Skip advert
Advertisement

Audi A3 – design

A flurry of slashes, angles, flicks and LED lights has turned the previously elegant design into a fussy melange

Evo rating
RRP
from £28,650
  • Able chassis, low kerbweight, basic ergonomics are right
  • Ride and refinement severely lacking, interior quality a big step backwards

The A3’s exterior design has always been a similar story to the interior: combine a classless sophisticated look with just enough sporting paraphernalia to appeal to the target audience. Well, just like the new A3’s interior, subtlety has taken a back seat in favour of flashing lights and complicated angular surfacing as the new A3 fits all of Audi’s latest design ideas into an overstuffed little package. 

Advertisement - Article continues below

While not an unattractive car as a whole – the divisive BMW 1-series takes the crown on that score – the A3 has lost its restrained sophistication in favour of deep-set surfacing and complex lighting graphics. All models are shod with standard alloy wheels, but you’ll need to upsize them to at least 18-inches fir them not to not be totally overwhelmed by the new body. The LED lighting front and rear is complicated and lacks the clarity of design that Audis should be known for.

Non S-Line models have a subtler appearance, but if current buyer behaviour is anything to go on, they’ll be out-numbered 4-to-1 on UK roads. You’ll have to look elsewhere for any sense of the restrained design that once defined the A3, and instead deal with the complex body, jarring graphics and fussy detailing that Audi often portray.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

The most extreme Porsche 911 we’ve ever seen spied – a GT2 RS or something more?
Porsche mule Nürburgring
News

The most extreme Porsche 911 we’ve ever seen spied – a GT2 RS or something more?

Wild 911 prototype is much wider with a reprofiled rear end, pointing to a GT2 RS-flavoured model in the works
14 May 2025
Why I can't stand Cars & Coffee, even as a caffeine addict
Cars and coffee
Opinion

Why I can't stand Cars & Coffee, even as a caffeine addict

They’re all the rage, but Cars & Coffee meets aren’t Meaden’s cup of tea
1 May 2025
We never thought the day would come – the De Tomaso P72 is ready for production
De Tomaso P72 – front
News

We never thought the day would come – the De Tomaso P72 is ready for production

Having first appeared in 2019, De Tomaso is finally building its retro, V8-engined P72 hypercar
14 May 2025