Audi A3 Sedan: World Car of the Year 2014 arrives

VALUE for money is what you get with Audi’s latest A3.

Despite stricter Bureau of Internal Revenue compliance regulations on luxury items, sales of premium luxury vehicles are slowly but surely growing. The latest entrant into the compact luxury sedan segment is Audi’s A3 Sedan. This is Audi’s second-generation compact, aiming its standard LED-equipped headlights squarely at competitors from Lexus (CT200h), Mercedes-Benz (A-Class) and BMW (the 1-Series).

Value for money is what you get with Audi’s latest A3. All models come equipped with the aforementioned LED daytime running lights, xenon headlamps, Audi’s MMI or Multi Media Interface infotainment system, a choice of both turbocharged gasoline and diesel engines as well as the much-vaunted S-Tronic dual-clutch transmission. Gasoline variants get the seven-speed version, while the much torquier diesels get the six-speed version. Front-wheel drive is the norm, with the range-topping S3 that boasts a bigger, more powerful TFSI petrol engine, which produces  280 horsepower and drives all four wheels thanks to Quattro AWD and six-speed dual clutch S-Tronic transmission.

The New A3 is bigger, longer and wider, yet masks its size well. It is barely 250 millimeters shorter than the previous generation B7-body A4 sedan, yet boasts comparable if not greater interior space, particularly at the back. Even for above-average-sized Filipinos, the A3 is more than adequate as a family car. The roofline is quite low but clears even moderately tall back-seat passengers with ease. Overall dimensions are 4.46 meters of overall length, riding on a long 2.64-m wheelbase.

Driving position is excellent, with the steering wheel adjusting for both reach and rake, and the seats electronically adjusting 10 ways, allowing drivers of different sizes to fit comfortably inside the A3. The steering wheel is chunky, has a light but decently feeling weight and steering effort, and has paddle shifters behind the spokes to manually change gears. Cruise control and some auxiliary controls for the MMI are also present on the steering wheel’s spokes. LED mood lights round out the interior so driving at night, even in traffic, feels special.

Pop the trunk and the A3 can fit two golf bags (or any large and long objects for that matter) easily, thanks to the deep trunk space. Despite tagging itself as a great buy, Audi’s engineers have decided to instill more style into the new A3. The tornado lines on the sides of the A3 sedan add a hint of style and aggression, and break the monotony of previously slab-sided Audis, also creating a light refracting line that runs the entire side profile of the A3 sedan.

Inside, the dashboard is much more simplified, and the large MMI LCD display slides out of view to improve visibility on the road and reduces unnecessary clutter that can distract the driver. The MMI has been redesigned such that ergonomics and ease of use have been made even more intuitive and easier to use for first-time Audi owners. The quality is very apparent: tight panel gaps, pliant surfaces and a sense of heft associated with premium-ness when fiddling with the various knobs, buttons and dials. It’s no surprise that the Audi A3 was named World Car of the Year for 2014.

Three variants are available from launch: the A3 1.8 TFSI petrol, the A3 2.0 TDI Attraction and 2.0 TDI Ambition. The range-topping S3 arrives in a few months packing more toys, more power and more exclusivity.

Since Audi is known for turbocharging and direct fuel injection, be it gasoline or petrol, it is to be expected that the new A3 comes packing the latest, updated four-cylinder alloy powerplants from the factory. The 1.8 petrol TFSI engine produces 180 HP and 250 Newton-meters of torque with a stylish part-leather interior, while both 2.0 TDI Attraction and Ambition diesel variants come with a 150-HP engine that also produces 320 Nm of torque. Larger alloy wheels in 17-inch-diameter wheels further differentiate the 1.8 TFSI versus the 2.0 TDI’s smaller 16-inch alloy wheels.

Safety is always of paramount importance so the A3 also comes with six airbags as standard: dual front airbags for passenger and driver, and side-curtain airbags as well, along with ABS-EBD brakes and Traction/Stability Control.

Select members of the motoring media had a chance to spend some time with Audi’s A3. From the PGA Cars Audi Greenhills showroom, the group headed to the southern suburb of Alabang in Muntinlupa for lunch, followed by a drive toward Cavite and Laguna through winding roads with varying surfaces. The drive also showed the A3’s comfortable high-speed cruising confidence thanks to its lightweight yet stiff chassis, its reassuring steering and brakes through winding roads, and controlled yet compliant suspension on bumpy provincial b-roads. Comfort is of high priority in Audi’s A3, such that back-seat passengers weren’t perturbed even with spirited driving through winding roads.

We weren’t able to verify the advertised top speeds (242 kilometer per hour for the 1.8 TFSI petrol and 219 kph for the 2.0 TDI) but hitting 200 kph for speed demons is an easy task, as we discovered on a private road. The brakes had more than ample stopping power to slow down the A3 from these elevated velocities, even with three adults inside the vehicle. Despite strong crosswinds on the highway, the A3 remained only slightly ruffled, slicing through the atmosphere with confidence and ease.

And even as these lower models lacked Quattro AWD, the stability on order was impressive such that you wouldn’t notice the difference, despite heavy rain, standing water and mud liberally splashed through our driving routes.

It was a short but very promising drive. Watch this space for a more thorough review in the near future!