New 2024 Audi A3 takes the fight to BMW and Mercedes with £32k price tag
The updated Audi A3 is available now, with the hot S3 version due from May
The facelifted Audi A3 was revealed last month, and now the maker has confirmed full prices and specs – with the base A3 Sport starting from £32,035. The A3 Saloon costs £32,600, with both cars benefiting from an extended kit list, design updates and technology improvements. Higher-spec S line and Black Edition cars are also available.
The entry-level Sport now comes with wireless smartphone charging and an updated version of Audi’s ‘Virtual Cockpit’ driver display. All cars feature three-zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors and Audi’s parking aid plus system, too.
New to Sport spec are a set of 17-inch alloy wheels, badging on the B-pillar, heated front seats and two USB-C charging ports in the rear. The 10.1-inch central screen also utilises the latest Audi infotainment system and has sat-nav incorporated.
Above this is the mid-range S Line, which starts at £34,315 in Sportback form, or £34,800 in Saloon guise. This model adds new features like 18-inch wheels, dark aluminium interior accents, multi-coloured interior ambient lighting and a flat-bottomed leather steering wheel. It also has S Line exterior styling, sports suspension, LED lights front and rear, plus different seats and illuminated door sill logos.
The A3 Black Edition costs from £36,015 (£36,580 for the Saloon), ushering in a new set of 19-inch matt-grey alloy wheels, black interior fabric inserts, the black styling pack for the exterior, and ‘Audi beam’ puddle lights.
The new Audi A3 can be distinguished from the old model by a new flatter grille design, plus larger, more angular air intakes and a new two-dimensional four-ring logo first seen on the Audi Q8 e-tron SUV. A new bumper and diffuser are found to the rear.
Along with new alloy wheel designs, new paint finishes have been added to the line up with Arkona White, Arrow Grey, Ascari Blue, Progressive Red and District Green now available. Inside, there’s new fabrics for the upholstery, revised air vent shapes and a new S tronic gear lever design for the automatic models.
Just two powertrains will be made available to A3 buyers at launch. The first is the 1.5-litre petrol ‘35 TFSI’, with 148bhp and 250Nm of torque, allowing for 0-62mph in 8.1 seconds. There’s also the 2.0-litre TDI diesel (from £33,935) with 148bhp and 360Nm. For now, all cars come with a seven-speed automatic transmission with a manual option available later.
Audi says an entry-level, three-cylinder ‘30 TFSI’ will join the range later in the year, alongside a ‘45 TFSI e’ petrol-electric plug-in hybrid. The hotter 328bhp S3 will cost from £46,925 for the Sportback Black Edition, rising to £52,965 for the Vorsprung Saloon. These models won’t be available until 15 May, however.
As before, the S3 features a sport suspension kit which lowers it by 15mm. But new for the facelift is a torque splitter on each axle for the four-wheel drive system, which Audi says is “designed to increase both agility and stability”.
Audi’s updates could come at a better time; the revised BMW 1 Series is almost ready for launch and the Mercedes A-Class gained its mid-life refresh in 2023. The Volkswagen Golf, which uses the same basic platform as the A3, was also treated to a subtle nip and tuck earlier this year.
Finally, Audi’s five-cylinder, 394bhp RS 3 range-topper has been spied testing on the Nurburgring in camouflage meaning it’s all but certain to re-join the line-up at a later date.
Click here for our Audi S3 prototype review...
