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Audi a312/15/2023 ![]() All diesel A3 engines also gain a twin-dosing AdBlue system to help reduce NOx emissions, especially at higher speeds. ![]() ![]() When matched with the S tronic seven-speed automatic gearbox, it makes for an ideal long-distance driver. It certainly feels smoother than previous iterations of this unit did, too. All of the A3’s engines have been re-engineered, and in the case of the 35 TDI (2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel), this has resulted in quieter operation. Finally, the S line comes with a stiffer passive set-up as standard, reducing ride height and the centre of gravity by 15mm. The more powerful variants benefit from superior multi-link suspension with a separate spring-and-damper design. If your A3 has less than 148bhp, it gets a torsion-beam rear axle. However, the standard setup still offers a good compromise between comfort and body control, so the upgrade isn’t strictly necessary.Īn 11mm-wider track raises cornering speeds and stability across the board, in comparison to the outgoing A3, but the sophistication of the suspension underneath varies considering across the line-up. Driven back to back with an A3 on passive suspension, the greater distinction between the settings is immediately obvious. It uses a new system with specially designed valves in the dampers to alter the rate of flow, thus allowing for a greater difference between the Comfort and Sport settings than previous systems. And actually, as you wind on lock in this setting, there’s an unpleasant amount of resistance, so we feel the steering is best left in the default mode.īetter in operation is the adaptive suspension, again an option, which lowers the ride height by 10mm. We found that it was only the sportier Dynamic mode that made any real difference, predictably weighting up the steering to require more input force from the driver. Incidentally, the standard power steering system is electromechanical with speed-sensitive assistance.ĭrivers can further adjust the feel of the steering by toggling through the different modes in the Drive Select function (available from Sport trim). It’s a worthwhile upgrade no matter where you spend most of your time driving. The variable ratio allows this without making the steering overly sensitive at or near the straight-ahead position. This makes the steering more direct the more you turn the wheel, which is great for parking, because you can get from lock to lock speedily, but it also makes the A3 feel incredibly biddable when attacking a sequence of especially tight corners. How does the new A3 Sportback perform on the road?Īudi hasn’t enjoyed a stellar reputation for giving its cars involving steering feel, but while the A3 isn’t pitched as the last bastion of engaging dynamics, most buyers will likely have no cause for complaint.Īll of the models we drove came equipped with Audi’s optional Progressive Steering, which uses a variable ratio rack. From Sport specification up, these are split 40:20:40, rather than 40:60. The boot capacity of the A3 remains the same as in the previous generation, at 380 litres, and this increases to 1200 litres when the rear seats are folded forward. A 7mm increase in front head room and 2mm more shoulder room are also welcome, if small, improvements. According to the company, each A3 uses 45 discarded 1.5-litre plastic bottles in every set of seats with the new material.Īside from that, there’s 6mm more elbow room in the front and 3mm more in the rear, thanks to an increase in the car’s width. The A3’s seats are also new and, in a bid to improve its environmental credentials, Audi now uses materials for the inlays that are manufactured from recycled PET bottles. This is the preferable set-up in our opinion. Instead, there’s a small cluster in the lower section of the dashboard with easy-to-reach physical buttons that make frequent adjustments possible without glancing away from the road. Audi A3 Sportback 35 TDI S Line 2020 UK first driveĪs in other smaller models in the Audi range, there isn’t a secondary touchscreen for the climate control settings.Audi A3 Sportback 40 TFSIe 2020 UK first drive.
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