REVIEW | Audi A3 makes a strong case for the survival of sedans
Audi's latest design language has traded hard angles for softer curves, and that's not to everyone's liking.
Image: Supplied
The Audi A3 35 TFSI Black Edition sedan stood in my driveway.
I wasn't particularly excited about it. Yes, it's a low-slung compact executive sedan with decent 19" wheels, black window surrounds where the chrome would be, black badging and intelligent LED lighting that does a little dance for you when you unlock the car.
But who pays over 800,000 of their hard-earned Randelas for a small sedan? As anyone would tell you, sedans and hatchbacks are fast losing favour globally, thanks to the proliferation of SUVs of all shapes and sizes mushrooming worldwide.
It's also not particularly attractive, although looks are subjective and beauty is in the eye of the beholder and all that. I just feel Audis should be angular and taut. Not curved and bulbous.
On the road is where this Audi really shines
Image: Supplied
In the world of executive sedans, zhe Germans have always had distinctive features that set them apart, especially from each other. The Bavarians had the kidney grille, the Stuttgarters were always more rounded, and the Four Rings of Ingolstadt was the angular, cut, sleek competitor.
But Audi's latest design language has traded hard angles for softer curves. And I don't like it.
I also feel the headlight cluster is too big; it takes up too much of the face. It looks like the droopy eyes of a Basset Hound. I suppose the light cluster echoes the design of the Q8's headlights, but the A3 is significantly smaller and lower to the ground, so the headlights look a little out of place.
The taillights, too, look about as generic as all the other offerings in this class. These days, from a distance at night, it's hard to tell the A Class Sedan, A3 Sedan, and 2-Series Gran Coupe apart from behind.
Back to the price – starting at over R808,000 and rocketing all the way to the fire-breathing RS3 at over R1.5m it's not exactly affordable. You could have a whole lot more car with more power and features if you bought an Omoda C9, for example. It's also still packing that 1.4l or 1.5l turbopetrol TFSI four cylinder that gets you 110kW. Meh.
The interior quality could be better at the price.
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Inside, the Black Edition gets you a flat-bottomed steering wheel, contrast stitching on the leather upholstery, and a tiny sunroof with a manual shade cover. As I slunk into the seats I wondered if this A3 Black Edition sedan was really worth its R834,500 price tag (before optional extras, of which there are many – it's an Audi, duh). I was pleasantly surprised.
The seats are comfortable, hugging your body, giving you the impression that they would comfortably cosset you from all the side-to-side thrashing you would no doubt experience when you throw it into a mountain pass.
It's also not particularly practical. While the boot swallows 425 litres of luggage, the aperture makes it awkward to pack things in and out.
It also suffers from Audi/VW cost-cutting in a big way. There are scratchy plastics that feel out of place in a car this close to a million bucks in price. The door cards in the back are hard, scratchy plastics all the way to the window. And on the grab handle on the driver's side, the silver-grey paint was already scuffing in the car I had on test.
For context, this particular car had less than 10,000km on the odometer, so how these grab handles will hold up under ownership and everyday use is of huge concern. And the gear selector switch, barely a toggle, feels rather flimsy. The flappy paddles mounted to the steering wheels are plastic, and not the sturdy kind. Even the stalks for the indicators and wipers don't feel quite premium enough for an Audi, let alone one that costs this much.
These aesthetic things bothered me. Surely the drivetrain would also be a disappointment? Only 110kW? Pffft.
Then I went for a drive.
On the road is where the Audi shines. Every movement feels surefooted. The feedback through the steering wheel and your bum is like very little I've experienced before. Maybe it's because you're closer to the ground. Maybe it's the low-profile high-performance tyres. But you feel more connected to the road and the driving experience than almost anything else.
The A3 is very rewarding to drive.
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There isn't much in the way of power, to be fair, but the manner in which the DSG transmission transfers that power to the rubber, and the way the suspension handles twisty roads, it feels sportier than its vital statistics suggest.
Driving the Audi A3 35TFSI makes you forgive its cheap-feeling plastics, makes you forget the knowledge that owning one will give you nightmares later on when you need to replace control arms and timing chains, makes you ignore the fact that the way the engine is mounted and assembled means have to pay unusually large sums for labour when it comes time to service the major things...
Because this is a car for driving.
And boy, does it drive well...
IOL Motoring