2015 Audi A3: Made for Chimerica

Budapest, Hungary-

Chimerica. It’s a new word coined by British economics historian Niall Ferguson to describe the symbiotic relationship that now exists between the economies of China and the United States of America, and it applies perfectly to the new third-generation Audi A3 whose mission it is to conquer both of these important markets by swapping the five-door configuration of the previous model for the more conventional look of a four-door sedan.

German manufacturers seem to think that the compact luxury segment is the next battleground and competition is heating up as evidenced by the recent launch of the Mercedes-Benz CLA and the new Audi A3, slated to arrive in Canada for April 2014 as a 2015 model. By introducing a sedan, designed specifically to appeal to consumers in the two biggest car markets of China and North America, Audi hopes to double it’s A3 sales which currently account for 20 percent of the automaker’s volume worldwide. Replacing the current very practical five-door hatchback with this new sedan also means that Audi is adopting a different strategy for the A3, moving it upmarket and clearing the way for the arrival of the A1, a smaller hatchback which is already on European roads and is eventually expected to become the brand’s new entry-level car for North America.

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The new A3 Sedan was penned by Canadian designer Dany Garand, who hails from Sherbrooke and has been working in Audi’s design department for many years, and it’s dimensions and proportions are remarkably similar to those of the first-generation A4 introduced in 1994. At first glance, you could almost say that the new A3 is a 7/8th scale version of the current A4 and casual onlookers will have trouble telling both cars apart. The large Singleframe grille, the sculpted flanks with the Audi signature contour Tornado line and the trunklid spoiler all contribute to create a sporty yet somewhat understated and classic shape with a 0,29 drag coefficient. Audi is currently very big on headlight design and technology and the new A3 will be available with full LED headlights.

For the Canadian market, Audi will offer a choice between three turbocharged four-cylinder engines, two gas-powered and one diesel. The 1.8 liter gasoline engine and the 2.0 liter TDI diesel will be paired with front-wheel drive while the 2.0 liter gasoline engine will equip all-wheel-drive A3s and all models will exclusively feature the six-speed S Tronic dual-clutch gearbox as the six-speed manual has been dropped from the catalog for North America even though it will remain a fixture for the European markets. High-performance will be added to the mix in the guise of the 300-horsepower S3 variant which will also arrive in the Spring of 2014 and which you can expect to read about in these pages next November. The five-door configuration will also eventually return to North America one year behind the A3 sedan as a dedicated plug-in hybrid model with a combined output of 204 horsepower supplied by a 1.4 liter engine as well as an electric motor.

On the occasion of the car’s launch in Budapest, we got to drive the A3 sedan powered by the 1.8 liter gasoline engine, as well as the 2.0 liter TDI, but not the 2.0 liter gasoline engine as production of that particular powerplant had not yet begun. With the 1.8 TFSI engine, the A3 proves to be an able and competent performer as the engine delivers it’s maximum torque of 184 foot-pounds on a very flat torque curve between 1250 and 5000 RPMs. It still takes 7.3 seconds to get to 100 kilometers per hour from a standing start, but the engine is very tractable and the A3’s performance is more than adequate as the torque remains relatively constant making passing maneuvers on secondary roads easy. With the S Tronic dual-clutch gearbox, the A3 shines. The gearbox is very smooth and refined and the car is happy to flex its muscles in the lower gears as the engine gets close to its maximum revs while highway cruising at low revs in the highest gear is a very relaxed affair. Fuel consumption is rated at a remarkable 5,6 liters per 100 kilometers average on the notoriously optimistic European fuel consumption cycle and although we can expect a higher fuel consumption rate in real-world conditions in Canada, the A3 will still impress in that regard. The 2.0 liter diesel is even better, as it is rated at 4.1 liters per 100 kilometers, and this engine is remarkably smooth and hushed at cruising speeds. Torque is more abundant here than on the 1.8 liter gasoline engine, the rating is 236 foot-pounds between 1750 and 3000 RPMs, and the engine delivers good performance while in that mid-range sweet spot, but the diesel-powered A3 is slower on the run up to 100 kilometers per hour with a 8.7 second time. One of the key attributes of the A3 is it’s extended use of lightweight materials, such as aluminium which is used for the hood and various components. With the TDI engine, the car weighs only 1315 kilos, it’s even lighter at 1295 kilos when powered by the 1.8 TFSI engine, and this low weight explains in part why the A3 is so fuel-efficient.

In terms of ride and handling, the A3 is not a car that will challenge you to attack the next highway off-ramp as the handling is not that inspiring which is partly due to the fact that the electrically-assisted steering, while very precise, does not provide much feedback. With the Audi Drive Select system, you can in effect tailor the car’s dynamic responses to your liking and the A3 is happy to cruise along at a more than decent pace with a ride quality that remains on the firm side while still displaying good road manners. As can be expected, the new A3 can be loaded with optional driver assistance systems such as Side Assist for blind spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control.

Inside the cabin, the A3 is typical of other Audi products as the assembly quality is first rate. However the large one-piece molded section that sits atop the dashboard is made of the same material that is used in the Volkswagen Golf GTI and although the styling is different, this piece looks more at home in a Volkswagen than in an Audi. A very flat high-definition seven-inch colour screen rises from the dash on startup and is linked to the Muliti Media Interface which now features a larger rotary controller with a more intuitive feel. The cargo space is very good at 425 liters and folding the rear seatbacks will increase capacity to 880 liters.

The Audi A3 is a very good-looking car featuring classic lines and it stands in marked contrast with the new Mercedes-Benz CLA which is much more evocative in terms of styling. With a combination of more than adequate performance and good fuel economy, the new A3 should do well in Canada. No pricing information has been released on the occasion of the car’s launch as pricing will be set closer to the car’s market launch in Canada next spring.