It was 25 years ago when Audi revolutionised the hot hatch market, introducing elements of refined luxury, technology and wider audience appeal to the segment.
In short, the Audi A3 was the car saw hatchbacks ‘grow up’ and set a new benchmark for the segment, delivering on the same promise for three generations to date.
And now we are at generation 4 with the launch of the new Audi A3 for 2021.
Overall, the segment which the A3 shares with 13 other brands, is in decline and makes up less than two percent of the market.
In saying that, there have been some high-fliers in the segment – European marques predominantly and, with the release of the 2021 A3, Audi is looking to take its place at the top.
Is it a contender? Audi believes so, with the new A3 Sportback offering more space and functionality than its predecessor with only a marginal increase in its compact external dimensions.
As it stands, the A3 and its performance stablemate, the S3, measures 4.34 metres in length and 1.82 metres in width (without the mirrors). The height of 1.43 metres and wheelbase of 2.64 metres remain unchanged.
While the small hatch market registrations started to give way to those of the SUV in 2014, the hatchback – the well-designed hatchback – might surprise many, inasmuch as some SUVs offer less carrying capacity than many might expect, unlike the A3, which offers 380 to 1200 litres of cargo space.
The A3 is regarded by many as being the first step into the Audi brand, with the car historically being desirable, and representative of the qualities found in the rest of the Audi line up.
And for 2021, the reimagined A3 looks set to continue the tradition, albeit with new technologies, contemporary design cues and advanced driving dynamics.
As well as the requisite high level of safety equipment which includes Audi pre-sense front, collision avoidance assist and lane departure warning, along with adaptive cruise assist, lane change assist and park assist to mention but a few.
Unmistakably Audi in design by virtue of the iconic Singleframe grille framed by side air intakes and subtly athletic front to rear shoulder-line, the A3 is one of the very few cars which has its buyers so distinctly categorised.
A3 buyers are typically female skewed with 78 percent of buyers being city and suburb dwellers. They typically compare A3s to non-premium brands.
Conversely, male buyers tend towards the S3 with an equivalent percentage living in the city and suburban areas. The professionals who look to the S3, compare it to other premium brands.
Across both models, Audi has incorporated a driver focused cockpit and instrument panel with a striking repositioning of the air conditioning vents optimised to work with the new control unit for the climate control.
The Audi virtual cockpit is standard across all models and comes complete with a 10.1-inch touchscreen for easily read satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, along with Audi’s proprietary MMI touch control with hand-writing recognition to supplement the voice control system.
Perhaps more critically, the A3 35 TFSi Advanced model uses a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine linked to a 48-volt mild-hybrid system with a seven-speed S-Tronic transmission, enabling a recuperate, coast or boost function and reduce fuel consumption by 0.4 litres per 100km.
The 40 TFSi Quattro S Line runs a larger displacement two-litre engine delivering 140kW through its quattro (4WD) seven-speed S Tronic transmission.
Audi’s A3 and S3 will be joined later by the RS3 and an A3 e-tron for a full and comprehensive line-up, which should signal how important the A3 is in the Audi range.
For now, the Audi A3 Sportback 35 TFSI Advanced has an MRP of $57,900. The A3 Sportback 40 TFSI quattro S line will carry an MRP of $69,900, while the 228 kW/400Nm TFSI engine of the new Audi S3 Sportback retails at $89,500.
