Audi A3 Sportback just oozes quality By Jesse Adams What to do? You’re drawn to the irresistible quality of an Audi, but the three-door A3 hatch is just too small. There’s always the A4, but you want the space and practicality of a wagon and to get one in SA you’re forced into either the Allroad or the S4 Avant – both quite expensive. Here’s a predicament solver: the new A3 Sportback, or wagon in layman’s speak. It’s virtually identical to the all-new A3 hatch launched late last year, but it’s got four doors and a slightly elongated bum making it easier to load passengers and a few more bags of groceries in. The whole package is 73mm longer than the normal A3 with a wheelbase increase of 35mm, but the cabin benefits amply. Space in the rear seats isn’t quite what you’ll get in an A4 (Avant or Sedan), but it’s miles better than an A3 hatch. Boot space is only marginally bigger than the hatch’s, but those few extra millimetres can come in surprisingly handy when trying to cram goods back there. The boot’s sill is also slightly lower than the hatch’s, making it a little easier to lift things into. The Sportback, just like the A3 hatch it’s based on, is built on the very same platform as the brilliant Golf 7. At the risk of sounding gushy, the A3, in any guise, is equally brilliant. No, actually it’s nearly perfect. QUALITY LEADER Copy of IOL mot apr26 Audi A3 Sportback i Its ride quality is unparalleled in this segment. The A3’s ride quality is unparalleled in this segment. Even with our 1.6 TDI test car’s optional 17” wheels (16s are standard), it’s smooth and yielding on all road types. Not only does it handle anything you can throw its way bump-wise, but the cabin stays whisper quiet always. The package just oozes quality. The interior, which is an ergonomic treat, has been dramatically simplified from the previous A3 and A3 Sportback. A colour display rises from the centre of an otherwise very clean and uncluttered dashboard, with very straightforward controls for all operable things. There’s a big control knob in the centre console for scrolling around menus, but other than that there’s not a lot going on in terms of switchgear. Not by today’s clutteredstandards anyway. This big control knob is touch sensitive, and it’s possible to draw letters on it when entering data into navigation and phonebook menus. This technology is derived from Audi’s flagship A8 model, and it works okay, but tracing letters with your left hand isn’t ideal for right-handed people. Neat gizmo though. Audi’s MMI interface is a pleasure to use, probably one of the best of its kind. Navigation entries are intuitive, and Bluetooth phone connections that in some cars can frustrate beyond belief are easy-peasy here. Wireless audio streaming from your cellphone is particularly easy to set up, and I love that it displays album art in full vibrant colour. PRICEY OPTIONS To be honest, though, these top navigation and music interface options add up to a hefty R25 000. But if you’re young and technically-minded it’s well worth it. And, even without these extras, there’s still a smaller colour screen that pops up from the dash, so it’s not like lesser-specced models look less hi-tech. Copy of mo a3 sportback interior Interior is beautifully finished and uncluttered. The satnav system is an optional extra, however. This 1.6-litre turbodiesel is the most economical in the A3 range says Audi, with a claimed average consumption of only 3.9 litres per 100km. In real world conditions, however, we had this figure sitting at 5.7. Still pretty good I’d say. Turbolag is an issue, especially at Jozi altitude, but some of it can be overcome by putting the seven-speed S tronic (DSG) transmission in Sport mode. But for the most part this little oil-burner is impressive, and I like its effortless style. There’s plenty of torque for such a small engine capacity. This model also gets a stop/start fuel-saving measure as standard equipment, but it’s not one of the best I’ve experienced. It’s a bit slow to restart the engine with every brake release at robots, and because of this I almost always switched it off. Pricing’s also very keen at just under R320 000 standard, but with our test car’s optional navigation, Xenon lights, cruise control and those bigger wheels tacked on, the price rose to R364 000. Just like the previous Sportback, there’s only a slight premium over the hatch and in the 1.6 TDI’s case it’s only R7 500. This might be why Audi sells three Sportbacks for every hatch in our market. It’s just a better deal. VERDICT A car fit for Goldilocks – it’s not too small, nor too big. And it’s of amazing quality too. Nearly perfect. -Star Motoring
Posted on: Fri, 19 Jul 2013 05:09:31 +0000
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