Top 8 things you need to know about the Audi A3

By Stuart Johnston

 

If you are thinking about buying an Audi A3, it’s handy to have a sense of the car’s model history here, its sales figures, and when the next-generation is set to launch. Here are our top 8 things that will enrich your Audi A3 knowledge bank.

1. The Audi A3 was introduced to South Africa in 1998 as a three-door premium hatchback and since then some 60 000 Audi A3s have been sold, through three generations of the car.

2. The range was later expanded over the generations to include the five-door Sportback, Cabriolet and Sedan versions, the Sedan making a significant appearance in 2014. For a launch review of the Audi A3 sedan from that period, click here.

3. The current A3 generation was launched in 2012 and then extensively facelifted in late 2016. This  A3 refresher saw items like LED headlights introduced, as well as the so-called Audi Virtual Cockpit, which featured an instrument pod that could be changed from a classic instrumentation layout to infotainment functions, all digital and ahead of the driver.

4. The diesel engines in the range were discontinued in mid-2018. Effectively these have been replaced (as fuel saver models) by the three-cylinder 1,0-litre engine. So now the A3 has an all-petrol line-up.

5. In April 2019 the range was re-configured by Audi to include new nomenclature. Instead of the previous badging which referred to engine size, the new badging refers to model status, but with no discernible logic to the badging. The range now starts off with the 30 TFSi models (actually a 1,0litre petrol turbo). The next model up is the 35 TSFI ( a 1,4-litre petrol turbo). Next up are the 40 TFSI models (2,0-litre petrol turbo). And topping the range post- April 2018 are the S3 models (2.0-litre TFSI engines tuned to produce 228 kW).

6. The Audi A3, in combined Sportback and Sedan format, currently sells in the region of between 300 and 400 units a month. It still enjoys a great reputation as an entry-premium level car.

7. The highly charismatic five-cylinder RS3 Sportback and (latterly) the RS3 Sedan has been sold here in limited numbers across the A3 generations. The latest version of this limited numbers model, with 294 kW, a 4,1-second 0-100 km/h and a potential top speed of 280 km/h was introduced in August 2017, but dropped from the price lists towards the end of 2018.

8. The next-generation Audi A3 is scheduled to launch in Europe in a few months, most likely at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. It is expected this all-new Audi A3 will make its debut here in South Africa  in the first half of 2020. This is handy information if you are thinking of buying one during the so-called “run-out” phase of the current model, which may see new-model discounts offered from late 2019 onwards. For a list of over 800 new and used Audi A3 models currently listed on AutoTrader click here.