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great upgrades, especially the LCD gauge cluster.....
The exterior changes to the new A3 are subtle, but bring with them some up-to-date additions. The mildly reshaped headlights mimic those of the latest A4 (more angular than before) now feature Xenon illumination as standard, and Matrix LED units are optionally available to help light up more of the road at night. The grille is slightly wider and its edges sharper than on the outgoing car, and the bumper has been reshaped too.
Likewise, the tail lights have been revised (and now include scrolling LED indicators on the sporty S3) and the rear diffuser at the lower edge of the bumper is new.
Five new paint colours have been added to the A3 palette – Ara blue, Cosmic blue, Nano grey, Tango red and Vegas yellow – while the alloy wheel choice, ranging from 16 to 19 inches in diameter, has been expanded with new designs.
Much like the outside, the basic cabin design is much the same as the outgoing pre-facelift model. The big change comes in the shape of Audi’s Virtual Cockpit display. Already seen in all of its 12.3-inch glory inside the Audi TT, Q7 and R8, the high-resolution TFT screen replaces traditional dials. A “view” button mounted on the steering wheel allows the driver to choose between a conventional analogue-mimicking display or “infotainment mode”, which shrinks the instruments and prioritises navigation, telephone and audio functions.
The A3 now offers a revised smartphone interface, with an optional wireless charging point for mobile devices.
Audi has taken the chance to give the A3 a number of new safety system from its more upmarket models. A semi-autonomous driving function can follow the car ahead in busy traffic, guide itself between lanes, and when combined with an automatic gearbox can even set off again after a queue grinds to a halt. Audi says that the system, which operates at speeds of up to 40mph, is a first for the premium hatch segment.
Also new is the cross-traffic assist system, which combined with rear parking sensors, warns the driver of any approaching traffic when reversing out of a parking space.
The engine lineup has received attention too, and two new petrol engines have been introduced to the range. The first is a 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit, replacing the existing entry-level 1.2. Despite the drop in capacity (and a cylinder) the new turbocharged lump produces 113 horsepower and 148lb ft of torque – gains of 5hp and 19lb ft over the old 1.2.
A new variation of the 2.0-litre TFSI petrol also finds its way under the bonnet of the A3 for the first time. Already in service in the larger A4, it produces 187hp and 236lb ft of torque. While no official fuel consumption figures have yet been released for the A3, in the larger car it achieves a claimed 51.4mpg.
The performance-oriented S3 receives some attention, too. The 2.0-litre turbo engine gains minor improvements in power and torque – 10hp and 15lb ft – taking overall output to 306hp and 295lb ft. These small gains should help the new model slightly improve upon the old model’s 0-62mph time of 5.2 seconds.
Elsewhere, the same petrol and diesel units remain. Depending on which engine you pick, drive is sent to either the front wheels or all four, and are paired with either a six-speed manual or seven speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
Front looks more aggressive and less like a Jetta . Interior looks nicely spruced up.
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RS3 coming stateside according to C&D
Confirmed: Launch Details of the Audi RS3 Sedan
Audi has just facelifted its A3 and S3 models, but the most interesting addition to the lineup will be the RS3 sedan. We now hear from a highly reliable source within the company that the RS3 sedan will come to the U.S. market in 2017 as a 2018 model.
The RS3 again will be powered by a 2.5-liter turbo five-cylinder—but it will be a completely new engine that shares virtually nothing with the current 2.5-liter five in the European-market RS3 Sportback and the last-generation TT RS.
The new single-turbo five-cylinder will debut at the Beijing auto show in the new TT RS; the RS3 will appear shortly thereafter. The engine’s power output will be close to 400 horsepower, enough to surpass the Mercedes-AMG CLA45 4MATIC, which is rated at 375 horsepower.
The RS3 sedan will be fitted with a DQ500 seven-speed dual-clutch automatic; top speed will be governed at 155 mph or 174 mph, depending on market and options. We expect the sprint from zero to 60 mph will take four seconds flat.
Launching well beyond the midway point for this generation of the A3, the RS3 sedan highlights the fact that Quattro GmbH, under the new leadership of former Lamborghini chief Stephan Winkelmann, has its work cut out.
This vehicle, after all, was teased in early 2011 with the A3 concept (which happened to be powered by a 408-hp 2.5-liter five). When the actual production model comes to market, six years will have passed. The strategy to boost interest in a model by launching an RS derivative late into its life cycle comes at a high cost: Audi misses out on the sales generated by a high-performance derivative for the majority of the model’s life span. Mercedes-AMG and BMW’s M GmbH, by contrast, bring out their high-performance derivatives much earlier.
The A3 is a nice car and all but I'm still not a huge fan. I took one for a spin at my local dealer and didn't find it to be that special. The interior design is exceedingly bland, and there was excessive wind noise. I suppose I'm just not comfortable with the excessive downsizing of luxo brands lately. I'd rather opt for a 320 BMW (which is saying a lot because as a BMW fan I hate the 320s).
Now what Mercedes is doing with the CLA is true daylight robbery. It's a pretty mediocre car...you can get a fairly loaded new A4 Premium Plus or 320 BMW for the same price.
I'd say this falls more in the thinking of just changing it to change it- not really for the better or for worse. Although it is nice to see Audi slowly transform their corporate grille shape into something wider and less tall.
Steering wheel is an improvement, similar in how Lexus recently revamped theirs.
Ara Blue is a hot color. Curious about Cosmic Blue.
Good little car.
04-11-16, 06:53 AM
2017 Audi A3 Facelift revealed
. Interior looks nicely spruced up.
