If you’re looking for a posh hatchback, you’re probably not looking much farther than this. Unless you’re looking for the A3 saloon of course, in which case it’s just over there . . . The A3 is the perfect encapsulation of the Volkswagen Group’s brand and engineering strategy.
Take the solid, reliable and usable mechanicals of the Golf (and indeed Leon and Octavia) and swathe them in a slick, sleek Audi body, aided and abetted by an interior of superb quality and rigorously sensible ergonomic layout.
Tweak the suspension and steering for some mild sportiness, jack the price up to suitably Audi-esque levels and sit back to watch the profits roll in.
Of course, there’s no sense in buying an A3 when you know that the vastly more affordable Golf, Leon and Octavia use all the same bits, but that is to underestimate the sheer appeal of the badge.
Handling is decent, space is fine and the new 1.0-litre turbo petrol engine is a gem. A shame that refinement is surprisingly poor, but wealth can’t buy everything it seems.
RS3 is a demented hi-po hatch hero, e-Tron a useful plug-in hybrid.
Price range: €26,960 to €65,900
Co2 emissions: 37 to 189g/km
Which one? e-Tron for the city, 1.0 TFSI for the country
PCP from €260 per month