[vb-saan]

Thanks for the excellent review!

Originally Posted by moralfibre

What you won't:

• The larger Jetta & Octavia are cheaper. A3 has a lot in common with the Skoda
• Paddle shifters, smartkey entry & go and memory seats are conspicuous by their absence

These IMO should have been there, especially for the fact that the cheaper Octavia (which is essentially the same car underneath) got options like memory seats and sun-roof as standard in the top variant. Barring the Audi badge, the Octavia 1.8 TSI looks great value when compared to the A3 1.8 TFSI (with a saving of around one million rupees).

Originally Posted by moralfibre

You can choose between black or beige upholstery.

Do they provide an option of brown leather as well? Remember seeing that in the brochure.

[iliketurtles]

Super review moralfibre, very crisp and with all the details one looks for.

Audi has played their cards absolutely correctly. They've got a low, low sticker price on it to lure everyone in and prioritised the diesel variants over the petrol. It's disappointing to see it have such poor space at the back, no way it can be anything more than a second car in the house due to its limited space. Even so, given the aversion we have towards hatchbacks while spending big, the A3 will be a sales leader.

Loved the alloys on the base variant! A different, striking design that's surprisingly better than the variants above it!

[Siva]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

The A3 gets dual-clutch DSG transmissions which Audi calls the 'S-Tronic'. These are essentially the same DQ200 & DQ250 DSGs used in a host of other VW group cars. We still have concerns over the DSG's long-term reliability (related thread).

DQ200 is probably the reason why torque is limited to 250NM on the petrol. I believe with any other gearbox torque could have been easily upped to 280NM at least.

Moreover, with return of petrol engines into popularity, Audi should have given the option of paddle shifts for the petrol version. Maybe they are reserving that for selling the S3 down the line.

Originally Posted by moralfibre

The 'rough road package' gives the A3 noticeably more ground clearance than its Euro / USA versions.

What is the ground clearance figure for the Indian A3? I have seen it quoted as 160mm in some sites while the sales advisor said it is 148mm.

How does it compare with A4 and 3-series?

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Baddychat

With respect to the new badging on the Audi cars, I think it is a bit arcane. The excitement at seeing a 3.0 TDi or 2.7 TFSi is gone. Too much reverse engineering to be done to figure out the power plant on a particular car.

I think it's all part of a grand plan to avoid puny '1.2 - 1.5' badges. Engine downsizing is inevitable, even with cars of the luxury brands. A '25 TDI' probably looks beefier than '1.2 TDI' at the back

[moralfibre]

Originally Posted by vb-san

Do they provide an option of brown leather as well? Remember seeing that in the brochure.

Yes they do. But these are the only two options in leather. The others are leatherette seats.

[dkaile]

Excellent review moralfibre. Kudos to TeamBhp.

The more I see these 30L cars the more I love my 17L Superb. Incredible to see the cost cutting on these smaller Audis. The fit and finish on many parts is much below the Superb like the rear vents, headlight switch etc. etc. Except perhaps the advanced MMI and the GPS (which I presume is on the top end 30L+ variant), I would really feel shortchanged by the amount being demanded by VAG for the nearly the same configurations.

[IshaanIan]

This is the only sedan Audi currently makes that looks good IMO; the rectangles don't seem that boring on a design as compact as this, thus making for a proportionate looking car. Absolutely love the interior design too and feel it is one of the best looking interiors so far. Anyone else worried about the lack of perforated leather seats considering Indian climatic conditions?
Lack of any rear seat space, kessy and memory seats really do make you wonder how fragile the egos of the people who buy it would be though considering the Octavia comes with all of this for less money and offers more space so the A3 is just going to be bought for the brand.

[petrolveins]

All of a sudden, Jetta Highline, Skoda Superb/Octavia look so much value for money.

With this A3,
1) The sales of Merc A class and BMW 1 series would come down.
2) The Sales of Jetta/Octavia/Superb would go up (of course not counting the not too brand conscious ones and any other valid cases).

So, for a overall VW group strategy, is this not a double delight?

[V.Narayan]

Dear Moralfibre, congratulations on a well written and concise review. The car looks decidedly well proportioned and beautiful. Though its looks are the same as the A6, A4 etc some how its perfect proportions give it greater beauty. Three questions for your indulgence-- (1) what is the ground clearance or is Audi insisting on keeping that a national secret; (2) does it have adjustable suspension height like the A6; and (3) versus other higher end cars you have driven how is the comfort of its ride especially for the driver. I will be purchasing a new car for my work commute in 2015 and am looking at the Volvo V40. Clearly the A3 is a worthy alternative, Audi's patchy customer service not withstanding. 5 stars to you Moralfibre.

[vineshpikale]

Great Review! Comprehensive yet not verbose.

I'm getting a little tired on the "design language" theory of Audi. Hyundai has a similar design strategy but the cars are distinctly identifiable. Even Merc is going down this route with the new C but there isn't an identity crisis there either. In fact even though BMW's cars look similar there it isn't as bad as Audi. Running short of design talent eh?

And on the base model with out the DRL, it's a complete plain jane.

Can't wait for the CLA. More models will help that segment. Plus we'll get a apt comparable.

Another thing I dont know if it's just me, but i get a greater sense of luxury when in a Merc or a Bimmer. Mercs may be staid and Bimmer's sporty in their cabin look but the feel is of impeccable luxury. Plastic contact areas are minimal and even those are nice. Audi's have done a bit of over efficiency is managing costs i think and it shows. But they are fantastic price warriors in the luxury market and it shows in their numbers.

We Indians can't resist a deal! And that is probably what will work in favour of the A3.

[merve_extreme]

Great Review !

Originally Posted by moralfibre

Power has been slightly tweaked for the A3, which has 143 BHP (@ 3500 - 4000 rpm) and 320 Nm torque (@ 1750 - 3000 rpm) on tap

The Audi brochure states that the A3 35TDI has a power output of 105kW, which is same as the Octavia and which equals ~ 141bhp or 143 PS. Have Audi tweaked the power delivery ?

[Vid6639]

The diesel has same engine and gearbox as the Skoda Octavia. Both are even based on the same MQB platform.

The way I look at it is, this car is for someone who values brand name and image over everything else. Yes dynamically, this car maybe better than the Octy but price wise it is a cool 6lakhs more than the Octavia vs the A3 base model.

Then there is the Jetta Highline DSG. The engine is 2-3 BHP lesser being pre MQB tune. For 6 lakhs lesser you get same 6 speed DSG but with paddle shifts and much much more legroom. Yes features are lesser but driving pleasure is close.

Give me a Jetta Highline DSG in blue over the A3 any day. If I was chauffeur driven, the Superb is priced the same. No brainer really for the chauffeur driven.

[aa_asif]

Wonderful Review!
2 great value adds for those who consider 1 series and A Class would be the added boot and Identical-twin looks to its A4 brother will attract many customers.
A 6 Speed Manual transmission on the diesel would be a good option to have for enthusiast.

[Arjun Reddy]

Nice and detailed review. The rear bench and cabin space is looking like the deal breaker. Remember the Ford Fiesta. At around 31 lakhs in road Bangalore the Octavia at 25 lakhs is now looking like a great deal. The attention to detail seems to be nice but I guess Audi has to really stretch this car to suit the space requirements of the Indian consumer. Also now the Audi design is getting boring and it was probably the right model to try out something new. Mercedes seems to be on the move now in terms of both interior and exterior designs.


Sent from my iPhone using Team-BHP

[ajaypjayaraj]

for the detailed review. I am or should I say I used to be (Now I'm not so sure) a fan of Audi designs. They are simple, clean and elegant. Thought it was timeless. But now it's getting a little too "timeless".

All faces look too similar. It does look good. But could get boring if they don't incorporate changes in their design, not to ruin the classy looks but to improve upon it. Audi has been making cars which looked good from every angle. They still are. The thing is, we have been seeing almost the same design for quite some time now.

I think it's time they evolved like they did from the 1st gen. TT to the present one. And also put an end to the A1-stretched-A3-stretched-A4-stretched-A6-stretched-A8 idea. Looks like A1 was the baby and grown into A8 as an adult!