Audi A3 Sportback (2024 - ) review

Audi sells the regular A3, available as this five-door ‘Sportback’ hatch or as a stylish four-door Saloon, with just two engines at present. These comprise the 35 TFSI 1.5-litre petrol and then a 2.0-litre turbodiesel 35 TDI. The petrol engine uses mild hybrid technology to help it save fuel, mostly by enabling longer periods of coasting (engine off) on the approach to junctions and also through assisting during acceleration. Both petrol and diesel A3s are said to do easily more than 50mpg by official figures, with emissions below the 140g/km marker. The petrol has a marginally lower emissions rating than the diesel, which should result in slightly lower year-one VED/’road tax’, and as unleaded is less expensive per litre than diesel the TFSI model ought to be the cheaper A3 to run, but there really isn’t much in it.

Although Audi is known as a prestige brand, some of its cars are not without fault – and this generation A3 is one of them. The wider Volkswagen Group, to which this Audi belongs, has been having widely reported issues with its infotainment systems in terms of electrical glitches, and the A3 is no exception to that. Owners who bought it from 2021 until 2023 report having to take their cars back into the dealership to have gremlins fixed under warranty, although the good news is that in the vast majority of cases the manufacturer is covering all the costs so it’s more the inconvenience factor than the expense of putting any such issues right. The hope is that these earlier teething troubles with the infotainment software should have been ironed out by now, so this facelifted model should prove more dependable.

With a full five-star safety score by testing body Euro NCAP already in the bag for the 2024 update Audi has enhanced the standard equipment list with parking sensors front and rear on every model, while every A3 in the range is also equipped with an adjustable speed limiter, advanced driver attention and drowsiness monitoring, cruise control, hill-hold assist, Audi Pre-Sense Front, collision avoidance assistant, lane departure warning and camera-based traffic sign recognition. About the only way you can build on this impressive level of kit is to plump for either the Technology Pack or the Technology Pack Pro options. The former includes a reversing camera, adaptive cruise assist and a head-up display (as well as a Sonos premium sound system), while the latter bundles adaptive cruise with a lane-change assistant with exit warning system, rear cross-traffic alert, LED Matrix headlights and an enhanced version of the company’s proprietary Pre-Sense technology. The drawback is that the Technology Pack Pro is very expensive, but – in short – there are precious few cars in this class which can match the Audi A3 for its levels of safety equipment.

The Audi A3’s driving position is excellent and should cater for people of all shapes and sizes with its impressive range of adjustability. Visibility is also good, while the seats are supportive and comfortable. Space in the rear of the Sportback is decent as well, so taller people should be able to sit back there for longer periods of time while the boot is average for the class. The Saloon has even more room but the Sportback has the more practical and wider boot aperture for loading bulky items. Our 35 TFSI Sportback test car came on sporty suspension and big 19-inch alloy wheels with an optional damper control system to attempt to make it ride more softly – yet such a cosseting experience never materialised. Instead, it felt a bit harsh on poor surfaces, so we’d advise going for the basic A3 Sport with its softer suspension and 17-inch wheels if comfort is a priority. At least the A3 Sportback limits wind and tyre noise, making it a refined car to travel in on the most part.

An enhancement of the standard equipment levels for the 2024 Audi A3 runs beyond driver assist safety systems, adding desirable toys to the cabin to improve the car’s connectivity. Every car, from basic Sport specification upwards, now benefits from the crisp, clear Audi Virtual Cockpit Plus digital instrument cluster, while the main infotainment is presented on an attractive and fast-responding 10.1-inch touch-screen. To this, the company has added Audi App store and a smartphone interface, along with the Audi Phonebox Light software with wireless smartphone charging, so the car feels more cutting edge in the way it interfaces with your other tech. Heated front seats with an electric lumbar support feature are another creature comfort fitted to every A3, meaning even the Sport trim feels upmarket rather than what people would once have disparagingly termed ‘poverty-spec’. S line and Black Edition models bring bigger wheels in various sizes up to 19 inches and with fresh designs, along with a few other sundry upgrades. There are also five new body colours for the revised A3 family, the luscious District Green looking especially attractive.

At the time of writing the revised Audi A3 line-up is simple to comprehend, comprising as it does the petrol mild-hybrid 35 TFSI and 35 TDI diesel. Both are front-wheel drive and have seven-speed S tronic branded automatic gearboxes, and they produce the same peak power as well. Admittedly, the diesel has a little more low-range flexibility, but the petrol is keener to rev and feels more than quick enough for most people’s needs. It can sound quite rough at higher revs, which is about the only time the Audi A3 is noisy in any significant way. Joining the line-up later will be a lower-powered petrol option called the 30 TFSI and a plug-in petrol-electric hybrid badged the 45 TFSI e, as well as a manual gearbox option for certain models. Given the S tronic is such a pleasant and slick transmission we wouldn’t be rushing to choose this, though. It’s not clear if quattro all-wheel drive will be offered on select drivetrains in the regular A3 Sportback and Saloon ranges going forward, although the S3 performance derivative – as sampled already by Rory Reid – has also been upgraded. Available in both body types and with all-wheel drive as standard it represents the pinnacle of A3 ownership … at least, potentially, until a revised RS 3 high-performance variant makes an appearance in the future.