- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
1.4T, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
90kW, 200Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 5L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto (DCT)
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2013)
2013 Audi A3 Sportback 1.4TFSI Attraction Review
2013 AUDI A3 REVIEW
Vehicle style: Premium compact hatch
Price: $35,600 ($41,990 as tested - $6390 in options)
Engine/trans: 90kW/200Nm 1.4litre TFSI/seven-speed DSG S-tronic automatic
Fuel economy listed: 5.0 l/100km | tested: 5.4 l/100km
OVERVIEW
It’s a segment Audi created 17 years ago. Now, the booming German brand has sold 2.7 million of its premium compacts - 18,000 of these finding their way into Australian garages.
This one, the new A3 1.4 TFSI Attraction Sportback, opens the batting for the model range at a lean $35,600.
That’s a price that’s going to make potential buyers sit up and take notice.
And, you think you’ve heard of another $35,600 price tag recently? You have. It’s also the entry-price for the just-released Benz 1.6 litre A 180 hatch.
Power-and-torque figures, 90kW and 200Nm, are also exactly the same – the only difference is that the Audi churns it out of 1.4 litres, and the Benz, 1.6 litres.
Same price, same output, but what the new A3 1.4TFSI has over the A 180 is standard leather trim and dual-zone air-con. The Audi is also uses less fuel.
INTERIOR | RATING: 4/5
Quality: While the A3 Sportback isn’t quite in the same league as its more expensive Audi siblings, it still has a touch of class about it.
Standard leather upholstery is a good starting point and there are plenty of soft-touch plastic surfaces.
The standard pop-up 5.8-inch infotainment screen housed atop the dashboard is clear and all controls are well positioned with quality ergonomics in mind.
Comfort: The front bucket seats are adequately bolstered for spirited cornering and while there’s no electric assistance, there’s enough adjustment.
The two rear-seats are shaped for comfort, but there is no pull-down armrest. Rear legroom is, however, better than the previous model, so too is headroom (ok for six-footers).
A nice touch is the extendable under-thigh cushioning that can be pulled forward from the seat base.
Storage: With the rear seats occupied, the A3 Sportback offers 380 litres of cargo space. Flip down the 60:40 split seat backs and this rises to a handy 1220 litres.
In the cabin there’s a reasonable glove box, front-and rear door pockets, map pockets, a small centre-console bin and a couple of cup holders (but no sun-glasses holder or rear-seat cup holders).
Equipment: While there are some expensive options on the A3 Sportback menu, the entry-level Attraction reviewed here comes with its share of standard goodies.
As well as leather trim and dual-zone ‘air’, there’s 16-inch alloys, rear park-assist, the excellent eight-speaker Audi MMI audio with retractable colour screen, cruise control and a multi-function leather-wrapped sports steering wheel with paddle-shifters.
Also standard on the Attraction inventory is a driver-information system, electric exterior mirrors, rain sensors and dynamic suspension.