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by Darren Moss 27 June 2013 Follow @@darren_moss Share
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The Audi A3 saloon is a natural extension of Audi’s premium hatchback. It’s based on the A3 Sportback, but has been subtly redesigned to give more presence on the road. As a consequence, the A3 Saloon shares no body panels with its Sportback sibling. The only similarities between the two are the trim levels and the range being topped off by the Audi Sport-tweaked S3 and the all-paw, five-pot RS3.
It’s was once easy to mistake the A3 saloon for the larger 2008-2014 Audi A4, before the latest generation of Audi A4 came out, at least in terms of size. That said, Audi is keen to point out the differences between the A3 saloon and then somewhat dated A4. The new car is 24cm shorter than the A4, which is important for markets such as China where the A3 saloon will find good service as a first company car for junior executives. Naturally, such customers must have a smaller car than their bosses.
The A3 saloon might be pricey, but it’s a natural extension from the successful hatchback.Darren MossContent editor
Audi A3 Saloon’s design influence
While Audi won’t confirm that this was a major influence in its design of the A3 saloon, it’s hard to ignore that China is its single biggest market, followed by the US. In 2016, Inglostadt gave the whole Audi A3 range a facelift, which saw adjustments made to the front grille, headlights and bumpers, while the rear bumper and lights have been reprofiled. Inside there is a revised interior and more equipment added, while the 2.0-litre TFSI engine replaces the 1.8-litre petrol unit previously holding up the range. Topping said range is the monstrous 394bhp, 2.5-litre, five-cylinder RS3.
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There are three core trim levels for the main A3 Saloon range – Sport, S-line and Black Edition. Entry-level Sport A3 Saloons come with 17in alloy wheels, xenon headlights, cruise control, rear parking sensors and automatic lights and wipers. Inside there is dual-zone climate control, sports seats and Audi’s MMI infotainment system, with a retractable 7.0in display, DAB radio, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, sat nav and Audi’s online services.
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Upgrade to the S-line trim and you’ll find LED headlights, 18in alloy wheels, lowered sports suspension, additional interior storage and hooks, and LED interior lighting, while the range-topping Black Edition models gets tinted rear windows, black exterior trim and an improved speaker system.
Want an S3? Well, you will certainly be well catered for as the entry-level model gets all the equipment the S-line models get, plus 19in alloy wheels, heated front seats, a Nappa leather upholstery, adaptive dampers and an Audi Sport tweaked suspension set-up, while the Black Edition S3 gets black trim exterior trim, tinted rear windows and a Bang & Olufsen audio system.
New for the A3 saloon range is the introduction of an RS model. Sharing much with the RS3 hatchback, and as you would expect to find with Audi Sport’s finest work there is a butch bodykit, RS-specific braking system, suspension and steering set-ups. There is also lots of interior badging just to remind you that you’re not driving any old A3 saloon, and a specific RS-emblemed Virtual Cockpit.
Audi A3 news
Nearly new buying guide: Audi A3 saloon Nearly new buying guide: Audi A3 saloon Audi A3 line-up expanded with 242bhp plug-in hybrid option Audi A3 line-up expanded with 242bhp plug-in hybrid option New Audi A3 Sportback gains 201bhp plug-in hybrid New Audi A3 Sportback gains 201bhp plug-in hybrid High-end hatches: Audi A3 vs BMW 1 Series vs Mercedes A-Class High-end hatches: Audi A3 vs BMW 1 Series vs Mercedes A-Class
Powering the Audi A3 saloon
There are seven engines that power the range – four petrol and three diesel. A 148bhp 1.5-litre TFSI leads the range, replacing the Audi A3 1.4 TFSI heading up the line-up previously, and previous encounters with this unit in the facelifted Vokswagen Volkswagen Golf suggests it should be well-suited to the A3. The rest of the core petrol range is made up of a 187bhp 2.0-litre TFSI, which is also available with Audi’s quattro four-wheel drive system. The diesel line-up is begins with a 108bhp 1.6-litre TDI, followed by a 148bhp 2.0-litre TDI which we would expect to take the bulk of the sales, and topped off by a 187bhp version of the same engine, and both 2.0-litre variants will be available with quattro.