As the VW group carries on their frantic bid to electrify everything with four-wheels in their house, Audi is expanding their “green” range as well. Next in line is the 2021 Audi A3 Sportback hatchback, now in “45 TFSI e” form.
Some days ago, we reported the launch of the 2021 Audi A3 Sportback, which is probably not slated for the Middle East as the reception for any pricey premium hatchback in our market has been lukewarm at best. But there a new iteration of the Audi A3 sedan for 2021, which will make its way into the market as the least expensive offering from the German brand, at least in the GCC.
The Audi A3 is the stepping-stone to the German giant’s range, if you ignore the Audi A1 that’s been discontinued in the GCC due to slow sales. For the new model year, Audi has unveiled the new generation of the Audi A3, albeit only in the hatchback guise first, with the sedan following a bit later. The 2021 Audi A3 Sportback is also accompanied by the hotter S3 Sportback as well. For those who want to pick up the ultra-potent RS3 will have to wait for a while to get their hands on the new-gen RS3 but you guys have a surprise from Audi.
Audi’s A3 range served as the stepping stone for those exploring the brand for the very first time. Currently in its first generation as a sedan alongside the third-generation hatchback, Audi has revealed the newly-facelifted versions of the 2017 A3.
Downsizing is rampant nowadays, and the same goes for premium cars. We’re not talking about job losses, but the size of cars. The Audi A3 started life as a lacklustre hatchback about a decade ago, and we called it out as such back then. However, it’s changed over the years, and the new sedan version of the latest A3 has been getting some attention lately. And with good reason, from what we saw.
What makes a sports car? Should it have two seats or are five acceptable? Should it have two doors or is four okay? Should it only be rear-wheel-drive or will all-wheel-drive do? While Audi is generally seen as a maker of cookie-cutter sedans, they’ve been breaking conventions for a while now with a few of their niche models, such as the Audi TT Quattro and the Audi S3 Sedan. We drove both of them at the GCC launch event in the UAE.
In today’s bit of non-news, Audi has launched the latest version of their infinitely-boring Audi A3 Sportback. As expected, it looks like the old model with some new headlights photoshopped in.
The last time we drove an Audi A3, back in 2006, our review fumed the German firm’s Middle East office so much that they stopped all contact with us since then, choosing to ignore the brown guys with the cute little website. While the joke is on them now, it doesn’t change the fact that the A3 is a dynamically-challenged car. After years of sitting on the market, Audi finally sees it fit to release an RS 3 version of the hatchback.
With all the hoopla over Toyota’s safety recall for floor mats, some other “quality” brands continue to fly under the radar. Ever-popular German manufacturer Volkswagen is recalling certain 2006-2010 models of the Audi A3, Audi TT and Audi TT Roadster built between September 29, 2005 and August 26, 2009 for defect that could potentially cook the car’s passengers.