Audi A3 Sportback Range
When we first tried Audis A3, we thought it a great small car with all the concentrated goodness of a much larger one. But what if you could have a larger version of this successful recipe without getting, well, larger? Such is the thinking behind Audis A3 Sportback.
All right, so in essence, this car is little more than a 5-door version of the 3-door A3. But Audi would like you to see it as more than that. Theyve tried hard to style it differently (from the middle of the car backwards anyway) and the marketing hype positions the car much more towards the lifestyle end of the premium compact market in which all A3s must compete. To be fair, even if you dont buy into all that stuff, the fact that an A3 Sportback is just, model for model, around £500 more than an equivalent 3-door A3 does make it a tempting proposition, even at prices starting from around £16,000.
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Given that the current generation A3 is 65mm longer in the wheelbase than its predecessor, its obvious that rear seat passengers will be a whole lot happier in the Sportback than the old A3 five-door. The luggage compartment also grows by 20 litres giving a total of 1,120 litres of space with the rear seat folded flat.
"If youre buying an Audi A3, you cant ignore the Sportback option"
As you would expect, the engines offered mirror the choice available for three-door A3 range. Increasingly popular are the diesel units and theres a choice between an entry-level 105bhp 1.9-litre TDI powerplant (now optimised to put out just 119g/km of CO2) or 140 and 170bhp versions of the more advanced 2.0 TDI engine at prices from around £19,000.
Petrol buyers get a 102bhp 1.6 at the foot of the range at prices from around £16,040, but most opt for one of the turbocharged TFSI engines: either the 125bhp 1.4, the 160bhp 1.8 or the 200bhp 2.0-litre unit.
These are powerplants which sit below the 250bhp V6 3.2-litre FSI variant. The 3.2 is fitted with quattro all-wheel drive transmission as standard, something that is also offered as an option on the 2.
0T FSI and the 2.0-litre 170 diesels. The 2.0-litre 140bhp diesel I tried offers the sort of performance youd expect from Audi.
It hits 60mph in 9.2 seconds and tops 130mph, which makes it only marginally slower than the 2.0-litre FSI. With 60% more torque, however, theres no doubt which of the two cars will feel the stronger when accelerating down a motorway on-ramp.
Its pull matches the 3.2-litre V6 model, a car which makes 60mph in 6.7 seconds and tops out at 153mph. Driving manners across the range have been improved in recent times, with even the humblest versions riding on multi-link rear suspension.
Where Audi really pulls clear of the non-VW Group opposition is in the availability of its revolutionary S Tronic dynamic shift gearbox on the most powerful petrol and diesel models. First seen in the TT 3.2 V6 coupe, this system is based around a sequential manual gearbox but utilizes an ingenious twin clutch system to ensure creamy smoothness. Engage first gear and the gearbox will pre-engage second gear in advance, the second clutch engaging as soon as you flick up to slot instantly into second gear.
This means a seamless flow of power. The electronics predict what gear youre about to engage, depending on whether youre accelerating or braking and the result is astonishing, making every other gearbox look distinctly clunky. The other option is to slip it into D and drive it like a normal automatic. Even in this mode its butter smooth and makes other attempts at sequential manual systems such as Ferraris F1, BMWs SMG and Alfa Romeos Selespeed appear distinctly clunky and yester-tech.
Standard safety equipment includes window airbags, electronic stability control, ABS, brake assist, a part-electric power steering system and anti-whiplash head restraints. The cabin has been restyled to offer a little more design flair, Audi realising that high quality alone isnt enough to lure buyers into showrooms. There has to be some style on display too. The fascia struts ape the interior design of the TT, as do the round air vents and chrome-rimmed dials.
Its still not what youd call revolutionary, but its beautifully executed. The A3 Sportback range is available in standard, SE and Sport trims with the S-line upgrade pack to consider. An optional Open Sky twin sunroof system is also available for order. The A3 Sportback is a good example of the kind of product development which has seen Audi sales sky-rocket in this country.
If youre buying an A3, you cant ignore it. And the same is probably true if youre buying virtually any other rival in this sector.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Audi A3 Sportback range
PRICES: £16,040-£27,320 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 9-18
CO2 EMISSIONS: 119-258g/km
PERFORMANCE: [2.0T FSI] 0-60mph 6.9s / Max Speed 150mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.4 TFSI] (combined) 43.5mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and window airbags, electronic stability control, ABS, BAS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4271/1765/1421mm
