2015 Audi A3 and S3: Up Close
The new compact sedan is 6.5 inches longer than the current A3 hatchback, and the designers endeavored to make the new sedan appear longer, with a creased hood that comes pretty far forward to meet the grille. From many angles it does the trick, but if you view the car’s profile, it still has the stubbiness associated with front-wheel drive. Modest fender flares give the car a sporty, broad look.
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The white A3 TDI at the preview was equivalent to a well-equipped Premium Plus model, so it didn’t represent the base trim level, but Audi says the greatest visual difference is smaller wheels. Checkmark-shaped LED running lights are an Audi signature (though everyone seems to be copying them). The red, sportier S3 wears LED headlights, which won’t be standard on the A3.
The center floor hump is exceptionally high, so it’s best to think of the A3 and S3 as four-seaters. When the hatchback returns late in 2014 as a plug-in hybrid, Audi says, it will have the same exterior and seating dimensions as the sedan.
The cabin is definitely luxurious, especially compared with the current A3, which is merely a hair richer than an uplevel Volkswagen Golf. Aluminum trim is genuine and, true to Audi form, is machined to an interesting texture. The air-conditioning vents aren’t quite as impressive; their elaborate design allows you to adjust airflow diffusion, not just the overall volume of air as typical Audi vents do. They just seemed brittle to me. Audi says these vents might not be on the U.S. versions.
The super-thin MMI display emerges from underneath a trapdoor atop the dashboard — nice and high, bright and crisp. I wasn’t convinced when I heard the A8-style touch-pad had been incorporated into the rotary knob controller, but it actually feels pretty natural. It’s wide and nicely accented with an illuminated ring. It’s interesting to see the latest iteration of MMI in Audi’s most modest product, but of course, other models could always see an upgrade before these arrive.
