The Audi A3 and A3 Sportback are raising their sporty profile with a raft of improvements and an accentuated design.

The improvements include the arrival of technologies such as the S tronic dual-clutch transmission with seven speeds, Audi magnetic ride (the suspension control system), parking system at front and rear, the parking assistant and the reversible loadliner.

The Audi S3 developing 195kW is now also available as a Sportback version, a new top model that rounds off the range.

Sportier profile

New visual details for the three-door A3 and A3 Sportback emphasise its stretched, sporty profile. The front lid and fenders are more expressively styled, and the bumper and large single-frame radiator grille have been modified. The headlights get a curved trim element known as the "wing", while daytime running lights are standard features. The optional bi-xenon headlamps incorporate LEDs.

Down the sides, the highlight features are exterior mirrors with integral turn indicators, new door handles and wheels.

At the tail end, are modified bumper and lights; the A3 Sportback now has fibre optic rods arranged in a flat, continuous strip. The three-door A3 has a modified tailgate with a new light edge.

As a result of the design modifications, the A3 has grown by 2.5cm in length to 4.24m, while the proportions of the Sportback remain virtually unchanged at 4.29m in length.

Sporty elegance

Inside the car, it's about aluminum-look elements on the air vents, light switches and centre console, while the switches and controls beneath the audio system have been given a new, modern look. The instruments have black dials and red needles, and a shift indicator displays the recommended gear in any given circumstances in the driver information system. The driver information system's display and the time, date and distance display – standard with the Ambiente and Ambition equipment lines – shows the information in high-resolution white type.

The leather sport steering wheel for the Ambition line has new aluminum trim clips, and Audi can supply a flat-bottomed leather sport steering wheel for the Ambition as an option.

The A3's boot measures 350 to 1080 litres, with a larger 370 to 1100 litres Sportback. On quattro versions the trunk floor is a few centimeters higher, to accommodate the special rear axle. The front-wheel-drive versions get a reversible loadliner that is an easy-to-clean tray which can be removed from the car as a carrying tray.

Powerful drive

Europeans get the choice of eight different engines – five petrol and three diesel versions. Six of them are pioneering four-cylinder direct injection units with turbocharging.

The 1.6 unit develops 75kW, the 1.4 TFSI 92 kW, the 1.8 TFSI 118kW and the 2.0 TFSI 147kW, while the 3.2 quattro with its six cylinders musters 184kW. The 1.9 TDI delivers 77kW and the 2.0 TDI 103kW or 125kW, depending on specification. Both two-liter diesel engines have been reengineered with a new common rail injection system.

The 1.6-litre petrol engine can also be supplied in conjunction with manual transmission for low-cost running on ethanol E 85 fuel. The diesel with an output of 77kW is the power unit of the 1.9 TDI e version which, thanks to special fine-tuning measures, clocks up 100 kilometers on 4.5 litres of diesel. Most of the other engines cut fuel consumption by as much as 15 percent over their predecessors.

Almost all engine versions are supplied as standard with six-speed manual transmission. The 3.2 is available exclusively with the S tronic dual-clutch transmission, now also available optionally for all engine versions. The driver can set it to operate in a fully automatic mode or change gears manually - either at the selector lever or with the standard shift paddles on the leather sport steering wheel.

The quattro all-wheel-drive system is available for five engine versions – for the 1.8 TFSI, the 2.0 TFSI, the 3.2 (as standard) and the two 2.0 TDI versions.

Fancy fancy

A new addition to the A3, Audi magnetic ride "overcomes the age-old conflict between dynamic behaviour and ride comfort", say the Germans. The driver can choose between "Normal" and "Sport" programs by flipping a switch. A "magneto-rheological" fluid circulating in the shock absorbers changes its flow properties within milliseconds when a voltage is applied; this affects the damping characteristic, which can be varied from comfortably supple to crisply firm.

The equipment range for the Audi A3 and A3 Sportback has also been extended. As before, there are three lines to choose from: Attraction, Ambition (sporty) and Ambiente (luxury).

Modcons include the automatic air conditioning, adaptive light – the dynamic cornering light system – and the Audi parking system for front and rear, displaying the distance from an obstruction via the frequency of the signal emitted. Then there is the new parking assistant. Its ultrasound sensors scan the parking spaces by the roadside as the car is driven slowly past; the driver is informed in the instrument cluster if one of them is sufficiently large to back into. If the reverse gear is engaged and the accelerator pressed, the system manipulates the electromechanical steering to guide the car automatically into the space. All the driver need do is attend to the accelerator, clutch and brakes.

Pure performance

The range-topping member of the A3 family sports new features, too. There is now a second top model on the market, with the S3 Sportback joining the three-door Audi S3. Both versions are equipped with the same engine, the reengineered 2.0 TFSI with an output of 195kW. With 350Nm of torque available constantly from 2500 to 5000rpm, the direct-injection, 2.0-litre turbo pushes the three-door model from 0 to 100km/h in 5.7 seconds (Sportback: 5.8 seconds); the top speed is limited electronically to 250km/h. Fuel consumption is an average of 8.5 litres per 100km.

A six-speed manual transmission handles the business of getting the power from the engine to the standard quattro driveline; 18-inch wheels provide grip with the road. The sport suspension holds the body 25mm lower and integrates lightweight aluminium components. Black brake calipers act on 17-inch disk brakes.

Like the A3, the S3 has been optically modified and is clearly distinguished by a number of lines, for example on the radiator grille, on the bumpers and on the roof spoiler, as well as by the aluminium-look exterior mirrors. Inside, the driver and front passenger are greeted by sport seats with cloth, Alcantara/leather or all-leather upholstery; Audi exclusive bucket seats are available as an option. Aluminium pedals, three different styles of inlay and a black or silver headlining add to the exclusive, sporty look. Automatic air conditioning, an anti-theft alarm and xenon plus headlamps with LED daytime running light extend the range of standard features.

The new Audi A3, A3 Sportback and the two S3 versions are about to go on the market in Europe…