Audi A3 2.0 TDI Sport review (2012 onwards)

Model: Audi A3 2.0 TDI Sport
Bodystyle: three-door hatch
Engine: 2.0 TDI turbodiesel
Transmission: six-speed manual
Date of test: September 2011

First drive: Audi A3 2012
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What is it?

This is the brand-new, fresh from the ground up, bursting with the latest technology, Audi A3. No, really, it is.

If you're looking at this car befuddled, like a camel confronted by a particularly difficult Sudoku puzzle, you have my sympathies. This car does look an awful lot like the previous A3. Even A1, A4, A5 and A6 owners might feel the odd pang of familiarity.

Audi has shown real tenacity in sticking to its styling guns so that the majority of its recent new cars each look like a gentle progression from the last. Where most other manufacturers tie themselves in knots insisting that any all-new product has zero similarity to its predecessor, Audi's self-assurance in openly talking about evolution and "subtly confident" design with the new A3 is unusual and impressive.

The fact is that beneath this unmistakably Audi exterior, a great deal has changed. There's a new simplified but high-quality cabin design, the latest VW Group engine technology and an entirely new platform, which mixes aluminium and different steel grades to reduce weight significantly. The latest A3 is 80kg lighter than its predecessor and more than 100kg lighter than each of its key premium hatchback rivals.

Where does it fit?

Audi invented the premium hatchback sector with the first A3 in 1996. This is the third-generation car but it's arriving into a marketplace that considerably more populous. BMW and Mercedes have shown their hands recently with respective all-new versions of the 1 Series and A-Class. Meanwhile, Volvo's recently launched V40 will be looking to muscle in and Lexus has had some success with its unorthodox CT200h hybrid.

Inevitably, it's the three German cars that will be dividing up most of the spoils but the battle to decide who's top dog will be fierce. It's the 148hp 2.0-litre TDI engine we're looking at here, the one that Audi says will account for a full 40% of sales. With middle-ranking Sport trim it starts under £23,000. That includes 17-inch alloy wheels, Audi Drive Select, climate control, sports seats and a tactile three-spoke sports steering wheel.

Is it for you?

Are you a young go-getter with a taste for the shinier things in life, an appetite for success and an eye for authenticity in the brands you consume? If so, then Audi would like to flog you an A3.

If you look beyond the marketing fluff, though, it's a lot more straightforward than that. Like previous A3 models, the car purports to offer Audi's big car quality and engineering in a more compact package. It's a proposition that's hit the right note with thousands of UK motorists to date.

What does it do well?

Audi has copped some flak in the past for producing sporty models that ride with all the comfort of a tea tray being dragged behind a pick-up truck. With this A3, such criticisms have been addressed by offering varied suspension choices across the range. The Sport model we tried comes with Standard or (15mm lower) Sport springs while the range-topping S Line can be had with these settings or the (25mm lower) S Line setup.

Equipped with Sport suspension, our test car appeared to tuck historical ride quality concerns firmly into bed. The suppleness of the ride takes the edge off sudden bumps and eases you over rough B-roads while keeping the car nicely in-check and roll-free.

Refinement is extremely good too, both from the chassis and the 2.0 TDI engine. The 8.6s time for the standstill to 60mph sprint would have been GTI hot hatch quick a few years back but today, this diesel engine delivers it with an effortless surge of power and no discernible turbo lag. A slight harshness when you get close to maximum revs is the only thing to really give the game away that there's a diesel in the house.

What doesn't it do well?

The A3 probably isn't as involving as the BMW 1 Series from a drivers' perspective. The Audi Drive Select system lets you modulate throttle response and steering weighting between Comfort, Dynamic or Automatic modes but even the livelier setting can't match the purity and feel of the A3's rear-wheel-driven arch-rival. In the end though, the difference is small and many customers simply won't notice.

What's it like to live with?

Despite being 80kg lighter than the previous car, this A3 is the same length and 12mm wider. Crucially, shorter overhangs mean that the wheelbase is also increased by 23mm, to 2,601mm, and that's just the three-door - the eventual five-door Sportback version will be longer still.

Rear seat accommodation is pretty good with headroom fine for a six-footer and legroom OK so long as the front seat occupants are willing to compromise a little and inch their chairs forward. The clamber in and out isn't particularly dignified but it's not too bad for a three-door hatch and neither is boot space of 365 litres with the seats up.

Audi has lowered the seating position in this A3 and with the high window line, this makes for a cosy feel in the front seats. Despite this impression, a glance up reveals a lot of headroom and the driving position is very comfortable, partly thanks to lots of adjustment on the steering column.

General build quality is superb and it's hard to find fault with any of the materials used. Audi has simplified its switchgear layout for this A3 but lost none of the accessibility of its controls. The thin panel screen that slides out of the dash is a neat touch as are the giant aluminium-ringed air vents that dominate the dash.

How green is it?

The weight savings made on this A3 aren't all about performance. They bring real advantages when it comes to efficiency too. Combined economy for this 148hp diesel engine is 68.9mpg and CO2 emissions are measured at just 106g/km. Brake energy regeneration and stop/start are standard on all models.

Would we buy it?

It might look like another formulaic Audi but this is comfortably the best A3 yet. More importantly, it's the best the A3 has ever been in comparison with direct rivals since the days when Audi's ground-breaking premium hatch didn't have any direct rivals.

For the kind of money Audi is asking some buyers might want to make a louder statement than the understated A3 can muster but any lack of adventure in the bodywork is more than made up for in other areas. The core 2.0 TDI diesel engine offers smooth, powerful progress and top-class efficiency while the cabin bristles with the cool, quality feel Audi does so well.

First drive: Audi A3 2012
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