[jailbird_fynix]

Audi A3 price cut by up to Rs 5 lakhs – Completes 5 years in India



Source - http://www.rushlane.com/audi-a3-pric...-12312180.html

[Flyer]

Spy pics of next generation Audi A3 sedan that is to be launched soon at the Frankfurt Motor show.





Source: Motor1

[itwasntme]

A render from a usually reliable Russian site.
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/2...ec-139443.html

Almost certain it will come with the 150 bhp 1.5 TSI though which will make it exactly the same as the Octavia IV. Wonder is Indian buyers will pay ~15 lakhs more for the Audi badge!

[SidR]

Originally Posted by jailbird_fynix

Audi A3 price cut by up to Rs 5 lakhs – Completes 5 years in India...

Any update on current year end offers on A3? Last I heard was 26lac ex showroom (-1 lac exchange). Would appreciate the inputs.

[shravan2k2]

Hi guys. I was driving the 2015 A3 premium 35 TDi variant of my friend. As per the brochure shared on the third page, it says premium has electric folding outside mirrors. But when I locked it did not fold and I did it find any button to fold them as well. Plus in MMI system I did not find any setting for the same.
Is it not available in 2015 premium model or am I missing some thing?

[Flyer]

Originally Posted by SidR

Any update on current year end offers on A3? Last I heard was 26lac ex showroom (-1 lac exchange). Would appreciate the inputs.

There should be huge price cuts on existing TDI models as Audi will have a petrol only line up post April 2020.

Originally Posted by shravan2k2

Hi guys. I was driving the 2015 A3 premium 35 TDi variant of my friend. As per the brochure shared on the third page, it says premium has electric folding outside mirrors. But when I locked it did not fold and I did it find any button to fold them as well. Plus in MMI system I did not find any setting for the same.
Is it not available in 2015 premium model or am I missing some thing?

Electric folding ORVMs were not available in premium variant of pre facelift models. Not sure about the current model.

[SidR]

Originally Posted by Flyer

There should be huge price cuts on existing TDI models as Audi will have a petrol only line up post April 2020.

I might pick one up if I get OTR for less than 27 lacs in NCR. Do you think that's a fair price for an A3 at this stage?

[Flyer]

New exposed spy pics of next gen A3. Main changes include wider grill, pentagonal air intakes and A5 like bonnet lines.

Originally Posted by SidR

I might pick one up if I get OTR for less than 27 lacs in NCR. Do you think that's a fair price for an A3 at this stage?

Yes, definitely

[anandavinash]

Since 2013, our family has had a hatchback (Suzuki A-Star) and a sedan (Honda City CVT) which would go back and forth between my parents' house and my apartment. Since my parents shuttled between Bengaluru and Mumbai, these two were enough to meet our needs. In January 2021 however, the family decided to relocate to Bengaluru for good. This began a search for a 2nd larger car so that we didn't have to move our cars around repeatedly.

As a general rule, I don't see value in spending more than Rs. 20L on a car in India. This is an internal limit I have always set myself and look for the best within this budget. All 5 members in our family have been biased towards sedans. Despite a wave of SUVs and Mini-SUVs flooding the market in the last decade, we're still not convinced it is the right fit for us. Before we started our search, I was eyeing the Honda Civic as I thought the new model looked very cool and having owned two Honda Cars over 15 years, we're sure of its reliability. However, we soon found out that it had been discontinued. We then searched for a Skoda Octavia (Since we own a 2011 made Laura 2.0TDI in Mumbai) but it turns out that that too was discontinued and was making way for a newer model. And so began the list of possibilities as I combed through various websites (Team-BHP not included).

1. Tata Nexon EV
A friend of ours owned one and had been signing high praises with regards to the quality, comfort, ingress/egress for elders (my parents are 65/70+) etc. Since my parents would soon have been living in an independent house, setting up a charging station would not have been an issue. However, for some reason, both Dad and I felt that we were still 5-10 years away from having an electric car as our primary vehicle. Also, at this point it was not sure which house the new car would be in so an EV would certainly pose a challenge on long distances and could not be a primary driver in either place.

2. Toyota Innova
My mother's wish to have a large(ish) car so that the family could do long distance trips together in one vehicle. Even though we have a driver, Dad and I were not too keen and besides, as a family, we probably do 1-2 road trips a year at best so we could always hire a nice taxi.

3. Maruti Suzuki Ciaz
Trusted reliability of Maruti and having seen a few of them within the extended family, this was a really strong contender. Nothing wow about it but purely from a practical point of view, there was nothing we could find wrong with it. This was kept as an open option.

4. Honda City Hybrid
I had read online that Honda India was planning to introduce a real hybrid car by Mid 2021 and this was certainly a very promising option. Dad also got excited by this possibility. In my personal opinion, the Honda City is about as perfect as a sedan of that category can get when majority of your driving is within the city. Comfort and space are really top of the category.

5. Vento / Rapid from VW Group
Solid cars and I heard many good things about the new engine with the Torque Converter ATs. However, there was some apprehension on my part towards European Petrol cars and the amount of fuel they guzzle. It was a pity that VAG stopped selling Diesel cars in India else the VW Vento Diesel AT would've been a no brainer. Yes, despite the issues with the DSG, I would've bet on it with my sedated driving style.

6. Jeep Compass
I'd driven a Compass in Switzerland towards the end of 2019 for a few days and had enjoyed the handling of the car. And the thought of owning a proper SUV was exciting. The excitement was short lived since the petrol engine wasn't reviewed well and the Diesel was way out of budget.

7. Kia Seltos
With the repeated "suggestions" from friends to look at the Korean Twins, I finally called up KIA's dealer in Yeshwantpur and asked him to brig over a Diesel AT to our office in Peenya for a test drive. This was sometime in February 2021. We drove around for 3-4 km and came away extremely impressed with the car. Drove well, Dad slid in and out of the back seat with no trouble and I personally thought the Seltos really looks nice. We got the prices and told the Sales guy that we'd touch base again in a week's time. He never bothered to call back again. I assume Kia is flooded with orders so letting go of the odd customer isn't going to kill them. When discussing this with BHPian keroo1099, he sent me this link about the safety ratings for the Seltos. (https://www.team-bhp.com/news/kia-se...ap-crash-tests). And then began my spiral down the Team-BHP worm hole! :-)

Now before we get into how I finalise the car, it is important to note that of all the cars we bought in the family since 2003, I have been part of the decision making along with my Dad. Our criteria for selection was mainly driven by factors such as does it fit our parking, does it "feel" nice to drive, estimated cost of ownership, interiors and stereo and finally the price. Never have we bothered about airbags, safety rating etc. So when I started to read every review on this forum, it confused the hell out of me so much so that it seemed that no car was worth buying and yet every car was good in its own way. Buying a pre-owned car was never an option for various reasons until I read multiple accounts on this forum about the benefits of considering one.

In April, just before the second lock down, one of my friends who runs a independent garage told me that there was a 2007/2008 BMW 525i available in great condition and quoted at Rs. 6 Lakhs. It had run only 50K km. My first thought was that it is a 14 year old car so one never knows what to expect by way of issues later on. However, at 6 Lakhs, if the car lasted even three years without troubles, it may still be worth it. So I took a test drive. Boy was it underwhelming!! Maybe I went in expecting that a Bimmer would be a thrill ride. It was not even close so I passed on the opportunity. Another suggestion given by a friend was to scout the websites of the three German giants for company offered pre-owned cars. Both Mercedes Benz and BMW had inventory but well over my budget.

In June, immedaitely after the lockdown, I came across a nice white Audi A3 35TDI on their Audi Approved Plus website (www.audiapprovedplus.in). This car looked in great nick, was 3.5 years old and had run only 15,200+ km. I asked for the vehicle to be brought home and they did so within a couple of days. My wife and I took a short test drive around our area and I immediately fell in love with it. The 2.0 Diesel brought back the thrill of Diesel (which I had forgotten having driven a Honda City & A-Star petrols for the last 7 years) and was in my favourite white colour. The sales person and I shook hands and agreed to come to the showroom for a more detailed inspection under the hood and to discuss pricing.

A week later, I went there with two people whose judgement and opinion mattered a lot to me. One from the technical point of you and another from the commercial side. Technically the car showed no reasons to worry. A service, some odd painting and a cleanup would've done the job. When we sat down to discuss commercials, we couldn't agree on the price. Audi offered a lower price than they last quoted if I was willing to surrender the 2 years unlimited km warranty. Armed with all my readings from Team-BHP, I knew this was not negotiable. We walked away with my friend being very confident that they would relent and give it at our price.

After a few days, I called again to check whether they wanted to sell the car not and they said that they want to sell me the car but not at the price I quoted. Given that this was a one off piece and in this condition, I was not willing to let it slip away so I countered by asking them to change the battery & wiper blades, repaint the rear bumper and left rear passenger door to rid it of scratches and dents. This time they agreed and we finally closed the deal by Mid July. The final amount was marginally over my budget but this became a case of heart trumping the head. 10 days later, my wife and I picked up the car and drove it over to my parents' house who had no clue that I'd decided to buy this car.

A few days into driving around the car, I saw the tyres had a number of micro cracks and was recommended to get them changed immediately. There was even a misunderstanding on my part which was clarified within a few hours of creating a new post on this forum. (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-...rstanding.html (Why is my 2017 Audi wearing tyres from 2012? EDIT: Was a misunderstanding)) I immediately got them changed to Michelin Pilot Sport 4 on recommendation from Madhus. I have now driven around 800km with this car within city limits and two trips to the airport. Here is what I like and don't like about the car. I am not including stuff like boot space, rear space etc because these were known to me prior to purchase.

Dislikes
- The parking sensors start to go off whenever I am in traffic at speeds less than 10 kmph. These can be manually switched off by pressing a button but needs to be done everytime I get into such a situation. In a city like Bengaluru, you can only imagine how many times the sensors go off.
- For a premium car built in 12/2017, I wish they had included Apple Car Play and/or Android Auto. Not sure if Audi can upgrade the MMI for me.
-

Likes
- The 2.0L TDI coupled with DSG (thankfully DQ250) is just a treat to drive! After the Skoda Laura, this is really giving me highway thrills
- So far, with my light footed driving style in the city, the on board computer shows a fuel efficiency of 14 kmpl which I suspect practically would more in the region of 13-13.5kmpl.
- The minimalistic design of the entire front dashboard. The MMI screen popping in and out does cause me some concern about reliability but when the screen is pushed back in, the design is just flawless.
- The coffee brown leather / fabric combination seat covers
- The audio system (coming from a tinny Honda City) is just a treat to the ears. I know there may be better systems out there but for me, this is pure pleasure.
- Flashy puddle lights with the Audi logo has garnered more reactions from everyone who sat in the car more than the car itself. :-) My Mum thought the lighting (Puddle, DRLs, footwell etc) were very impressive.

A big thanks to deepfreak15 for his A3 ownership thread https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...um-plus-3.html (I bought an Audi A3 35 TFSI Premium Plus) which I read in detail before purchasing this car and my good friend keroo1099 for all the technical help is continues to provide me with all things automotive.

Here are some pictures of the car. I'm looking forward to many drives and memories with this one.


Fancy lights that seem to attract more attention that the car itself :-)


Rear seats with the nice floor mats that the previous owner had purchased and kept in great condition


Side view of the car


Front dashboard view. Brown seats have always been a fascination for me but never actually thought to spend more money that the stock seats that every car came with


Front view. The Skoda Laura from Mumbai has also been driven down to Bengaluru for a complete overhaul since my father wishes to use it for long(ish) drives. He absolutely loves the car.

[keroo1099]

Lovely mini review Avi.

This is the only car after my Tjet, which I have instinctively felt an immediate connection with, and I will also happily admit feels nicer to drive than my trusty steed.

Wishing you many many happy trips in the A3.

[speedfreak77]

Congratulations on your new purchase! Great review. Short and simple. I have to say that A3 looks pretty. It is a very elegant car for its segment and I feel the interior is better than the competition. Wish you many smiles per gallon!

[lamborghini]

Congrats on the purchase! The A3 is a brilliant car: quality interiors, decent power train, and the handling and nimble size make it a breeze.

The white with brown interiors is a classy combo and one that will not age quick!

Given yours is the face-lift A3, I'd expect most of the niggles to have been ironed out as well.

Coming to some of your concerns:
1) the parking sensors! They're a pain but becoming increasingly common in the luxury segment. It's standard on the Mercedes and Lexus at home too and what's worse is that I don't think there's an option to switch it off either, and in Mumbai it is a pain at almost every traffic light.
2) Please remember to change the DSG oil at the 4th year service. Even though the car isn't driven much, it's better to avoid any risk.
3) Audi may not be able to upgrade the MMI but do get in touch with a reputed tuner in your city who could get you a newer system (not sure if original Audi is possible but a host of android based after market options available which integrate with all steering and MMI controls though pls research specs as some can be laggy due to lower ram / processing power).

Wishing you years of happy ownership!

[sunikkat]

Congrats on your purchase. A3 is a great car and more sweet to buy it used. Wish you many miles of happy driving.

Apple play will be an easy fix. Since you are in Bangalore please visit Evo Bangalore at Indiranagar. I am a very happy customer with my upgraded from them for my Octavia.

2 TDI engine is a gem, a simple remap will take it to ~ 200 BHP and 400 NM torque. It will be different monster after that.

[pyrodrive]

Congrats on the car, Avinash. Nice crisp mini review.
I had a similar heart trumping the brain situation a month ago. I did not really need another car, with my honda city still in perfect shape and the thar still trouble free and reliable, along with my wife's ignis. But then I happened to see one A3 35TDI with audi approved plus in the local audi dealership..it was a 4year old 28k run car with nearly spotless exteriors n well kept interiors. I told myself I dont need a car now and came home after checking her out. But then I kept thinking about the car, the 4 rings and stuff like that and thought no harm in taking a test drive ! That sealed it for me. Boy ! the engine and gearbox combo just blew me away. Coming from the excellent honda 1.5ivtec, I felt most of the compact suvs engines to be boring to drive and not really an upgrade, but this one felt like a proper upgrade.
To cut a long story short, I finalized the deal in under the 20L barrier and now she is my daily drive. The compact size is a boon in city traffic, the interiors ooze class, sound system is great and mileage is much better than I expected from a powerful 2liter diesel engine. Overall I am a happy that the heart trumped the brain after all !

[anandavinash]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Please remember to change the DSG oil at the 4th year service. Even though the car isn't driven much, it's better to avoid any risk.

Yes! In fact I asked for it to be changed before delivery since the car was already 3.5 years old but the service advisor said that unless it runs upto 60K, they do not advise changing the oil. Will need to run through the manual in detail to check whether it only based on running or time/running - whichever is earlier.

Originally Posted by sunikkat

Apple play will be an easy fix. Since you are in Bangalore please visit Evo Bangalore at Indiranagar. I am a very happy customer with my upgraded from them for my Octavia.

2 TDI engine is a gem, a simple remap will take it to ~ 200 BHP and 400 NM torque. It will be different monster after that.

Is it just a firmware upgrade with the same hardware or will they change the complete Head Unit? If it is just a firmware upgrade, I don't mind trying. Else, I'll stay with the stock unit for a couple of years at least and then decide if a change is needed.

Given my driving style, I'm quite happy with the current configuration so a remap is not something that I've put any thought to.

Originally Posted by pyrodrive

Coming from the excellent honda 1.5ivtec, I felt most of the compact suvs engines to be boring to drive and not really an upgrade, but this one felt like a proper upgrade.

Congratulations to you too pyrodrive! I made the exact same switch so know how it feels. The thud of a European car door closing is very reassuring. The City has become my Dad's daily driver and the Laura we had in Mumbai after its overhaul will be used by the driver to ferry around the family as it is with manual transmission.