Introduction

Over the years, cars tend to creep up in size, and the Audi A3 has done just that. A hatchback doesn’t necessarily have the right level of appeal for business customers, though, and with the A4 and A5 becoming ever more expensive, an A3 saloon is a great fit in the junior executive car segment. It’s longer and has more rear legroom than the hatchback, plus it cuts quite a dash as a saloon – despite sharing most of its parts with other A3s.

Did you know? The current A3 saloon is just a couple of centimetres shorter than the first A4 saloon, launched in 1995. 

Verdict | Design | Interior | Technology | Performance | Safety | Specs | Running Costs | Pricing

Verdict:★★★★★★★★☆☆ (8/10)

It’s easy to see why the A3 saloon has such appeal. It’s the smallest ‘true’ Audi, with a sense of quality that the A1 can only dream of, and a shape that speaks more of a premium life than the naturally less upmarket A3 Sportback, despite their similarity under the skin. The A3 saloon looks and feels like a genuinely premium product, with an improved ride and an emphasis on technology, not to mention the extra seats-up luggage space in the boot. As a brand built on saloons, Audi could easily present this as the A3 in its natural form.