By Staff Reporter

Audi has revealed the second generation of its successful A3 Sedan. The Ingolstadt-based car manufacturer has billed its new A3 Sedan as more elegant, longer, wider, more refined and highly connected than before. We will only be able to put the refinement to test in in the second quarter 2021 when it launches locally. Based on the images, Audi seem to be on the money with the other adjectives.

Design

The exterior design of the new A3 Sedan is both sporty and elegant. Up-front, a wider honeycomb design, single-frame grille featuring a controllable cooling-air inlet with two electrically actuated louver modules is flanked by striking headlights which form downward in trapezodial angles. The top model will come with Matrix LED with digital daytime running lights consisting of a pixel array made up of 15 LED segments.

Its concave surfaces on the doors accentuates the sportiness of the 4.5 meters long (4 cm longer), 1.82 meters wide (2 cm wider) and 1.43 meters tall (1 cm taller) compact sedan. This improves the headroom by 2 centimetres for the front seats. The luggage capacity remains unchanged at 425-litres.

Technology

The futuristic interior of the new A3 Sedan has a driver focused cockpit with dual-screens and a gear lever borrowed from cars like the Volkswagen Golf 8 and Porsche Taycan. Standard across the range is a 10.25-inch digital cluster. A 12.3-inch digital cluster is available as an optional extra. The diagonal infotainment screen is sized at 10.1-inches. Top models of the A3 Sedan will get the MMI Navigation Plus, which offers a multitude of Audi connect services as standard and uses the third-generation modular infotainment platform (MIB 3) boasting processing speeds ten times faster than the predecessor model. It also supports Apple Car Play and Android Auto. The Audi connect key will allow owners to lock, unlock and start their A3 Sedans using their Android smartphones.

Engines

In Europe, three engines will be available at launch, two petrol engines and one diesel engine. Below is a list of the above-mentioned engines:

The powertrains mated to the S tronic dual-clutch transmission will feature a 48-volt mild hybrid system which helps recover energy during deceleration, supports the engine with up to 50 Nm of torque when driving off and accelerating from low engine speeds allowing the A3 Sedan to coast with the engine switched off in many situations. In everyday driving, it reduces consumption by up to 0.4-liters per 100 kilometres.

Suspension

Audi promises a sporty and harmonious suspension setup for the new A3 Sedan which they claim is a touch more precise than the predecessor. Also available is a sport suspension and a suspension with controlled dampers.

Pricing and availability

Audi South Africa is yet to announce the local pricing for the Mercedes-Benz A-Class sedan competitor. We should expect the new A3 sedan in the second quarter of 2021.