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By Jonathan Crouch

The second generation Audi A3 Saloon aims to offer the style of four-door coupe rivals with a little extra practicality. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 105

It's an Audi A3 - but not perhaps, quite as you know it. Here, we've the Saloon version, the second generation version of which has been lightly updated to even more effectively bring the brand's cool elegance within the reach of those who might find the only slightly larger A4 model a bit of a stretch. We all like the idea of good things in sensibly sized packages. In essence, that's what this is. There's a completely digitalised interior and cutting-edge infotainment, plus more unique light signatures, various electrified engines and a suite of innovative assistance systems enveloped in a classy yet immediately recognisable body.

Backgroundword count: 275

The compact executive saloon. Every business carpark is stuffed with the things, most of them up-market German-badged offerings like Audi's A4, BMW's 3 Series or Mercedes' C-Class. Cars of this kind are now generations old and have got progressively larger, more sophisticated - and more expensive. So much so that room has been created for a market sector to slot in beneath them. A segment with four-door saloons offering pretty much the same thing, but in a slightly more compact form. Cars like this one, Audi's A3 Saloon. The Ingolstadt brand first launched this model in our market in 2013, then brought us a second generation version in 2020. From the start with this sedan model, Audi was well aware of the need to sell this product carefully. After all, it's traditionally been true that any four-door smaller than something A4/3 Series or C-Class-sized tends to get pretty much ignored on these shores. So the marketeers had to pitch this three-box A3 as offering almost everything a buyer might get in their fully-fledged A4 model - just in a marginally smaller package. The thinking person's compact executive saloon if you like. The approach worked and the first generation A3 saloon carved out a loyal following. But towards the end of the MK1 version's production life, it began to look a little frumpy compared to the rival premium-badged compact four-door coupe models that sold to much the same type of clientele - the Mercedes CLA and, latterly, the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe. Hence the need for a slightly different approach with the MK2 A3 Saloon, which continues with this updated version, launched in early 2024.

Driving Experienceword count: 291

Take a glance at the powerplant line-up and, on initial inspection at least, you won't find anything particularly shocking if you happened to be familiar with it from before. There are no engineering to handling changes to this updated A3 Saloon. If you're an A3 regular - or a graduate from a Golf - you'll find that this Audi has even more of the mature drive dynamics you'll be looking for, helped by a fully digital at-the-wheel experience and the optional embellishment of self-driving tech. The original version of this model got a little more involving to drive than its predecessor thanks to slightly sharper steering, a wider track and the introduction of a 'modular dynamic handling control system' that, based on steering movements, predictively co-ordinates interplay between all the car's dynamic systems - like a conductor with an orchestra - so the car can always be one step ahead of the drive inputs you want to make. The engine options here are familiar for mainstream customers - the 35 TFSI petrol and 35 TDI diesel, both with 150PS, with the transmission emphasis as usual on Audi's familiar 7-speed S tronic dual-clutch auto. Both get supple multi-link rear suspension and with the 35 TFSI petrol model, the engine comes with an integrated 48-volt 'BAS' belt alternator starter-generator that powers a 12-volt main electrical set-up in which a 48-volt compact lithium-ion battery in the boot stores energy harvested via a 'KERS' kinetic energy recovery system. If you've more to spend on a more sophisticated kind of A3 Saloon, you can also talk to your dealer about the 2.0-litre petrol turbo S3 variant, which gets a power hike to 333PS and the addition of the torque-splitter system previously reserved for the RS 3.

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