2021 Audi A3 Revealed, Will Compete With Mercedes-Benz A-Class Limousine In India

Audi takes the covers off its new A3 sedan. However, much has not changed on the car's character. It continues to keep its essentials intact, but it is a new car inside out. Styling-wise, it is mildly updated in comparison to the car it replaces. It now features a more prominent 3-box silhouette, even with a drastically sloping roofline. With an angry face, thanks to the swanky DRLs comprising of 15 LED elements, A3 sports a familiar Audi face with sharper crease lines.

2021 Audi A3 features two electrically-controlled louvres behind its radiator grill to control the airflow.

Dimensionally, the A3 has grown in all the three axes, i.e. length, width, and height. The increment in dimensions has helped it with an increase in headroom by 20 mm, while the shoulder room and legroom have also increased, marginally. However, the boot space remains identical as before at 425 litres. The new Audi A3 is underpinned by the MQB platform, which was recently seen on the Volkswagen Golf. Audi claims that it is lighter and studier in comparison to the one it replaces. The new car also boasts of a lower aerodynamic drag coefficient value of 0.25, which is 0.04 units lesser than that of the outgoing model. The A3 uses two electrically operated louvres mounted behind the front grille to achieve this reduction.

The 2021 A3 comes with a slew of engine options. The most hyped one of the lot is a 1.5L TFSI petrol with 150 HP on tap. It uses a 48V mild-hybrid technology to assist the engine with 16 more horses and 50 Nm of additional torque, when coasting. Audi claims that it helps with a 10 per cent increment in the fuel economy figures. It comes mated to Audi’s 7-speed S-Tronic DCT automatic gearbox.

The 2021 Audi A3 falls in the league of other expensive Audi with similar design language.

The other engine options on the list are a 35 TFSI petrol motor and a 2.0L TDI diesel engine. Both of them produce a peak power output of 150 HP. The petrol is offered with a 6-speed MT, while the diesel with a 7-speed S-Tronic automatic transmission. At a later stage, Audi will introduce a 115 HP 2.0L diesel and a 110 HP 1.0L 3-pot petrol mill. Two plug-in hybrid variants will also be a part of the options list.