Audi A3 facelift review, test drive

The Audi A3 has just seen a facelift along with a whole host of updates. A first drive in Munich gave us an in-depth look at what’s new.

Published on May 26, 2016 03:13:00 PM

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The inside story

Step inside the new A3 and you’ll realise that for the most part, not much has changed in the overall layout of the cabin. The most striking difference is an optional new steering wheel, which now comes with an extremely sporty flat-bottom design (which was originally only available on the S3). All the A3s we drove in Munich came with paddle shifters on the wheel, and we really hope Audi includes these when they bring the car to India.

Design-wise, while most of the interiors remain the same, the turbine-like air conditioning vents have been slightly redesigned and Audi now offers illuminated door sills as an option. When it comes to interior features, a big change is the addition of the Audi Virtual Cockpit, which completely does away with analogue dials in the instrument. Instead, what you get is a high-resolution 12.3-inch TFT screen which has two view settings. In the traditional mode, the tachometer and speedometer appear as large analogue displays. In infotainment mode, the speedo and tacho are relegated to smaller displays in the corner, with the majority of the screen area displaying between a choice of phone, audio or navigation data. Even the MMI interface for the 7-inch electrically extending centre screen has been revised to make it a lot more intuitive to use. There are a couple of additions that have taken the convenience up by a good margin, such as the inclusion of an additional USB port in the centre console and a “phone box” in the centre arm rest which offers wireless induction charging and near-field (NFC) connectivity.

When it came to the interior ergonomics, there’s really no change from the previous car. So while the front seats area comfortable and spacious, the back bench is a little short on space, but still manages better than some other cars in this class.