Audi A3 Sportback Car Review 2022
source: Audi
Published 5 April 2019
The Audi A3 was introduced in 1999 in the premium family hatchback class.
It’s now in its fourth generation and no longer offers a 3-door version. The 5-door latest facelift has a more appealing design.
“Anyone stepping out of the relatively minimalist cabin of the previous A3 and into this new one will be in for a shock, albeit mostly a pleasant one.” Autocar
The Audi A3 is very safe – it got a five-star rating when Euro NCAP tested it back in 2020, and it’s available with lots of the latest safety equipment.
Overall Verdict
Car Wow 8/10
Top Gear 7/10
Car Buyer 4/5
What Car 4/5
source: Audi
source: Audi
source: Audi
Overview
RRP: £25,010 – £47,380
Number of Trims: 8
Number of Engines: 6
Fuel Type: petrol, diesel, hybrid
Warranty: 3 Years/ 60,000 miles
MPG Range Across All Versions: 235.4 – 61.4
Interior
The A3’s seats are new and, in a bid to improve its environmental credentials, Audi now uses materials for the inlays that are manufactured from recycled PET bott
source: Audi
source: Audi
les. Each A3 uses 45 discarded 1.5-litre plastic bottles in every set of seats with the new material.
Driving Position
The Sportback provides a great driving position, with a standard front armrest and loads of steering wheel and seat adjustment.
If you want the powered lumbar adjustment you will have to go for the range-topping Vorsprung trim.
The A3 provides simple physical switches to operate climate controls, and the angled dashboard puts all controls and screens within each reach of the driver.
Audi’s Virtual Cockpit digital instrument display comes as standard and shows all your driving information on a crisp, 10.3in screen, with various layouts to select from. Upper trims get an enhanced version with a 12.3in screen
Visibility, Parking Sensors and Cameras
SatNav and Infotainment
There’s a large, 10.1in-touchscreen infotainment system; the screen is sharp with good graphics and the menus respond quickly
It’s packed with features, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration plus in-built navigation. The standard stereo has six speakers. Go for the Vorsprung trim to add a 15-speaker, 680-watt Bang & Olufsen surround-sound stereo and wireless phone charging.
Front Space
The Audi A3 Sportback offers plenty of leg, shoulder and head-room for tall adults up front.
There are storage areas ahead of the gear lever and under the central armrest, plus a couple of cupholders in the centre console. The front door bins are big enough for a large water bottle, too.
There isn’t much storage space in the back for odds and ends, although the door pockets can hold a small drinks bottle. You can make it more versatile by adding the optional Storage Pack. It’s not drastically expensive and among its tally adds map pockets, rear cup holders and a 12-volt socket.
Boot space
The boot capacity of the A3 remains the same as in the previous generation, at 380 litres, and this increases to 1200 litres when the rear seats are folded forward. From Sport specification up, these are split 40:20:40, rather than 40:60.
If you fold down the rear seats they lie at a slight angle but not enough to cause major issues with loading bulky items. An adjustable boot floor comes as standard on non-hybrid versions. It can be raised to reduce the load lip at the boot’s entrance and also ensures there’s no step caused by folding down the rear seats.
