SEDAN TREE (some text hidden) SECTIONED_new_audia3saloon_2020

By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 122

It's an MK4 Audi A3 - but not perhaps, quite as you know it. Here, we look at the Saloon version, which in this second generation form has been designed 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. This was the second A3 Saloon design Audi had brought us, launched in 2020 and offering a completely digitalised interior and cutting-edge infotainment, plus special light signatures, various electrified engines and a suite of innovative assistance systems enveloped in a completely redesigned, yet immediately recognisable body.

Modelsword count: 22

5dr Saloon (1.0 TFSI petrol / 1.5 TFSI petrol / 2.0 TFSI / 2.0 TDI) [Technik,Sport, S line, Vorsprung, S3, RS 3])

Historyword count: 290

The compact executive saloon. Every business carpark is stuffed with the things, most of them up-market German-badged offerings like Audi's A4 and A5, 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 and from the start was well aware of the need to sell this one carefully. After all, it's traditionally been true that any four-door smaller than something A4/A5, 3 Series or C-Class-sized tends to get pretty much ignored on these shores. So in 2013 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 that first 8V 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 from its 8YA A3 Saloon replacement. This 8YA-generation A3 Saloon sold in its original form until the beginning of 2024, when it received a facelift. It's the pre-facelift 2020-2023 versions of this model we look at here.

What You Getword count: 423

In a market where it competes with four-door coupe designs like the Mercedes CLA and the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, it was essential that this second generation A3 Saloon look a little more dynamic than its predecessor. It does. In contrast with the A3 Sportback, the Saloon's body line continues in a straight line up to the rear bumper. This emphasises its length - 15cms longer than the Sportback - and makes for elegant proportions in profile. The concave surface under the broad body shoulder further accentuates the shape's rear quattro 'blisters' and the lower sills, while the roof line, which tapers down from the B-pillar and finishes in a spoiler on the boot lid, draws inspiration from coupe design. The MK2 model A3 Saloon is sleeker than its predecessor (the aero Cd factor is down from 0.29 to 0.25). And it's a little larger than its predecessor too, 4cms longer at 4.5m in length, plus it's 2cms wider and 1cm taller. If you happened to be familiar with the previous generation A3 Saloon, you might not expect much change in terms of interior space, given that the wheelbase is the same as that old car, but the slight expansions in width and height improved elbow room and, thanks also to a repositioned driver's seat, added an extra 2cms of front headroom. As with the MK4 A3 Sportback, there are big changes in the cockpit compared to the previous 8V model. This 8YA design gained a minimalist auto gearshift lever and digitalised 'black panel' technology. A 10.1-inch centre-dash MMI touch display was standard and can be used to adjust the settings of the media selection, navigation, and extensive connect services. Also standard was the 10.25-inch 'Virtual Cockpit' digital instrument cluster we had seen offered as an option on the previous model. In the rear part of the cabin, as with the original A3 Saloon, there's reasonably comfortable space for a couple of adults but there's slightly more shoulder room in this 8YA design. A six-footer can sit behind an equally lanky driver, but it's a fairly snug fit and, as you'd expect from this class of car, three across the back only really works if the people concerned are of school-going age. Out back, boot space is much as usual in an A3 Saloon, offering a 425-litre capacity. There's also a ski hatch for longer items. If you need more room, then you can flatten the split-folding rear bench for almost as much versatility as you'd get with the Sportback hatch variant.

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