First Drive Review
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Goodness is in the details.
The premium-compact war is heating up, and in Europe that means new well-equipped hatchbacks. Preceding the Golf on the VW Group’s new MQB platform is the third-generation Audi A3; it will be fighting the second-generation BMW 1-series and the third-generation Mercedes-Benz A-class. After experiencing Audi’s entry from the passenger seat, we’ve now had the chance to get behind the wheel of a European-spec model. Like many of Audi’s latest products, this one looks conservative at first glance but gets the details right.
Special Screening
Examining the car’s sheetmetal, you notice nothing but even welds and consistent panel gaps. The same impeccable workmanship can be seen on the interior. The lavishly equipped A3 test cars we sampled featured the optional seven-inch monitor that rises from the dashboard, just like the displays in Audi’s big sedans. The unit has the style and angular design of an iPhone 4—it stands in stark contrast to the non-motorized, softer-looking, iPhone 3G–like screen on various new Mercedes-Benz models.
The MMI system displayed upon the screen is taken to a new level with an improved, touch-sensitive control dial. Strapped for space, the A3 combines the touch pad found on the A6, A7, and A8 with the MMI knob, allowing the operator to input characters with the tip of a finger. The pad/dial is encircled by a ring of light at night, as are the two cup holders in front of it. The Euro A3’s available multimedia elements include a 14-speaker, 705-watt Bang Olufsen sound system; an infotainment system with up to 60 gigs of navigation, phone, and music storage; Google Earth maps with Street View; and a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to eight mobile devices.
Even without these options, the A3’s interior is superbly executed. The instrument cluster recalls the first-generation car’s; the gauges are lit in an even but cold white hue. The typeface is standardized across the IP and center stack—a rarity on a modern car—and the tactile feedback of the various switches, buttons, and toggles says premium. Optional sport seats featuring grippy “leather velvet” inserts keep you firmly planted during hard cornering. The cabin’s one flaw: a small, oval rearview mirror that doesn’t match the rest of the interior.
Little Engines That Can
We drove the A3 three-door equipped with the 140-hp, 1.4-liter TFSI four-cylinder engine, as well as one featuring the 180-hp, 1.8 TFSI. Both engines move the A3 with sufficient authority, and both produce the same maximum torque of 184 lb-ft, although the torque curve is meatier on the 1.8. The larger engine is nicely balanced, has virtually no turbo lag, and almost feels like an even-bigger-displacement, naturally aspirated engine. With it, we expect 0-to-60-mph performance of around 6.8 seconds, and Audi claims a top speed of 144 mph.
The 1.4 is technologically interesting: It features a cylinder-deactivation system called “cylinder on demand.” (We recently did a deep dive on the engine as installed in a VW polo.) At partial loads, it runs as a two-cylinder engine, switching undetectably into four-cylinder mode only when necessary. The system is said to provide fuel savings of around five percent, depending on driving profile. While the 1.4 exhibits more turbo lag than the 1.8, it feels just as lively, if less refined, than its big brother. If you’re looking for fun, the move up to the 1.8 is not necessarily worth it. The numbers, however, separate the two: The 1.4 is likely to take an additional second to hit 60, and it maxes out at 132 mph.
Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 3-door hatchback
BASE PRICE (Germany, minus VAT): $23,000
ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 1.4-liter inline-4, 122/140 hp, 148/184 lb-ft; turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 1.8-liter inline-4, 180 hp, 184 lb-ft; turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter diesel inline-4, 150 hp, 236 lb-ft
TRANSMISSIONS: 6-speed manual, 7-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 102.4 in
Length: 166.8 in
Width: 70.0 in Height: 55.9 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 2600 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST, 1.8-LITER):
Zero to 60 mph: 6.8 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 15.5 sec
Top speed: 144 mph
FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
European combined cycle: 45–57 mpg
Continued…
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