New Audi A3 is fantastic
The new Audi A3 both looks gorgeous and should drive just as well too. Right now, we do not have the price for South Africa but we do get to take a look at what this car offers. Audi has said that they took inspiration from Lamborghini with this car which we will see in the angular bodywork and the inside air vents. 
The sportiest A3 an Audi has ever been.
Audi has made this new A3 sportier and aerodynamic than ever before. In fact, it has the largest spoiler ever fitted to an A3. It has a longer body that not only adds a sportier feel but also increases the crash protection. Because of this, Audi has made the front of the car lower, squishing the grille a bit, however, that grille is wider than ever. It’s also quite smart, depending on what the engine needs, that grille will open and close furthering the aerodynamics.
Depending on whether you get the entry-level model, the Sport model or the top of the range S Line, the bumper, wheel size and LED headlights change. What doesn’t change is the very angular bodywork we mentioned before.
Audi has offered its latest on the inside.
Inside the driver’s seat, Audi sells the sporty feeling all over again in this A3. There is a good use of high-quality material with only a few surfaces being scratchy plastics. Depending on your choice of automatic or manual, the gearstick may get in the way. What the automatic does is use a very nice minimal gear selector which I personally love. However, the manuals gear stick uses more space, space that Audi thought they had for the music controls. Now you have to reach around it to change the music, fortunately, you can just do that from the steering wheel.
The infotainment system is at the top of its class. This A3 gets Audi’s latest version and displays through a very nice 10-inch touch screen. It comes with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay however its own Sat Nav is already fantastic. The Digital Driver’s Display is also a 10-inch screen although on higher range options you can get 12-inches. What isn’t so great about it is that it will only display Audi’s own Sat Nav and not your phones, fortunately, we’ve discovered it’s a very good one. As a very cool option to the technology, you can get a full colour heads up display. 
Unlike some of the new Audis, this A3 did not get rid of the physical buttons. This means your climate control is easy to adjust and if you pay a little more, you can get climate control for the back seats too. There is plenty of space back there, even for taller people like me, but you are going to want to avoid sitting 3 adults if you don’t want to hear complaining. Both the back and front get 2 USB ports and you can get wireless charging too. Another option you can pick is a panoramic sunroof.
The boot of this A3 is just as large as the old one. With 380-litres, you can fit a lot of luggage and if you need more, you can fold the seats down for more space.
It will drive well and keep you safe.
Audi has given us 2 petrol options and 2 diesel options in South Africa, so let’s start with petrol. The smaller engine is a 1-litre 3-cylinder turbo with 110 kW and 250 Nm. The bigger petrol engine is a 1.5-litre 4-cylinder turbo with 110kW and 250Nm and you can get this one with mild-hybrid technology. Both diesel engines are 2-litre, one gives 85kW and 300Nm and the other 110kW and 360Nm.
All these options are front-wheel drive and you can choose between a 7-speed automatic or 6-speed manual transmission.
The A3 comes with speed-sensitive steering and you can get progressive steering, both of which make the ride feel more stable on the road. Covered in cameras, sensors and radar, it’s not just stability you are getting but more driver assistance safety. You can upgrade all of this to get the top of the range cruise control system that keeps you at the perfect distance from the car in front of you and will steer for you to keep you in your lane. 
We look forward to the official price release.
It’s a good looking Audi and it gets everything they have to offer, so if this vehicle falls within your price range when we get those details and you are in the market for a new car, this is a must for consideration.
Source: Carwow | IOL
