.5 of the A3 Sedan - with its enduringly well-sized boot, and pleasant road manners - also reinforces the fact that Audi's decision to introduce a three-box shape to the family nearly a decade ago was right.
The upgrades chucked into the new A3 on the whole should, however, function as a clear bellwether of where Audi sees the future of its cars: In a more intricate, more complex world of digitalisation and illumination. As the idea of a premium car continues to be reshaped in the process of every manufacturer bringing along its A-game, the A3 continues to fascinate as an embodiment of Audi's tech-centricity.
Don't forget to check out our review of the facelifted Audi S3 here too!
And here are some contenders of the A3 Sedan to consider:
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- Extra Tech
- A Slightly Updated Powertrain
- Conclusion