Audi A3 Quattro starts shipping..Best sense of stability, space disappointment
Jun 12, 2025
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Although Audi A3 is a new fourth-generation model, it is relatively less recognized in Korea. As Audi is a premium brand of Volkswagen Group, is there anything that sets A3 apart from golf. I found out through a test drive.
The test car is a model of the A340TFSI Quattro. It was first released in Korea in January 2025. It is a hot new car that began shipping in May this year due to volume problems. As explained earlier, A3 is the main focus of front wheel drive. Quattro differentiated itself from the general model by applying Haldex's four-wheel drive system.
Golf four-wheel drive is applied to the most high-performance Golf R. This car has not been introduced in Korea, so only all-wheel drive is on sale in Korea. Golf also focuses on European diesel power trains, except for the newly released gasoline turbo GTI.
On the other hand, the A3 is a North American export strategy car with a gasoline turbo engine. Contrary to golf, diesel models are not sold in Korea. In other words, golf is perfect if you want a diesel engine that is advantageous for reducing maintenance costs, and A3 is perfect if you want a quiet and dynamic feel of a gasoline engine.
A3 appeared as a facelift model in January this year. The newly introduced Python yellow color is also applied, adding to the feeling of a new car. On top of that, the black package is basic for the Quattro model. Side mirrors, wheels, front grills, air intake decorations, and gray emblems are applied to complete a sporty appearance.
The front part goes through the facelift and a softer curve is applied. Previously, if it was strong and masculine by installing an angled single frame, the new model finished the outer line of the single frame with a soft curve. It looks much sporty by applying a frameless design without a chrome border.The headlights have also changed, and the key is the digital light signature feature on the latest Audi vehicles.
Full LED headlamps are standard. You can choose between three types of Daylight shape according to your personal preference. In addition, the dynamic turn signal, Audi's pride, was applied in both the front and rear. The Audi 4-ring logo, which is mounted on the top of the single frame, has been changed from the existing 3D form to a new 2D. You can see that it is a new model just by looking at the exterior.
The full length is 4505mm, which looks quite compact from the side. The wheelbase is 2,636mm, the width is 1,815mm, and the height is 1,420mm, which is as compact as the golf brothers. The battlefield is shorter than the domestic standard Avante. There is no sedan that can be compared to domestic cars in the same size.
For wheels, the base trim runs 17 inches. The premium trim is equipped with 18-inch wheels. The quattro has the same 18 inches, but it has a black glossy painting wheel. If you choose a bright vehicle or black color like a test car, the appearance looks sportier.
On the rear side, the tail lamp shape is the same as the existing model. The interior graphic has become more colorful. It also feels aggressive when turned on at night. As expected, Audi's pride in dynamic turn signals shine. Like a European car, it also has a fog lamp on the back.
In the case of the interior, it is characterized by a driver-centered dashboard. There are many forms in which the latest vehicles connect the instrument panel and the center monitor into one. There is also an advantage of being able to see a lot of driving information, but the disadvantage is that the vehicle is less individual. In the case of A3, it looks good because you can feel individuality in the interior. The digital instrument panel is in the form of an analogue. He has good visibility during the week as well.
In addition, the air vent, which is located in an aggressive shape on both sides of the instrument panel, emphasizes the driver-centered design to deliver a sporty feeling.In addition to design advantages, it is easy to adjust the air conditioner and heater toward the driver, so it combines practicality.
The center monitor is located in the center. It is smaller than the latest vehicles, but there is no great inconvenience in checking information. Audi's unique physical buttons are applied to air conditioning buttons, emergency lights, and drive select modes. The clicking feeling of operation was excellent, so the advantages of Audi's new car remained the same.
From the premium grade to the S-line interior with perforated leather applied to the D-cut is applied to the steering wheel. Perforated leather reduces slipperiness and has an appropriate D-cut rim thickness, so it has an excellent grip. The seat is also a headrest integrated S-line seat, so the sportiness of the vehicle is well reflected even without driving.
Press the start button located next to the electronic gear knob to wake the heart. It is an EA888 EVO4 engine that has been used in various vehicles for a long time by the Volkswagen Group. It is also an engine for the recently introduced Volkswagen SUV Atlas and Golf GTI. Each vehicle has a different characteristic, so there is a difference in output and setting.
The A3 engine is a combination of a two-liter gasoline turbo and a seven-speed S-tronic, or dual-clutch. It exerts a maximum power of 204 horsepower maximum torque of 32.6 kgf.m. Features respond very nimbly to match compact vehicles. Even with a little force on the accelerator, it moves the vehicle fairly quickly. It is a completely different sensation from the gradual acceleration of high-performance or semi-large vehicles when they apply force to the accelerator.
It is a setting suitable for the domestic road environment along with a small body. As I entered the main road, I accelerated a little more.Unlike previous A3s and previous generations of golf, the shift has become softer. The advantage of the old Stronic Mission is that it has a fast shift speed, but if it was a setting where the shift impact was delivered to some extent like a manual vehicle, now the shift proceeds smoothly like a torque converter automatic transmission.
The dynamic feeling has been reduced, but it is a softer setting and more satisfying for many people in daily driving. Instead, changing the gear to S mode properly conveys the existing manual transmission feeling. If you operate the accelerator in a hurry, you can feel even a slight shift shock. It adds to the fun of driving like a manual vehicle. If you're used to the softness of an electric car, you might feel awkward.
If you have experience driving a manual vehicle or like sporty driving, it's a welcome part. I tried to speed up my entry into the highway. Unlike small bodies, it is characterized by less sense of speed than actual speed even when driving at a fairly high speed. The sticky grip of the quattro system and summer tires allowed for a fairly stable driving.
If you have a lot of long-distance driving and often drive at a high speed on the highway, you can give considerable satisfaction in terms of stability. However, compared to golf, especially golf GTI, the thrill is definitely lower. Would it be an exaggeration if the vehicle felt bored overall due to the stable driving feeling.
It seems that satisfaction will differ depending on the tendency. If you enjoy driving agilely in the city center and prefer high-speed driving and stable quattro performance even in inclement weather, you will be very satisfied. If you want a dynamic vehicle like Golf GTI, I recommend choosing Golf GTI as it is.
The second row space looks small even at a glance. Fortunately, when you sit down, you can secure some foot space. If you're shorter than 170cm, you won't have much inconvenience in the legroom and headroom. If passengers taller than 175cm board the second row, not only the legroom but also the headroom are quite inconvenient. Also, the center tunnel is as high as Quattro, so passengers do not have room to put their feet at all.
Drive modes are ride comfort, automatic, sports, and indie. The ride and the automatic fit go well with smooth driving.Changing to sports does not change the acceleration significantly. There is no variable suspension, so there is no function to soften the suspension in ride comfort mode.
If you want dynamic driving, changing the gear from D to S mode will significantly change your tendency to sporty. Although the side glass is not double-junctioned, there is less wind noise and the sound insulation against the side noise is quite compliant. There is a lot of noise when playing relatively.
After finishing the Audi A3 test drive, I can feel a distinctly different tendency from golf. It also combines gasoline with comprehensive fuel efficiency. Of course, golf with diesel engines has an overwhelming advantage in fuel efficiency. If you want a fancy interior design, stability of high-speed driving, sportiness of gasoline engines, and sedan design, Audi A3 is perfect. Golf is recommended if you want diesel's powerful fuel economy, good vision, relatively advantageous space for family cars and the usability of hatchbacks.
The Audi A3 is highly complete as it is a golf and brother vehicle. Instead, if you are worried between the two models due to different directions from golf, I recommend you to test drive both. In the case of the A3 high-performance model, the S3 is expected to be much sporty. By applying the torque splitter implanted from RS3, thrilling driving is possible. Expectations for the upcoming S3 are also rising.
One line review
Advantage: Excellent stability beyond the level even at high speeds..As expected of Quattro
Disadvantage: The thrill of driving is less compared to the similarly priced Golf GTI..The road noise is also a pity.
Editor Song Moon-cheol mc.song@carguy.kr
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
