[Santoshbhat]

Thanks for the very informative review. The car looks nice and tight. Even though its small when compared to other Audi saloons, it looks very desirable. The attention to detail and little premium touches here and there is what separates these premium brands from regular fare.

THe 1.8 TFSI must be a real hoot to drive. Unlike Skoda for its TSIs, Audi generally recommends min 95 RON for its TFSI petrol cars in India. Hope thats not the case for the A3 petrol.

Given its tight dimensions and target audience, I feel the petrol A3 should outsell the diesel A3. But then in India petrol cars are almost considered cheap. Its like you buy them coz you don't have budget for a diesel car.

Just wish it was available in hatchback form!

[the mole]

Excellent review of the A3! I feel this car too will find itself in the Doldrums. At this price today in a city like Mumbai you get fully loaded options in the higher category in Pre-owned cars. A fully loaded petrol C in the Avant garde trim with 12,000 kms can be had for 25 Lakhs. Would I buy a brand new under specd and smaller Audi A3 then? I think not

[rohansachar]

Excellent 5 star review! And agree with you Santoshbhat, with so many options, in the same price range & even more below (Elantra, Corolla), I believe Audi is going to have a tough time convincing people A3s VFM.

[Mad Max]

Great review! Thanks.

It would be interesting to see how the top end stands out over the A4.

Do we know what variants they are offering in Diesel (S-Line etc.) for India and what's included / excluded in each variant? It would be quite helpful to also know the price details for the various options.

[drmohitg]

Its always a treat for your eyes while reading any new car review on the Forum and more so if its a European car with these awesome design language. I am sure this would do well as a second or third car for self drives and for college kids as there own ride. Its certainly not a family car due to complete lack of rear bench space. And the pictures don't show it most of the times but in reality the car looks very very small and infact sometimes gives an impression of being a nice little 2 seater sports car.

My feeling is that the entry level models will find buyers, lack of features not withstanding.

[nakul0888]

Finally a fabled German badge realistically within in the reach of a middle class bloke.
Personally I am waiting for the stripped down version to be launched with a manual. A la Q3S.
Without the DSG the price should come down by a lakh and a half. Not bothered about if they skimped on equipment either.
In my opinion, with respect to Germans, less equipment= less stuff to go wrong+ less weight+ less worries+more enjoyment.
Yeah I know most of you would disagree with me on this. But I would be glad to buy an A3 with only a Vento highline level of equipment if it means the price is going to go down significantly. Must be because I am a stingy guy.

[Severus]

Moralfibre, what a nice review! The quality of pictures as well as the write-up is as expected of a Team-BHP official review.
The interior design looks seriously handsome, what with those turbine-resembling air vents and 'tap-down' buttons. The fit, finish and quality also seems top-notch. No doubt that when it comes to interior 'finish', Audi easily pips same-segment BMW's.

Originally Posted by Baddychat

With respect to the new badging on the Audi cars, I think it is a bit arcane. The excitement at seeing a 3.0 TDi or 2.7 TFSi is gone. Too much reverse engineering to be done to figure out the power plant on a particular car.

Personally, I prefer this new way of badging. I somehow don't like the exact engine size to be displayed.

[amit]

Lovely review of a great looking car. As far as looks go, Audi has got it spot on, it is a very handsome car and looks like a mini A4/A6 which is how it should be. I am not too sure about the interiors though. The quality, I am sure, will be fantastic, but the design & layout seems like something is missing. The exterior's look the part of a premium German sedan but the interiors give out a Japanese feel. Maybe in real it may not look as un-European.

I feel they should bring the petrol with a 6 speed manual both in base & top end variants & position it as a fun to drive sedan for a single guy. It certainly looks the part might as well use it .

[9thsphinx]

Great Review. Thread rated 5 stars.

This little Audi will sell for what it really is - an affordable Audi. And it won't sell for what it just can't offer - backseat space!

The pricing, however, is not very realistic. The base variant misses out on too many features that one would expect of an Audi and the top end is priced at par with the big brother A4.

With the A3, Audi has turned the Game On mode. Waiting to see what the CLA brings to the fight!

[Potenza]

Excellent review! Concise with just the right amount of detail.

Coming to the car, I think most auto manufacturers will be closely observing the success/failure of this car. I think the A3 will answer the classic product manager's conundrum- Will the customer prefer a well equipped, bigger car (Skoda Superb) or will he/she prefer to spend a similar amount of money on a brand with a higher snob value albeit on a slightly smaller and less equipped car. A classic head vs heart kind of a situation.

[itwasntme]

Will need to 'upgrade' from my 3 year old Cruze in about a years time. Am looking for a premium hatch or a small premium sedan as I have a terrible commute which is highly unlikely to improve. The A3 base diesel fits the bill except for the cramped rear seat and lack of bells and whistles.

Wifey already in love with the red colour :-)

[PrideRed]

Shocked after i read this.
http://www.autocarindia.com/auto-new...ng-389761.aspx

Seriously no Auto air conditioner in a 25L(on road price) car?
The price and features apart the car looks smashing. The size is just perfect for many enthusiast who want a short, wide and powerful car.
That said I would rather go and buy a top spec Octavia with all bells and whistles which has almost similar mechanical configuration.

[Freebird82]

Great review, very detailed as always.

Checked out the car yesterday at Audi Bengaluru. Its very pretty and neat to look at. However, ingress and egress is a real pain, especially at the rear seats. One needs to literally twist a bit to get through, else the head hits the roof. And i think the pricing is a tad higher, especially for the base version as it will cost INR 31 Lakh on-road Bangalore. At that price, there are quite a few well kept pre owned options.

The sales guy said that Test drives will be offered in a week or so. Waiting to see whether it drives as well as it looks.

[PPS]

Nice Review. I see lots of Mercedes A class cars in Mumbai which is priced somewhat similar or may be less than the A3. The A class like the A3 has very less rear space/headroom & still sells just because of the badge & its looks! I have no doubts that the A3 will be a success.

Originally Posted by moralfibre

A different bumper without front parking sensors on the base variant. 16" rims with 205/55 rubber:

Those 16" wheels on that Silver A3 look much better than those 5 spoke ones on the higher variant!

[AtheK]

Great review, very well detailed.

That said the petrol version is close to 30 lacs ex showroom, too expensive IMO. Except for the badge value(which is becoming very common in bangalore these days), i don't see any specific reason to not pick a Skoda Superb/Octavia AT instead of this car.

You can get very well rounded SUV in this price range too, seeing this will be usually the second car in family, i would rather buy a SUV then this.