AUDI has won many plaudits for the new saloon version of their A3 which I drove last week. They previously had a three-door hatchback and five-door sportback version of the A3, but this new car is much classier than anything we have seen before in this range.
A few weeks back I drove the new Mazda 3 and wondered aloud why the display on the dash didn’t disappear James Bond-style into the dashboard when not in use.
However, no such problem with the impressive display screen on the dash on the A3. It pops up when you turn on the engine and if necessary you can also push it down with your hand while driving.
This is the next model range up from the small Audi A1; the A3 is the first compact saloon to come from the German manufacturer. In Ireland, compact saloons account for over a quarter of all new car sales, so this is a very important car for Audi.
At first glance this saloon looks almost as big as the Audi A4, which is also very popular. I drove a Lotus Grey coloured model, which was fine, but probably not the best colour to really show off the car.
Externally the car looks good and is set fairly low. When you sit in you cannot but be impressed by the part-quilted leather seats. However, the interior decor is very black.
There is room for three adults in the back seat, they will have plenty of leg room but head room may be tight. In some Audis and indeed in other modern cars, there is often an arm rest plus cup holder in the back seat, but not in the A3.
The armrest is fine if you have only two people in the back, but if you have three rear seat passengers then the person who has to sit in the middle is not so comfortable. So I think the arm rest is not really missed.
The dash is dominated by that impressive display unit; then you have a large button near the space-saver handbrake where you can select your station of choice. The handbrake is very neat and once you get used to this new style of hand brake you will be fine.
I know many people would prefer the old fashioned type handbrake, but I suppose there comes a time when we all have to move on. But many don’t want to move on where a spare wheel is concerned and the good news is that underneath what is a decent-sized boot, there is a
‘mini’ spare wheel, rather than the dreaded repair kit.
Nets are provided in the boot to prevent objects being thrown around while travelling.
On the road this is a very comfortable car to drive and travel in. If it’s speed you are after you can get from zero to 100km/h in just over ten seconds. Overall it’s a very stylish car and it should help Audi compete with their great German rivals BMW and Mercedes.
Prices start at
?¬30,480, but the 1.6-litre diesel version I drove starts at
?¬35,360. Then there are lots of extras which would bump the price up, if you can afford them. Road tax is only
?¬180, which is very low for such a powerful car.