The All-new Audi A3 Sedan is the better looking and smarter brother



Following the launch of the new all-new A3 Sportback last month, Audi has finally introduced the fourth-generation A3 in four-door sedan form.

Unsurprisingly, the new Audi A3 Sedan looks almost identical to the Sportback version, except with a boot tacked-on. That means that compared to its predecessor, the design changes are also mostly evolutionary – which isn’t a bad thing in this case.

There are a few subtle differences between the two though (other than the body style), such as the lower character line which now extends rearwards towards the bumper, emphasising the length of the Sedan while also giving it a more elegant look. The integrated boot lip spoiler gives the A3 Sedan an athletic appearance without looking like a boy racer.

Thanks to the higher rear end and large diffuser, the all-new Audi A3 sedan is more aerodynamic than before, with a Cd of 0.25 – 0.04 better than its predecessor. The aerodynamic is further helped by the electronically-controlled louvre behind the Singleframe grille – which regulates the cooling air flow based on requirement.

The all-new Audi A3 Sedan has grown slightly in all dimensions compared to its predecessor, but most notably in length which is increased by 40 mm – also making it 150 mm longer than the Sportback. Wheelbase is unchanged, which means interior space is largely unchanged, though Audi says that the headroom is increased by 2 cm in front thanks to a lower seat placement, along with a little more elbow room.

The interior architecture is also ported directly from the Sportback too, featuring a driver-focused dashboard with minimal buttons and knobs. As standard, the Audi A3 Sedan comes with a 10.1-inch central infotainment display, angled slightly towards the driver.

Running on the latest Modular Infotainment Platform 3, Audi promises processing speeds of up to 10 times faster than before. As expected, connectivity options are aplenty, including LTE cellular and Car-to-X services.

The infotainment display is paired to a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster as standard, but can be upgraded to the 12.3-inch Audi Virtual Cockpit Plus model, which includes better functionality and more modular display layouts. A head-up display can also be specified.

At launch, the Audi A3 Sedan will be offered in three powertrain options. On the petrol side, the 35 TFSI variant gets a 1.5-litre four cylinder engine, generating 150 hp and 200 Nm of torque. The engine can be paired to a new six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed S-Tronic dual-clutch transmission.

With the dual-clutch transmission, the powertrain will also feature a 48-volt mild hybrid system. Audi says that the electric motor can supply up to 50 Nm of torque during acceleration just from recuperated energy.

Although acceleration times are unchanged with the added 48V system (both versions have a century sprint time of 8.4 seconds), Audi says that it reduces consumption by up to 0.4 l/100km in everyday driving.

As for the oil-burners, the Audi A3 Sedan can also be had with a 2.0-litre TDI turbo-diesel engine, which makes 150 hp and 360 Nm of torque. The diesel powerplant is paired to the same seven-speed S-Tronic dual-clutch transmission, which utilises a new shift-by-wire technology.


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