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FIRST REPORT Audi's new compact four-door majors on stylishgood Iobks, but are they a fair tradélor the practicality of a five-door hatchback? We've got six months to find out
Soyou fancy a premium German saloon, like an Audi A4, but don't necessarily want something that big or costly. Well, don't despair, as those masters of niche marketing now offer what is the latest addition to the Autocar fleet: the new Audi A3 saloon.
The A3 saloon is, in fact, very similar in size to the A4 from over a decade ago. It's a reflection of how all cars have gradually grown in stature, but this compact four-door should prove to be a pretty exclusive sight on British roads, as the vast majority of A3 will be three and five-door hatchback variants.
Anyway, our A3 has arrived sporting a brilliant red finish that helps to highlight the understated but well proportioned design. Up front, Audi's trademark grille gives decent 'down the road presence', while at the rear things are finished off with slim, neat tail-lights and a pair of subtly sporty chrome tailpipes.
We've gone for the smallest engine available: a petrol 1.4 TFSI. Don't be fooled by the lack of capacity, though. This is an extremely capable powerplant and arguably the best engine in the A3 line-up. It makes 138bhp and 1841b ft, allowing the Audi to hit 62mph from rest in 8.4sec and go on to 134mph.
It also benefits from some clever Cylinder on Demand (CoD) tech, which shuts down a pair of cylinders on light throttle loads. This helps with both fuel economy and emissions and means the figures compare favourably with those of Audi's 2.0 TDI. The 1.4...