The MK4 model Audi A3 Sportback demonstrates that class is permanent. Jonathan Crouch reports.

Ten Second Review

The premium compact car. If that concept means anything to you, then it's the car we look at here, Audi's A3 Sportback, that might well come to mind. True to the brand's Vorsprung durch Technik philosophy, this model once again aims to set fresh standards, incorporating a completely digitalised interior and cutting-edge infotainment, plus more unique light signatures, powerful engines and a suite of innovative assistance systems enveloped in a completely redesigned, yet immediately recognisable body. The result is a car that should show you just how far things have recently progressed in this segment.

Background

The Audi A3 firmly established the premium compact class in 1996. Now, more than a quarter of a century further on, the fourth generation of this highly successful model is ready to make its mark. These days of course, this Audi faces strong competition, but back in 1996 when we first saw the A3 model line, the idea of being able to move a car up-market in class and appeal without increasing its size was new and rather different.

Cynics dismissed it as a way of dressing up ordinary family hatches and charging a lot more for them. Customers though, loved the idea and by the time the second generation A3 arrived in 2003, BMW and Mercedes rivals had also arrived to swell the market. Initially, those two brands struggled to produce products good enough to overtake Audi and the result was that nearly a quarter of a million MK2 A3s were pounding global roads by the time the third generation model arrived in the Autumn of 2012. It sold for nearly eight years until this more cutting-edge MK4 model arrived.

Driving Experience

If you're an A3 regular you'll find that this Audi now has even more of the mature drive dynamics you'll be looking for, helped by a fully digital at-the-wheel experience and the optional embellishment of hybrid power and self-driving tech. Differences with this MK4 design initially seem quite subtle, primarily centred around slightly sharper steering and handling that's now a little more responsive. As before, you'll need to avoid the lowest-powered petrol and diesel variants if you want the brand's suppler, more sophisticated multi-link rear suspension set-up.

Ah yes, engines: they've evolved too: the two volume petrol units - a 110PS 1.0-litre three cylinder and the 150PS 1.5-litre four cylinder powerplant we tried - both get Audi's latest mild hybrid MHEV electrified tech, provided you order them with the 7-speed S tronic auto transmission that most A3 folk tend to want. You can do better with the alternative conventional 30 TDI diesel model of course - which now develops 116PS using a larger, more efficient 2.0-litre unit with the brand's latest 'Twin Dosing' tech. There's also a 150PS 2.0-litre 35 TDI model option. The better eco-minded alternative though, is the 40 TFSIe Plug-in Hybrid, which mates a 150PS 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine to a 6-speed DSG auto gearbox, when fully charged, can offer a WLTP-rated all-electric driving range of up to 41 miles.

Design and Build

Audi's given this MK4 model a more athletic stance and its concave flanks introduce a completely new element into the company's design philosophy. These days, there's no three-door A3 model, so the range is primarily based around the five-door Sportback body shape, which features heavily slanting C-pillars above the rear wheels and is around 3cms longer than the previous model.

The biggest changes are reserved for the cockpit, which gains the digitalised 'black panel' technology lately introduced into most of the company's other models. A 10.1-inch centre-dash MMI touch display is standard and can be used to adjust the settings of the media selection, navigation, and extensive connect services. Also standard is a 10.25-inch 'Virtual Cockpit' digital instrument cluster.

Out back, the boot is much as before, offering a capacity of between 380 and 1,200-litres.

Market and Model

As before, prices for A3 Sportback ownership sit primarily in the £25,000 to £35,000 bracket, though with more powerful variants, much more will be required. Technik, Sport, S line, Edition 1 and Vorsprung specifications are available. You will at least be getting plenty for your cash. The 'MIB 3'-generation MMI infotainment system has ten times more computing power than this set-up did in the previous model. Individual settings can be stored in up to six user profiles. They range from the seat position to the air conditioning settings, frequently selected navigation destinations, and frequently used media. Handwriting recognition (you can trace commands with your fingertip) and an advanced natural language voice control system also both feature.

Audi has also upgraded its 'MMI navigation plus' sat nav system, which recognises the driver's preferences based on previous journeys, allowing the GPS software to generate suitable route suggestions. Online radio and hybrid radio can also be installed upon request.

Cost of Ownership

Audi is continuing is electrification strategy in the premium compact class, hence the emphasis on the MHEV mild hybrid 1.5-litre 35 TFSI petrol S tronic model in this MK4 A3 Sportback model range. The figures suggest that this variant manages 50.4mpg, with a CO2 return of 128g/km of CO2. That compares well to the figures of the conventional version of this engine allied to a manual gearbox (48.7mpg and 132g/km). The 35 TDI diesel S tronic auto model manages 62.8mpg and 119g/km.

Most A3 buyers will want the MHEV auto petrol model which uses the same sort of set-up we've already seen on larger Audi models. A 'BAS' belt alternator starter-generator that with this four cylinder engine, powers a 48-volt main electrical set-up in which a compact lithium-ion battery in the boot stores energy harvested via a 'KERS' kinetic energy recovery system. During braking, the 'BAS' package can recover up to 12kW of power and feed it back into the battery.

Summary

In the search for a compact car that's also a premium purchase, there are probably more charismatic choices than this Audi A3. But we think there are few better ones. Light in bulk, heavy in technology, it's a logical evolution of a breed that's long been one of Britain's favourite company cars. Cool, class-less and clever, it remains desirably definitive.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

CAR: Audi A3 Sportback

PRICES: from £24,900

INSURANCE GROUPS: 18-29

CO2 EMISSIONS: 128-142 g/km

PERFORMANCE: [1.5 TFSI 150PS] 0-62mph 8.2s Top Speed 137mph [est]

FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.5 TFSI 150PS] 41.5mpg (combined) [WLTP]

STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: ESP, ABS with EBA, twin front,side and head airbags

WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height 4313/1785/1426 mm