Category Archives: Audi

Audi, Family hatchback, Motor reviews, Motoring

Audi A3: Still a premium diesel option

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Audi A3 Sportback

By Bill McCarthy

In the huge range of premium cars in the Audi stable, the A3 perhaps stands out as the most aspirational for those looking to step up a level. It is not hard to see why. It’s been around for a few years, and the latest version of its compact sportback offers the iconic four-ring badging, premium quality, practicality, and excellent fuel economy.

Both the sportback and saloon have been refreshed recently with upgraded lighting, and an enhanced cabin with new infotainment and driver assistance technologies. 

While the drive to electrification goes on, even at a slightly slower pace, the firm still has faith in its diesel products, with this model powered by a clean and greener two litre diesel engine. 

While EVs are due to be the only show in town from 2035, a diesel could last 20 years or more, so still offers a sound alternative.

Sharp exterior look

This latest, prettier, A3 sports a striking honeycomb grille and trapezoidal LED headlights flanking a wider slimmer grille.

The ionic Audi rings are now flush to the grille, with a revised bumper and stylish 20-inch optional alloys on this model.

A new colour palette gives a wider range of options.

Premium interior

The Audi interior has always been one of the best around, particularly this S line version and the latest cockpit is packed with high-end fixtures and fittings, soft touch finish and upgraded technology.

There are high-end materials and new fabrics with aluminium interior elements and door sills with aluminium inserts at the front, illuminated, with ‘S’ logo.

The now familiar virtual cockpit features a central MMI touchscreen for infotainment, and a digital cockpit display to deliver real time driver information.

An onboard Audi app store also allows accept to third-party apps via the MMI touch display

A standout feature is ‘Functions on Demand’, allowing owners to purchase additional features post-delivery.

On the road

On the road, the diesel engine is a bit of a firecracker. Not new but still feeling fresh, lively and refined.

The 150PS two litre unit powers the car to 60mph in just eight seconds. Lively enough for most, while the seven-speed DSG transmissions effortlessly slips through the gears. 

Being a diesel, the extra torque means mid-range acceleration is good, particularly helpful on motorways when overtaking. That extra grunt also allows for better towing capability.

Best of all, economy is excellent with a claimed 53.3mpg, a figure easily matched, despite a lot of motorway driving, combined with more sedate stuff around town.

The upgraded and slightly stiffer suspension on this model delivers an agile and surefooted performance, dismissing sharp bends with ease with the pin sharp steering keeping the car firmly in the direction you point it.

Grip is huge, limpet like when needed. It really is an excellent drive.

Practicality and safety

With generous legroom and a decent boot space of 380 litres (expandable to 1,200 litres with the rear seats folded), it is really practical for everyday use.

Safety features a comprehensive with parking assist, a full range of airbags, and features like adaptive cruise control, distraction and fatigue warning, hill-hold assist and lane departure warning with emergency assist.

Factfile

  • Audi A3 Sportback 35 TDi S-Line S-tronic
  • Price: £39,735 
  • Engine: 150PS 1,968cc turbo diesel, driving front wheels via a 7-speed automatic  transmission 
  • Max Speed: 141 mph  
  • 0-62 mph: 8.1 seconds  
  • Combined MPG: 55.4 
  • Insurance Group: 21  
  • CO2 Emissions: 134 g/km  
  • BiK Rating: 33%  
  • Warranty: 3 years/60,000 miles  
Audi, AWD, Motoring, Sports saloon and hatches, SUV

Firecracker that’s practical too

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Audi SQ2 Black Edition

By Bill McCarthy

Audi’s fiery SQ2 is a bit of a conundrum, supposedly smaller than the Q3, it nevertheless belies its size. A kind of mini SUV with hot-hatch plus performance, it offers plenty of practicality and hi-tech goodies to give it the traditional Audi premium feel.

It is a real firecracker of a motor. The 300PS petrol engine delivers exhilarating acceleration, rocketing the car to 60mph in just over four seconds. An RS version would probably only make marginal gains and would be for the real petrolheads.

This ‘Black’ Quattro all-wheel drive version definitely looks the part with matt titanium finish alloys and a black finish on the air intakes, grille, and mirrors and twin exhausts.

Plus a black grille, window trims, black and blacked-out Audi rings. It features flared wheel arches, Brembo-style brake callipers, and the usual S-line branding throughout.

The interior is what you would expect from Audi, premium fit and finish with soft touch materials and hi-tech gizmos. It features  front sport seats upholstered in a black leather and Alcantara and black headliner.

The brains of the car is the central touchscreen and the latest version of the firm’s MMI system, which controls features like smartphone connectivity, infotainment and navigation. It also houses the latest wi-fi apps which deliver real time information.

For those who like their bells and whistles and the latest tech, you can spend an extra £1,300 and you can upgrade to the Technology package, which delivers Audi’s excellent virtual cockpit and a larger infotainment screen, You get a Bang & Olufsen sound system, a wireless charging pad, front seat heating and Audi’s Parking System Plus with Park Assist

Mated with a seven-speed S-Tronic auto gearbox the two-litre TFSi engine delivers in spades and slips through the gears effortlessly. There are four drive modes,  “auto,” comfort,” “dynamic,” “efficiency” and “individual” modes that can fine-tune and sharpen the operating profile of the suspension, steering, transmission, engine and other systems.

The performance does not mean it is ultra thirsty and official economy figures show up  34 mpg MPG and CO2 emissions from 188 g/km.

Switch to ‘dynamic’ and floor the throttle and it leaps away from a standing start, with the dual exhausts spitting and popping along the way. The uprated and slightly lower suspension than you find on the standard model means that the car feels like it is running rails, with superb grip and balance, considering its high off-the-ground SUV stance.

The steering too is responsive with great feedback and the car can be safely navigated he most tortuous of country lanes at maximum permissible speeds.

Being a hatchback/SUV it is a practical day to day machine, with  excellent boot space for the size of car, accessed via a powered boot lid. it has an impressive 355 litres available with the seat in places, which increases to 1,000  litres with the rear seats folded.

As ever with Audi, you can spend a fortune on options and the virtual cockpit does make a difference, so if you are already spending north of £44k it might not be such a stretch. 

FAST FACTS

Audi SQ2 TFSI 300PS Black Edition S tronic

Price: £44,101

Mechanical: 330bhp, 1984 four cylinder turbo petrol engine driving  all wheels via a seven speed auto transmission

Max speed: 155mph

0-62mph: 4.9 seconds

Combine mpg: 34 (WLTP)

Insurance group: 38

CO2 emissions: 188 g/km

BiK rating: 37%

Warranty: 3 years/60,000 miles