Road Test: Audi A3 Sportback 3.2 quattro DSG

By Damien Tomlinson - 15/6/05

Audi's A3 Sportback is a lovely little plaything, offering the cuteness of the A3 with two more doors and a bit of extra room inside.

I was fortunate to spend some time in the top-of-the-range 3.2-litre V6 quattro Ambition DSG (say that five times quickly), a $73,990 hatch with muscle to back up the aggressive new looks of the restyled A3.

However, at that price, it could just be the most expensive five-door hatchback in the universe. The stretched A3's 3.2-litre variant may not win many friends with its pricing point, but those who are considering parting with the cash won't be disappointed, other than with its dollars-per-hectare ratio.

Subtle visual changes to Audi's new A3 work well, as does its powerful V6 engine, creating 320Nm of torque from just 2500 revolutions per minute (rpm)

My little Sportback was equipped with Audi's dreamy Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG), which is a masterpiece of modern motoring engineering.

This is the transmission that blips on downshifts, provides near-F1 response times, and is raring to go at the flick of a paddle or bump of the stick.

In my opinion, it's the best marriage of the ease of automatics and the engaging excitement of manuals that has yet been achieved.

In assuming that the V6 won't be the volume seller of the Sportback range, I decided early on to focus this review on the practicality of the stretched-A3 concept, rather than the pros and cons of the particular model I drove.

From that point of view, I think Audi has kicked yet another goal in its seemingly unstoppable rise through the ranks, one that probably started when the A3's predecessor hit our shores.

An important part of model development for car makers is continuity and subtlety. It's the reason why Commodores have changed little, under the surface, since the VT came about in 1997. Buyers don't want to feel like their hard-earned money is going to be "wasted" on something that is just going to be blown away by a faster, more efficient and more luxurious new model in the near future.

It's the perfect budgetary ploy for the manufacturers, too. This philosophy has saved Holden millions by meaning it has based every Commodore variant on the same eight-year-old platform (watch that space next year, though).

Believe me, the same is true for most of the world's manufacturers, too, not just Holden.

The styling of the new A3 is much more aggressive, from every angle, than its predecessor, but owners of the "old" A3 won't care too much, as it doesn't completely revolutionise the A3's design, but simply enhances it. Besides, the look of the late A3 is still a class act.

I reckon Audi turned a corner when it pensioned off the A4 from two "generations" ago. Since then, we've seen the A3, the A4 and its convertible variants, the classy A6 and the plush A8, plus "S" performance versions of each model.

The rear end of the A3 Sportback is more daring than the model it replaces, while inside the A3 you can see where Audi gets its impressive reputation

Outlets are becoming dealerships, new dealerships are opening, and the company, regarded by some as the poor cousin to BMW and Mercedes-Benz (but not us), has really made up some ground in the lucrative corporate and luxury markets. In May 2005, Audi sales were up 35 per cent in Australia, and increased by 14 per cent world-wide.

The A3 could have been the killer for the company's comeback in Australia, a desperate attempt at volume by launching a small car for the middle-income masses, but I don't believe this is so.

Just as Mercedes-Benz has had the A-Class (cough), and BMW's just brought in its 1 Series, Audi too recognised that the rich men (mostly!) who drove their flagships also had wives, and grabbed an opportunity to meet a growing demand in the segment.

But I'm getting off the topic.

The new A3 is a good development on what was a sound machine, and it should sell well for the company. It's available in a variety of flavours, from the entry-level 1.6 Attraction tiptronic, at $36,800, to this range-topping 3.2.

On approach to the Sportback, the first thing you notice is exactly what Audi wants you to - the enormous front grille, which is actually no bigger than it's ever been, but has been restyled and highlighted with chrome to make it stand out.

The design is about as compelling as you could expect from what is about the most boring platform in the world - the five-door hatch. Smooth lines, impressive ripples and, on my model, big, fat, 225/45s on 17-inch wheels, all impress.

Inside the traditionally substantial Audi doors, leather and modern whiz-bang-ery abounds. This is a nice cabin, boasting dual-zone climate control (though with gigantic, "funky" [clumsy] knobs for temperature control), a 6-stack CD player and electric (almost) everything. One big omission is an electric seat, at least on the driver's side. When you're talking about parting with this sort of money, I would almost have expected seat memory as standard.

Apart from that gripe, all was forgotten when the key was turned. The 3.2-litre V6 oozes almost as much satisfying charm, and almost as pleasurable an exhaust note, as the 4.2-litre V8 of the rampaging S4.

Coupled with the brilliant DSG (manual is not an option), the 3.2 quattro was a thrill on the road. Unlike most automatics, the DSG is an absolute joy, especially when coupled to the freewheeling 184kW V6. Together, they produce a standing 0-100km/h in 6.6 seconds (claimed).

It is obedient to a fault, in that it will obey even when your decision probably isn't the right one. That level of control is precisely what was most exciting about the transmission.

In "normal" automatics, if you're charging along in second, and decide to flick to third, the car's computer might decide, based on the level of acceleration and the position of your right foot, that you actually don't want to change up. The result can be that the change is delayed, sometimes by up to a second, which is more than long enough to rattle my confidence most times.

However, perform the same action in the A3 with the DSG, and you'll be impressed. Changes snap in almost as quickly as you think them, and there is no hesitation from the transmission. It's almost as though Audi has taken a normal transmission, taken out some of its brains, and kicked a goal. Of course, that is not the case, as the DSG 'box is one of the most technically advanced transmissions in history.

Again, as I said after driving the S4, the styling of the A3 Sportback 3.2 is so subtle, that you'll surprise your family (namely, in this case, my girlfriend's mum - hi Cathy), friends and fellow motorists with the awesome machine that lingers beneath the soccer-mum exterior.

Overall: 4/5

If money wasn't a deciding factor, and unfortunately it is a big one for 95 per cent of car buyers, I would recommend the 3.2 quattro to anyone.

With the quattro all-wheel drive system, the big wheels, responsive motor and awesome transmission, this really shouldn't be an A3 - what are they going to put in to the S3 when it comes?

I should be selling Audis, shouldn't I?