Audi lifts the A3. With modified optics, new technology extras and a revised range of engines, three- and five-door models as well as sedans and convertibles went on sale in early May. The prices start at 23.300 Euro.
The exterior of the facelift is recognizable by a sharper grille, flatter headlights and a modified diffuser at the rear. A turbo three-cylinder is now moving in under the sheet metal as the entry-level engine for the first time. The 1,0 liter engine already known from the sister model VW Golf delivers 85 kW / 115 PS and delivers a torque of 2.000 Nm between 3.500 and 200 revolutions. The manufacturer does not provide information on consumption, but the value should be between 4,0 and 4,5 liters.
Also new in the program is the new Sparbenziner known from the A4 with two liters of displacement and 140 kW / 190 PS. There are no consumption values here either, they should be submitted later when the market starts. The petrol engine range is completed by the well-known 1,4 liter petrol engine with 110 kW / 150 PS and cylinder deactivation. There are also three engines to choose from on the diesel side, producing 81 kW / 110 PS, 110 kW / 150 PS and 135 kW / 184 PS. The alternative drive range also includes the 150 kW / 204 hp plug-in hybrids and a natural gas model with 81 kW / 110 hp. Audi has revised the drive of the top variant S3, whose four-cylinder turbo now delivers 228 kW / 310 hp (plus 10 hp).
New in the technology program are matrix LED headlights with variable light distribution, the virtual cockpit known from the A4, among other things, in which the analog instruments are replaced by a large screen, and a traffic jam assistant that steers up to the speed of 65 and regulates the speed. There is also a revised infotainment system.
The base price increases slightly due to the lifting. The new three-cylinder is around 500 Euro more expensive than the previously offered 1,2-liter turbo gasoline engine with comparable performance. In addition, the equipment lines have been reorganized. Analogous to the A4, there is a “sport” and a “design” model in addition to the basic version; the “S line” and “design selection” variants rank above this.