Audi A3 Sportback review

The 2024 facelift has brought some minor changes into what was already a solid interior, albeit one that we’ve criticised before for its materials and build quality. Which is saying something for the car that not too long ago set the benchmark.

There are some nice little touches: microfibre fabric inserts on the dashboard add a little flair, as do the perforated door linings with ambient lighting behind them. Generally the cabin feels clean and purposeful, but is it posh enough for Audi’s image? Debatable, that one.

How’s the tech?

The 10.1in touchscreen infotainment display is fitted as standard across the range, likewise the 12.3in digital instrument panel behind the steering wheel. The infotainment is one of the more responsive and logical setups on the market, and Audi’s just added an app store functionality where you can download a variety of free and paid for applications to the car.

Having said that, we’ve never got on well with the satnav’s satellite image-based mapping. If we wanted to see a bird’s eye view of the surrounding land we’d take an aeroplane; satnav maps should be clear and easy to follow. Likewise the speed limit warning bong - which resets every time you start the car, because it has to by law - is several clicks through the system to switch off. In a modern Merc, it’s one. Go figure.

Look, buttons!

Audi is to be applauded here, especially in the face of interior atrocities committed elsewhere in the Volkswagen Group range where dashboards have been almost entirely stripped of useful buttons. VW spent a lot of effort fixing the many such faux pas with its 2024 Golf update, for example. 

You’ve got a range of buttons available to control the aircon without the need to go sub-menu diving all over the place, plus things like driving modes, heated seats and various safety functions have their own switches. The steering wheel doesn’t get haptic buttons, so you won’t click anything on there by accident. Wise.

The gear selector has also been upgraded to a slightly classier looking thing that tidies up the centre console. We could probably do without the glossy black surround that’s crept in across the Audi range: it shows up smudges, marks and fingerprints terribly.

Is the A3 practical?

The A3 is decently roomy, with plenty of space up front and a comfortable environment for longer journeys. It’s roomy for two adults in the back as well, though the middle seat is something of a squeeze and legroom there is compromised by the transmission tunnel.

It features a 380-litre boot, which is basically bang on the same as the BMW 1 Series and Mercedes-Benz A-Class. That expands to 1,200 litres if you knock the rear seats down.

The loading lip’s flatter than key rivals, though, and there’s some underfloor storage too. So, have a look in an A3 Sportback before you subject yourself to three years in a Q3. You might be surprised.