Audi A3 Sportback

Looking for a family hatch that's a cut above the norm? The latest iteration of the Audi A3 is hard to beat

- GEORGE HILL

YOU MIGHT THINK a car wearing a premium badge should be a bespoke design in order to differentiate itself from cheaper, more mundane models, but the Audi A3 is proof that this isn't necessarily a better approach. This posh family car - a rival for the BMW 1 Series and MercedesBenz A-Class - has much in common with the Volkswagen Golf, but it has never had any trouble convincing buyers that it's worth paying a bit extra for.

As well as being stylish, comfortable and practical, the current, fourth-generation A3 offers a wide range of engines and trims to cater for different needs and tastes.

In earlier models, the petrols include a 109bhp 1.0-litre 30 TFSI and a 148bhp 1.5-litre 35 TFSI, and there are 201bhp 40 TFSIe and 241bhp 45 TFSIe plug-in hybrids (PHEVS) with 1.4-litre petrol engines. There's also a pair of 2.0-litre diesels, with outputs of 114bhp (30 TDI) and 148bhp (35 TDI). A 2024 facelift included the introduction of a new 1.5-litre 40 TFSIe to replace the 1.4s.

In pre-facelift form, there are four trim levels to choose from: Technik, Sport, S line and rangetopping Vorsprung, which comes lavishly equipped. Technik and Vorsprung were dropped in the facelift and the latter was replaced by Black Edition. It's quite an expensive choice, though, and it doesn't add much over S line, other than a few styling tweaks.

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