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“This car is a good starter for young families,” a middle-aged man told me. And it is precisely at this moment that I know that the other person either has no children or that they are already over the age of 16.
Because we're talking about the Audi A3 Sportback.
The A3 is a wonderful car. Without a doubt, he deserves the “premium vehicle” seal imposed on him by Ingolstadt. If you want, you can go so far as to call it the king of the premium compacts from Ingolstadt, Munich and Stuttgart. It drives flawlessly - at least on the few kilometers that are available at a press event like the one in Monaco. And when it comes to the quality of the interior, Audi sets the bar very high here. There is only one thing to complain about in the A3 five-door. And this is exactly what the colleague hides in the conversation. City square.
On the road with the Audi.
It's November. Here, however, the sun is shining, t-shirt weather. Welcome to Nice, to the international press launch of the Audi A3 Sportback.
Journalists have less than 24 hours here to get to know the new “big compact” Audi. Between arrival, dinner, breakfast and departure there are a total of maybe nine hours that you spend in the car. This is generally more time than any customer spends with a vehicle before signing a sales contract. But to be honest, too little to allow a final judgment.
Nevertheless, of course, a lot remains. On the one hand, it would be the high-quality interior of the Audi. The new A3 shares the technical basics with its group brothers around the VW Golf. What you save in additional costs in Ingolstadt is apparently put into the inner workings. On the other hand, there are the agile engines. Even the small 1.6 TDI can convince when driving through the hilly landscape from Nice to Monaco. Sure, here you are more likely to be in a “reason car”, but the little one always delivers when you step on the accelerator pedal. A few years ago, diesel engines weren't that lively.
A sense of space in a disguised station wagon.
But space is what you have to look for in the A3.
While you are still sitting comfortably in the front and can comfortably cover the kilometers thanks to the many adjustment options of the seats, the second row is more of a makeshift solution than for long journeys. Sure, you can sit here, but I wouldn't recommend longer trips beyond 100 kilometers without support stockings.
Now, of course, the inclined journalist and car blogger does not have a child seat with him at such a press conference. From my experience with Maxi-Cosi baby seats and Co., however, I would say that all child seats can be comfortably placed on the back seat. If, however, it is mainly older children that sit in it, it could sometimes be uncomfortable for both mom and dad to “unload”.
The Audi is then completely unsuitable for families when it comes to the trunk. Audi calls its five-door “Sportback” and thus implies estate qualities, but the truth is a bit more sobering. The A3 Sportback stands steeply in the wind, its single-frame radiator grille dominates the face, the elongated shoulders and the short, steep rear make it look like a station wagon, like a slightly crouched athlete. It all seems incredibly coherent - but the space suggested from the outside is missing. It is as if the Audi engineers had built a fold somewhere in the spatial structure of the A3 universe. The trunk lid goes up, my messenger bag, which is suitable for 17-inch notebooks, flies in - and the trunk is visually full.
Sure, with the right Tetris skills, which my generation of thirdy somethings absolutely have, the 380 liters specified by Audi fit in here without further ado (at least 30 liters more than in the BMW 1 Series 5-door). It's just not much. Not enough for a family.
“No,” I reply to my colleague. “The A3 Sportback is a wonderful car. One to have fun with. It is agile, its inner workings are incredibly well made, the technical gadgets are absolutely state-of-the-art. But it's definitely not a family car. " We don't live in the 60s anymore. Demands have grown. And cars with them. And child seats. And strollers.
Conclusion Audi A3 Sportback.
For whom is the A3 five-door then what?
For fathers who are looking for an excellent second car in addition to the VW bus. For singles who take mom and dad with them every now and then. For salespeople who need properly ironed shirts to hand. For grandparents who take their grandchildren from kindergarten.
For all these people he is. And almost perfect.
Audi manages to put a vehicle on its wheels that is incredibly balanced. On a pass at the Col de Braus, the 1.6 liter diesel with 77 kW (105 PS) demonstrated good athletic qualities, I hardly have to write anything about the 2.0 TDI quattro top model with 135 kW (184 PS) and 380 Nm, except “! !! ”. And even the 1.2 TSI entry-level petrol engine looks good in the compact Ingolstadt car. All in all, I basically only have one conclusion to draw:
This Audi defines the compact class.
The Audi is well balanced between “everyday use” and “sporty”, offering plenty of space for the driver and front passenger. In addition, the high-quality interior is convincing right away.
But as good as the impression is - in the end, a Sportback is not an avant. And even if it doesn't always have to be an Avant for families, this A3 shouldn't be enough. The 5,8 centimeters that Audi gives the new one in terms of wheelbase more than its predecessor do not help.
The Audi A3 Sportback will be available from dealers from February. It is available in three equipment variants. In addition, you can let off steam in VW's traditionally long list of accessories.