[adi_petrolhead]

Originally Posted by balajird

However, I have one query, In the below image, is the light "Blind spot" indicator?

It is merely the turn indicator LED, this is common so that the people on your either sides can see that you intend to turn. Especially two wheelers, this is a sort of a safety feature. Common in all VW group cars i.e. Jetta, Octavia, A3. While other manufacturers try to wrap the light around, or bulge it towards the end a little, so it solves the same purpose. We have a thread going for the same, have a look here http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ndicators.html

[balajird]

Originally Posted by adi_petrolhead

It is merely the turn indicator LED,

Good to know, thanks for the clarification adi, for a moment, I thought the "luxury" cars in India has started to include the "blind spot" indicator feature on the ORVMs which in my opinion will always stay lit given the traffic conditions in major metros

[unni nambiar]

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[stanjohn123]

Originally Posted by amit

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.

You are spot on with regards to the interiors. Me and my dad had a look at the A3 many months back. We got out the moment we sat in and had a look at that dash , it looked totally non-audi or non luxury like. I'm sure anyone else who owns a Skoda or any other luxury brand will feel the same.

Originally Posted by dkaile

The more I see these 30L cars the more I love my 17L Superb. Incredible to see the cost cutting on these smaller Audis. The fit and finish on many parts is much below the Superb like the rear vents, headlight switch etc. etc. Except perhaps the advanced MMI and the GPS (which I presume is on the top end 30L+ variant), I would really feel shortchanged by the amount being demanded by VAG for the nearly the same configurations.

Superb is in a class of its own when it comes to value for money. Except for brand image and ASS the skoda will blow the likes of A3 and X1's out of the water.

[ashish_BHP]

Good review!!.. 2-3 points that comes in mind ..Audi is a luxury class maker ,and it has customers from the well to do society.Why was it actually required for this brand to stoop down to ~20 lakh launch ?
As a indian buyer with 20~22 lakh budget one can get best & premium mid sized sedan from the stable of VW/skoda/Chevrolet or Honda . Launching an Audi with compromises and dissatisfying sitting capability may not be a big HIT .my fear!
Also taking the premium pricing of top end at 32lakh would lure one for going for A4 instead .
However it carries beautifully carved interiors(saw an AUDI interiors first time ) and simple yet useful feautures , simple and straight lines on exterior without much decals or bends. Features like headlamp washer is an attraction , i felt too more of DRL's have been added.
All in all a well thought of and beautiful launch ...worthwhile to wait and watch for its indian episode.

[V.Narayan]

Dear Moderators, I am going for a test drive of both the Volvo V40 and the Audi A3 tomorrow (ie 16th August). Is it okay for me to post my driving feedback on this thread given that it is the formal BHP review. Or should I be posting it elsewhere. Thank you, V. Narayan.

[Eddy]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Is it okay for me to post my driving feedback on this thread given that it is the formal BHP review. Or should I be posting it elsewhere. Thank you, V. Narayan.

It's perfectly ok to post your review here. Look forward to reading ut

[iliketurtles]

Just got back after spending some time with the A3.

I have to admit, I was dead sure I wouldn't like it. But I walked in with an open mind and I was pleasantly surprised by what I found.

As I approached the showroom, a blue A3 came into view, but it's the red one on display that caught the eye. The A3 is beautifully proportioned and with the panoramic sunroof taking up a lot of the roof, it was stunning to look at.

Space at the back was a mixed bag for me. After adjusting for myself in the front, there was ok legroom at the back, but headroom was poor. Fit and finish was top notch, and the interiors were typical Audi, which is great.

The A3 felt eminently chuckable, and the suspension was very sorted, absorbing the road undulations perfectly. In S mode the A3 was eager to pick up its skirt and run and it was actually quite nice to drive except for the steering, which felt too light for my liking.

Auto start-stop was a boon in traffic, and the 7" MMI was very cool. These are the only two features in addition to the panoramic sunroof that I wish I had in the Jetta. I stepped out of the test drive quite liking the car and rear space wasn't as much as a dealbreaker as I thought it to be.

The A3 felt very responsive and quick, but that's because I had her slotted into S mode whenever I got the chance to stretch her legs. I felt that it might be the better option compared to the Jetta if you're self driven with only 2 people in the car, but the Jetta is almost as quick, more spacious and more practical. Think of it as the serious executive in a spiffy suit while the A3 is more ready to party at a moments notice. It's got more road presence too.

So, would I go for it? Surprisingly, perhaps yes. But then the A3 is not for everyone. It might just be the car for you if you're ok with a car that's big on presence, small in size and ignore the price comparisons to the Octavia and Jetta. Just don't buy the Attraction or Premium variants! Here's what I like and dislike about the A3 then.

Likes

1. Stunning looks, doesn't look like the cheapest Audi out there
2. The solidness of the build, despite being lighter thanks to the MQB platform. Very nice to see!
3. Fantastic fit and finish, inside and out
4. The alloys on the Premium variant
5. Eager-to-please nature. Reasonably fun to drive.
6. Very Audi-like feel of the cabin
7. Comfortable seats, softer than my Jetta too.

Dislikes

1. Headroom at the back is poor if you're a 6 footer
2. 5 passengers is a no go unless you chop off the 5th passengers legs below the knees
3. You really want the Premium Plus. Attraction and Premium don't make much sense
4. Price is dangerously close to A4 territory
5. Limited appeal of color options. Brown and Blue won't find much love.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

The A3 felt very responsive and quick, but that's because I had her slotted into S mode whenever I got the chance to stretch her legs.

Just wondering. The A3 has same DSG gearbox as your Jetta and is down on power by only 2-3BHP. The biggest difference being the 120 kilos weight.

How do the sports mode compare on the Jetta vs the A3?

[iliketurtles]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Just wondering. The A3 has same DSG gearbox as your Jetta and is down on power by only 2-3BHP. The biggest difference being the 120 kilos weight.



How do the sports mode compare on the Jetta vs the A3?

The A3 is actually slightly up on power, it's tuned to 143 BHP while the Jetta is about 138-140 BHP if I'm not wrong. That combined with the lighter weight definitely made the A3 feel more sprightly in sports mode.

I genuinely went "what the hell" as I peeled away from a signal after using sports mode. It (the A3) definitely feels quicker than the Jetta, especially in Sports mode. The Jetta is no slouch in either mode, and the A3 isn't all that much quicker, but the difference is definitely noticeable, especially when it comes to overtaking and weaving in and out of traffic. I felt more confident doing it in an A3 than a Jetta. That says enough.

[V.Narayan]

Dear BHPians, test drove both the Audi A3 and the Volvo V40 today. Long day and a lot of fun. I wont repeat anything on features of the Audi A3 which have already been covered in this comprehensive review. Will touch only on my observations. As a background I am looking to buy a well appointed medium sized car which will be self driven mainly for my work commute and intra-city business meeting travel. Looking for something that looks and feels special - evaluating Volvo V40, Audi A3 and Toyota Prius. Eliminated the C-class after feedback on Mercedes' service standards from 4 close business associates.

Looks: Both are stunning looking vehicles with superb exterior paint & finish. It is easy to fall in love with both. The A3's proportions are proper and neat and give it the look of a sports coupe from afar especially from the half rear angle. The dark blue and white were in my opinion the best colours. The V40 has a lot more in terms of styling especially the way the rear falls in curves, the nose droop, the silver cladding shoes on the sides and front - more butch. The copper brown looks as good in real life as it does in the photos.

Interiors: Both are high quality as should be expected. The seat leather and stitching of the V40 is noticeably superior as is the seat comfort and design. The V40 seat kind of hugs you and you can feel it as you swerve on sharp fast curves. The V40 seats are also placed about 5 cms higher so ingress and egress is simpler for middle aged men like me. The A3 interior comes only in all-biege for the upper two models and black for the lower two models; the V40 interiors are in beige, brown and black and the overall finish is better than an E class in my opinion. The V40 has some funky looking dials, a futuristic lit up gear lever and a lot of little thoughtful items around the cabin like a light in the glovebox or illumination in the cup holder, place for sunglasses, armrest on both sides, automatic dimming of the inside rearview mirror and a few more. It also has some (in my view) irrelevant features like mood lighting. In terms of rear space the A3 is more cramped than it seems in photos. I am 5'6" and with me in the drivers seat my driver who is a slim 5'10" could not sit behind be in a straight position no matter what he tried. Period. The V40 is a little more spacious. The same check let my driver's 5'10" frame fit comfortably with room to spare. Head room is better in the V40 - A3 is tight in the rear for a person taller than 5' 8" in my assessment. In the lower two A3 variants the material is a mix of leather and leatherette. V40 had a sunroof which lets in light but not the wind or heat. I thoroughly liked the sunlit look of the car's interiors with that open.

Ground clearance & speed breakers: This is my favourite subject where such cars are concerned. I went armed with a scale and a measuring instrument like an inverted vernier caliper. Volvo says the V40 is 145mm so we'll believe them. The Audi based on my home made measurement is somewhere between 145mm and 148mm. My exercise of bending down with my scale and calipers was a source of amusement for some and irritation for others at Audi's 5-star like show room. I say what the hell if Audi are going to keep their ground clearance a defence nuclear secret then we are going to unravel it with a few simple instruments from the 18th century physics lab. Sorry Audi no offense intended. To test ground clearance both cars were driven over the same 4 kms of cheerfully broken roads in NCR and driven over the same 8 speed-breakers and both cars passed with room (pun intended) to spare.

Ingress & egress: As a middle aged man with some signs of the proverbial middle aged spread I am conscious of the comfort of getting in and out of a vehicle and the height of the seat. Here V40 is far better than the A3 which is also evident from their overall height of 142 cms versus 147 cms. Neither is however as comfortable to get in and out of as say my Honda Jazz.

Handling: It is a close call here but I'd say on the whole A3 is better- well planted at high speeds; firmer around corners. But as I said 'unees-bees ka saval hai'. In every day driving both are probably much the same. Both have a nice throaty growl to their diesels. The engine noise into the cabin is greater in the V40 but I quite liked that vrrroomm sound. The V40 has more torque and the initial acceleration at a traffic light caught me by surprise more than once. The A3 gearbox is smoother at lower speeds. The A3's steering is super light or devoid of feel - I'm told this is an Audi trait - my first time driving an Audi. The V40 gives you a choice of 3 ergonomic feel loadings of the steering. I tried the heaviest and it gave reasonable feedback. The lightest is like the Audi's with nominal feedback.

Ride: Both have crashy rides. The A3 is a trifle better.

Rear view and Spare Tyre: Limited rear view in both. A3 being the worse of the two. A3's side view mirrors need to be replaced. Twice I was surprised, in the A3, by a vehicle at my 150 degrees South East bearing (assuming I am pointed to north) which I could not see in the rear view mirrors. Both get a 'space saver' spare tyre.

Tried the V40's accident safety feature. It works. Till speeds of 50kmph the car lurches to a halt if an obstacle comes in the way and if you fail to apply the brakes. At about 5 metres the brakes slam automatically and the belts tighten (and probably you wake up). Good feature. The Indian variant will not carry the pedestrian air bag because I believe there is the risk of it releasing every time you hit a dog (with a lot of attendant cost and inconvenience to the owner - I haven't asked the dog for its views). Also tried the auto park. It is uncanny and unsettling, but works. Will be of help to some who struggle with linear parking.

Overall in terms of features the V40 is far ahead of the top model A3. I am not listing out the features here of either as the V40 too is covered in other threads on Team BHP.

I have asked both dealers to give me 7 customers to talk to on their respective after sales service and availability of spares. Then I'll decide which car to buy.

Thank you for reading, - V. Narayan

[shankar.balan]

I saw the A3 at Audi Gurgaon on 13th Aug. A bright Red one.
Delicious looker no doubt.

Saying that, personally, I would have loved it if they had brought in the A3 Hatch in Quattro trim. Now that's a car!

[vb-saan]

Thanks for the drive reports!

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

Auto start-stop was a boon in traffic, and the 7" MMI was very cool. These are the only two features in addition to the panoramic sunroof that I wish I had in the Jetta.

You tried the petrol or diesel variant? As per the published brochure on Audi website, only the petrol variant have start-stop system.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

The A3 interior comes only in all-biege for the upper two models and black for the lower two models

Again, the website says Milano leather in black or beige for the top two variants, and black/brown leatherette for the Premium variant. IMO, the A3 with all-black interiors looks really appealing than the sea of beige

[iliketurtles]

Originally Posted by vb-san

You tried the petrol or diesel variant? As per the published brochure on Audi website, only the petrol variant have start-stop system.

It was the diesel. I wanted to try the petrol but had no such luck. And I can assure you the diesel had the auto start stop feature since I was wondering if I could retrofit it to the Jetta every time it kicked in.

Originally Posted by vb-san

Again, the website says Milano leather in black or beige for the top two variants, and black/brown leatherette for the Premium variant. IMO, the A3 with all-black interiors looks really appealing than the sea of beige

Yup, I drove the technology variant and if I remember right it was all black. There was an option of brown leather too apparently according to the sales exec, but he confessed that they'd be getting only 50 units until December, and if it doesn't have your color/leather/variant, you're just going to have to wait. He said it with a sheepish smile as the booking amount (3,00,000) was completely non-refundable.

I found the all-black look more appealing, but mum and the wife loved the beige look. To each their own, but all black had a charm of its own.

[Parm]

I would say its more expensive brother/sister of VW Vento and Skoda Rapid, nothing else.