Audi A3 sedan review, road test

There are a number of questions the new A3 has to answer. First, was Audi’s decision to skip the luxury hatchback segment in India and go straight to the compact luxury sedan segment a smart one? Well, considering it has the first-mover advantage, and that it managed a starting price that’s on par with the luxury hatches on sale right now, on paper at least, yes it was. It’s more car for the same money; simple. Staying with that launch price – Rs 22.95 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) – is the base model really worth considering, and if not, how far up the range would you have to go to get a proper A3? Can a car at this price and of this size be a proper Audi, and does the A3 have enough substance to justify its costing a bit more than a larger car with a mainstream badge like, say, a Skoda Superb? And finally, the one Audi would probably not want answered – with the top-end diesel priced at Rs 33 lakh, wouldn’t you just be better off with the larger, more spacious A4 instead? Only a comprehensive road test can give us the answers.