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HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — With high gasoline prices taking a bite out of big-SUV sales, Audi believes that the time is right for its new A3 wagon, a compact family utility vehicle with decent fuel-economy ratings and, for a near-luxury car, a very affordable price. Arriving now at U.S. Audi dealers, the A3 is an all-new model for the North American market, giving consumers their first Audi in several years that sells for under $30,000. In fact, the base model, with a six-speed manual transmission and 200-horsepower four-cylinder engine, starts at just under $25,000 — about the same as the cost of some non-luxury-brand compact SUVs.

“We think the A3 is the perfect car for Audi at this time in the North American market,” Audi’s U.S. chief executive, Johan de Nysschen,Ö said during a recent media introduction of the car on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood.

The car is positioned below Audi’s bread-and-butter A4 model, which is offered in sedan and wagon forms.

The A3, already a huge success in Europe, where small wagons are quite popular, gives U.S. consumers a vehicle that is a cross “between a sedan and an SUV,” Marc Trahan, director of dealer relations for Audi of America, said during the Hollywood event.

“The A3 offers the versatility and flexibility that approaches that of a small sport utility vehicle. We believe it’s going to broaden the appeal of the Audi brand here in the United States.”

The A3, aimed at single people and couples in the 25-40 age group, has no direct U.S. competitor, as its European counterparts — the BMW 1-series and Mercedes-Benz B-class — are not sold here, Trahan said.

But small wagons from Sweden’s Volvo (the V50) and Japan’s Subaru (the Impreza WRX) are priced and sized about the same, and probably will be looked at by many who also are considering the A3.

At San Antonio’s Cavender Audi on Northwest Loop 410, the A3s are arriving and customers are lining up for them already, manager Tim Fandel said.

“The advertising has just begun, and we had several people come in looking for the cars last weekend,” he said. “We sold several to those customers. We feel that the A3 is going to be a nice addition to our model line, and will get us into some markets we’re not already in. It’s going to be a good car for younger people looking for a premium car at a price they can afford.

But he said he also expects the car to appeal to older consumers as well, particularly “empty nesters looking for something a little smaller now that their kids are out of the house.”

And, as with Audi USA officials, Fandel believes the car’s fuel-efficiency — 23 miles per gallon city/30 highway — combined with its utility will make it an attractive buy for those who are tired of filling up their large SUVs with $2-plus per-gallon gasoline. “People are looking at cars a little differently now,” he said. “They may still have a bigger car in the family, but they are getting smaller ones for everyday driving — a high-quality smaller vehicle that gets good fuel economy.” Under the hood of the A3 is a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine with direct fuel injection, rated at 200 horsepower and 207 foot-pounds of torque. Next year, a 3.2-liter, 250-horsepower V-6 will be added, a vehicle that Fandel calls a “pocket rocket” that will appeal to consumers “across the board.”

The base transmission is the six-speed manual.

But an optional six-speed “direct-shift gearbox” automatic is offered for those who don’t want to use a clutch.

This transmission allows for fully automatic or manual shifting as the driver chooses (but without need for a clutch). In automatic mode, it shifts like a manual, but shifting is quicker and more efficient than that of a manual gearbox shifted by a professional driver, Audi says.

There is plenty of power with the four-cylinder engine, which can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds with the automatic gearbox, and 6.9 seconds with the manual (the automatic has the edge because it is essentially a quick self-shifting manual gearbox with automatic hydraulic clutch).

Instead of traditional hydraulically operated power steering, the A3 has electro-mechanical steering, which is operated by an electric motor rather than a hydraulic pump powered by the engine. The system is more efficient and less taxing on the engine, Audi says.

The car, even in base form, comes well-equipped.

“This isn’t a cheap Audi; it’s a real Audi, a premium car,” Trahan said.

It even comes with “functional, simple cup holders that fit our market requirements,” he said. German automakers for years resisted putting cup holders in their U.S.-bound cars, in keeping with the German philosophy that people shouldn’t be drinking anything while they are driving their vehicles. U.S. consumer demands have changed that thinking, at least for vehicles that are exported to North America.

Among standard features for the $24,740 base price are the four-cylinder engine; six-speed manual gearbox; 17-inch alloy wheels; 140-watt AM/FM/compact-disc audio system; dual-zone climate control; preparation for either XM or Sirius satellite radio; front and side-guard air bags; stability-control system; power windows, mirrors and door locks (with remote); and cruise control.

An $1,800 Sport package adds a sport suspension; aluminum interior trim; leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel; roof spoiler; fog lights; leather seating surfaces; and sport seats.

The $2,025 Premium package includes everything that comes in the Sport package except the special suspension and roof spoiler, but adds a universal gate/garage opener, trip computer, auto-dimming rearview mirror with light/rain sensor, and power driver’s seat. Both packages come with 16-spoke, 17-inch wheels, Audi says.

Other options that can be added to cars that already have either the Sport or Premium package include Xenon headlights; a Bose premium sound system with in-dash six-disc CD changer; XM or Sirius satellite radio; and a cold-weather package with heated seats, mirrors, washer nozzles, and a ski sack.

An option available on even base models that is expected to be popular is the A3’s “open-sky” system, which is a two-sunroof arrangement, one over the front seat and one over the back seat. Only the front one opens, but both allow for viewing of the sky. Other options include a DVD navigation system and a six-disc CD changer in the glovebox (with two SD-card slots so MP3 files can be played on the system using memory cards from popular personal MP3 players).

Audi is not offering its patented Quattro all-wheel-drive system on the four-cylinder versions of the A3; they all come with front-wheel drive. But the Quattro system will be included on V-6 models with the automatic gearbox when they go on sale next year, the company said.

The A3 joins an Audi lineup in the United States that is mostly new, including the TT sport coupe, A4 sedan, convertible and Avant wagon, A6 sedan and Allroad wagon, and A8 full-size sedan.

G. Chambers Williams III is staff automotive columnist for the San Antonio Express-News and former transportation writer for the Star-Telegram. His automotive columns have appeared regularly in the Star-Telegram since 1995. Contact him at (210) 250-3236; chambers@star-telegram.com.