India-bound new Audi A3 sedan breaks cover

- Second-generation of the Audi A3 sedan

- Will go on sale in Europe in coming months, India debut likely to happen in 2021

Audi has digitally revealed the new-generation A3 sedan. The second model in the A3 family after the Sportback, the sedan is now bigger, better looking, and gets new-age connected technology. The smallest sedan in the Ingolstadt line-up also debuts hybrid powertrain for the first time.

Adopting Audi’s new design language, the A3 sedan is not only attractive to look at, but it is also longer, wider and taller than the older model. However, the wheelbase remains the same. The coupe-like flowing roofline adds a lot of character. Upfront, the single-mesh honeycomb grille is flanked by Audi’s latest headlamp design which first debuted with the Q8. These headlamps consist of pixel array made up of 15 LED segments.

In profile, the three-box design has sharp and well-pronounced creases running along the side. The coupe-like silhouette has a narrow window while the sloping roofline meets a prominent bootlid. At the back, the downsized A6 aesthetics is apparent with similar taillamp design, well-defined boot and simple bumper design. With the increase in exterior dimension, Audi promises more cabin space, but the boot size remains unchanged.

Major changes are on the inside, where the new-gen A3 sedan gets a thoroughly new cabin with Audi’s Virtual Cockpit and a heads-up display. The closely-knit 10.25-inch MMI touchscreen features Audi’s latest user interface. The compact sedan also gets all the connectivity features Audi has on offer. Even the steering wheel is new, and air-vents are repositioned while the centre console is connected with the dashboard like the ones seen on sports cars. The gear lever is replaced by a small joystick which is shift-by-wire. Overall, the new A3 sedan’s cabin looks more upmarket and expensive than before. 

In terms of powertrain, the new A3 sedan is available with a choice of two TFSI petrol engines and one TDI diesel engine. One of the TFSI motors is a 150bhp 1.5-litre unit with 48V mild-hybrid system. It’s mated to a seven-speed DCT and can recover over 16bhp on regenerative braking. An improvement of 10 per cent in fuel consumption and reduction in CO2 is claimed by the German carmaker. The other two engines are – 148bhp 35 TFSI and a 2.0-litre TDI making similar power. The former gets a six-speed manual while the oil burner can be had with a seven-speed S tronic. More engine options will surely join the line-up at a later date along with souped-up S and RS variants.

Market launch of the new A3 sedan is slated for April 2020 in European markets. Prices are expected to start at 27,700 Euros. Meanwhile, Indian debut is likely to happen next year. It rivals the likes of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class sedan and the new BMW 2-Series Gran Coupe.