Stumble It!
Powerful, responsive and exciting - the Audi A3 quattro Sportback DSG
I remember my “hot hatchback” years
with considerable fondness. In the mid 80s the car to have was the
Peugeot 205 GTI and I was fortunate enough to be able to graduate
from the 1.6-litre to the top performance 1.9-litre.
It was the combination of a big responsive engine in a compact and nimble chassis that made it such an inspiring car to drive.
In some ways the Audi A3 3.2 quattro Sportback reminded me of that beloved GTI. The build quality, refinement and sophistication are light years ahead. But there are similarities in the sheer driving enjoyment, through the combination of neat dimensions, excellent dynamics and a powerful, torquey engine.
Audi boasts that its A3 has the widest range of engines in its market segment and, when you stop to think about it, this 3.2-litre quattro is exactly double the capacity of the 1.6-litre entry model.
With considerable reserves of power at your disposal, it is perhaps not surprising that this range-topper comes with Audi’s quattro four-wheel-drive system as standard. Even with the power being shared between four wheels, I found the traction control system sometimes reining in the power, to prevent the wheels spinning from a standing start.
It was back in the 80s that I drove my first Audi quattro and I was an instant convert. Enthusiasts may spend hours in pub discussions about which is best – front or rear-wheel-drive – but in my book the best answer is both!
A well-sorted four-wheel-drive system (as distinct from the utilitarian off road set up) can give tremendous reserves of handling and grip. It will also help you stay out of trouble In the winter if the snowflakes start to fall.
The next trick the test car had up its sleeve was the innovative DSG, or direct shift gearbox. Operating rather like an automatic, this option adds £1,400 to the cost of the A3 quattro Sportback. But, having experienced it, I would certainly explore all avenues to add it to my spec.
A brief explanation is worthwhile. The DSG keeps two gears in mesh at the same time. In addition to the gear you are using, when approaching the next change, the DSG will engage that gear – but with the clutch disengaged. The actual change is then accomplished by the smooth transition between the first and second clutch.
It works astonishingly well. Gearchanges are not only smooth and almost imperceptible, but the shift is achieved so rapidly, and with the throttle still open, that you can retain the power balance through a series of twists and turns.
You can drive in automatic mode, or you can manually change gears with either the conventional gearshift, or with racing-style buttons behind the wheel. In automatic sports mode the gearbox even drops a gear on the entrance to corners to balance the car and allow you to apply gentle power through the bend.
Normally an automatic gearbox will be slower and use more fuel than a manual. However the DSG overturns this norm, by being marginally quicker and more economical than its manual counterpart. Acceleration 0-62 is in 6.3 seconds, while the combined fuel consumption figure is 28.2 mpg.
The combination of the responsive and refined 3.2-litre engine, the quattro four-wheel-drive system and the DSG gearbox creates a driver’s car that brings a whole new sensation to some of Grampian’s best driving roads. But, while it excels at the twists and turns and sweeping bends, the A3 quattro is equally relaxed wafting along dual carriageways.
In keeping with the car’s sporting character, the ride is firm, but compliant and I never found it jarring – even on the increasingly dreadful road surfaces in this country.
The Sportback is more than just an Audi A3 with two extra doors. The whole car is stretched by just over 8 cm and this space has been put to good use to boost both knee and headroom for rear seat passengers.
Perhaps to highlight the difference and emphasise the Sportback as a different model, it is currently distinguished from its three-door siblings by the use of the full-height Audi front grille on the front.
Audi enjoys a reputation for some of the best interior designs around and the A3 Sportback maintains that image. The seats are comfortable yet supportive and the materials are clearly top quality. Attention to detail shows, right down to the “engineered” feel of even the humblest switch.
The price of the Audi A3 Sportback 3.2 quattro Sport is £24,625, which pitches it well into prestige territory – especially if you add the £1,400 DSG option. But it is a position it can justify. I normally I hand back the keys of a test car with mixed feelings. But this time I was simply reluctant to part.
It was the combination of a big responsive engine in a compact and nimble chassis that made it such an inspiring car to drive.
In some ways the Audi A3 3.2 quattro Sportback reminded me of that beloved GTI. The build quality, refinement and sophistication are light years ahead. But there are similarities in the sheer driving enjoyment, through the combination of neat dimensions, excellent dynamics and a powerful, torquey engine.
Audi boasts that its A3 has the widest range of engines in its market segment and, when you stop to think about it, this 3.2-litre quattro is exactly double the capacity of the 1.6-litre entry model.
With considerable reserves of power at your disposal, it is perhaps not surprising that this range-topper comes with Audi’s quattro four-wheel-drive system as standard. Even with the power being shared between four wheels, I found the traction control system sometimes reining in the power, to prevent the wheels spinning from a standing start.
It was back in the 80s that I drove my first Audi quattro and I was an instant convert. Enthusiasts may spend hours in pub discussions about which is best – front or rear-wheel-drive – but in my book the best answer is both!
A well-sorted four-wheel-drive system (as distinct from the utilitarian off road set up) can give tremendous reserves of handling and grip. It will also help you stay out of trouble In the winter if the snowflakes start to fall.
The next trick the test car had up its sleeve was the innovative DSG, or direct shift gearbox. Operating rather like an automatic, this option adds £1,400 to the cost of the A3 quattro Sportback. But, having experienced it, I would certainly explore all avenues to add it to my spec.
A brief explanation is worthwhile. The DSG keeps two gears in mesh at the same time. In addition to the gear you are using, when approaching the next change, the DSG will engage that gear – but with the clutch disengaged. The actual change is then accomplished by the smooth transition between the first and second clutch.
It works astonishingly well. Gearchanges are not only smooth and almost imperceptible, but the shift is achieved so rapidly, and with the throttle still open, that you can retain the power balance through a series of twists and turns.
You can drive in automatic mode, or you can manually change gears with either the conventional gearshift, or with racing-style buttons behind the wheel. In automatic sports mode the gearbox even drops a gear on the entrance to corners to balance the car and allow you to apply gentle power through the bend.
Normally an automatic gearbox will be slower and use more fuel than a manual. However the DSG overturns this norm, by being marginally quicker and more economical than its manual counterpart. Acceleration 0-62 is in 6.3 seconds, while the combined fuel consumption figure is 28.2 mpg.
The combination of the responsive and refined 3.2-litre engine, the quattro four-wheel-drive system and the DSG gearbox creates a driver’s car that brings a whole new sensation to some of Grampian’s best driving roads. But, while it excels at the twists and turns and sweeping bends, the A3 quattro is equally relaxed wafting along dual carriageways.
In keeping with the car’s sporting character, the ride is firm, but compliant and I never found it jarring – even on the increasingly dreadful road surfaces in this country.
The Sportback is more than just an Audi A3 with two extra doors. The whole car is stretched by just over 8 cm and this space has been put to good use to boost both knee and headroom for rear seat passengers.
Perhaps to highlight the difference and emphasise the Sportback as a different model, it is currently distinguished from its three-door siblings by the use of the full-height Audi front grille on the front.
Audi enjoys a reputation for some of the best interior designs around and the A3 Sportback maintains that image. The seats are comfortable yet supportive and the materials are clearly top quality. Attention to detail shows, right down to the “engineered” feel of even the humblest switch.
The price of the Audi A3 Sportback 3.2 quattro Sport is £24,625, which pitches it well into prestige territory – especially if you add the £1,400 DSG option. But it is a position it can justify. I normally I hand back the keys of a test car with mixed feelings. But this time I was simply reluctant to part.
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