First Ride
“We do not want to shock our customers,” says Michael Dick, board member of development at Audi, in a veiled shot at Mercedes-Benz. “That’s why we decided to go for evolutionary design changes on our new Audi A3.” The unspoken criticism is for the radically altered appearance of the latest A-class, which is the most direct competitor to the A3.
As our chaperone unlocks a new A3 three-door hatchback—a sedan is the only definite body style for the U.S. at this point, but a five-door and possibly a convertible are planned—he mentions that this trip will be the first time he’s driven what will be his personal car for the next six months. In a strange way, we feel slightly honored to be accompanying him. “Don’t study this car too hard,” he says, referencing the fact that this new A3 is fitted with items that won’t be available to customers until the end of this year. Those include the Quattro all-wheel-drive system; the racy, quilted-leather front seats; and the special blue exterior paint. Of course, his request has only set us on higher alert.
Gleaming the MQB
Like any company and one of its new products, Audi intends for the A3 to be the class leader in its segment. The company is aware that many buyers think of the model as simply a tarted-up VW Golf, an impression Dick is quick to counter with the claim that the “new A3 is a completely different car!” Well, not quite. The basis for the new A3 and next-generation Mark VII Golf is Volkswagen’s highly flexible MQB architecture (full details here). It’s a highly cost effective, modular front-drive-based component set that can underpin cars as varied in size as the Volkswagen Polo and Volkswagen Passat and will be used by SEAT and Škoda. The 2013 A3 will be the first car spun from MQB bones to reach consumers.
MQB, simply expressed, consists of one fixed base component that stretches from the front axle to the pedal box and four additional, flexible modules. It is the latter bits that allow the platform to underpin cars of varying lengths. In terms of the A3, Audi saw the variability as an opportunity to build the three- and five-door models on different wheelbases, with the latter getting an additional 1.4 inches. (The two A3s are expected to differ in character, with the three-door being positioned as the sporty alternative to the more comfortable five-door.) The three-door A3, which we are riding in, measures 102.4 inches between the wheels, the same span you’ll find on three- and five-door Mark VII Golfs as well as the next-generation Audi TT. It’s almost an inch longer than on the previous-generation A3, and the stretch is applied in its entirety to the rear legroom.
As for the rest of its dimensions, the 2013 three-door A3 is 1.8 inches longer and a hair narrower than before. With a shorter overhang in front, it is 1.4 inches shorter overall than the next Golf. The two cars share a roofline, but the Audi’s styling is decidedly more macho. Audi incorporates more lightweight materials into its car—a luxury afforded by the A3’s higher price—including an aluminum front subframe and hood, items we’re told required a fight to implement. The new car’s body-in-white is claimed by Audi to be 176 pounds lighter than its predecessor’s.
