Audi’s best-selling compact executive saloon just got even better. The German automaker has updated its fourth-generation A3, a car initially unveiled to the world back in 2020.

Designed to sit in an ultra-competitive bracket of the car market, the launch models offered great value, combining proven Audi quality with a genuine sense of fun and engagement. To make it even more appealing to the Singaporean car buyer, a 1.0-litre variant was then added to the line-up.

It eventually became the de facto entry-point to the world of Audi ownership in Singapore, its Category A COE classification making it seem like even greater bang-for-your-buck. But with newer competitors already on the market, and stiff competition from the East, some nips and tucks were needed to keep it fighting fit.

And that was exactly what it received.

A New Face and Audi’s New CI

A few years ago, Audi introduced their revised corporate identity. The most obvious difference is with the simplification of its emblem, in line with what a lot of conglomerates are doing right now. Fun fact: the first car to receive said revised emblem wasn’t an all-new model, but the facelifted e-tron SUV, which was introduced as the Q8 e-tron.

The badge in this application now sits much higher than on its predecessor. There are now four little bumps where the four rings are, with this area breaking up its signature Singleframe grille. Which has also been reprofiled slightly, drawing clear inspiration from Audi’s latest electric car offerings.

Other changes here include all-new headlights, with matrix technology borrowed from the RS 3. As you’d expect from a facelift, the rear taillights have also been revised, and so too has the rear bumper. There are clear hints of RS Audi in this bit of the vehicle.

Audi has fused the faux rear diffuser, exhaust tips and trim panel into one assembly. Sounds like a design strategy that wouldn’t work, and yet somehow it does. It also fits the personality of a youth-oriented Audi, reminding its driver that it isn’t just a serious German automobile, but one that has a sense of fun and humour too.

Minor Updates On The Inside

The bulk of the interior has been carried over unchanged from its predecessor. The digital cluster and MMI screens are identical to units fitted to the outgoing cars, though the graphics of the cluster have been updated to reflect the new minimalist design cues of the new Audi cars.

Another obvious difference is its shifter, which it now borrows from cars such as the Q4 e-tron. There’s no new Audi steering wheel here – we’ve been told that the steering splines are different between the all-new cars and the existing models.

Still, it’s not like it really needed an update to begin with. Logically laid out buttons, and a good mix of screens and physical switchgear means the car remains timeless and fresh, even four years on. Material quality is unmistakably Audi, with no squeaks or rattles on the go, and with plenty of soft-touch materials dotted about the car (the new Audi smell also survives the facelift intact!).

Space inside is decent, but more generously proportioned individuals may struggle for room in the rear. If you are of average stature however, you’d have no issue getting comfortable, even on longer journeys.

Upsized Engine

Unlike many other manufacturers, which have opted to downsize their engines, Audi has decided to do the opposite instead, switching from its predecessor’s 1.0-litre engine to a 1.5-litre unit that was previously fitted to the original Cat B A3.

It has obviously been detuned to make the car Cat A compliant, but despite peak power remaining the same as the 1.0 litre car, there’s a fair bit more mid-range with this larger unit. This means noticeably less noise when you really need the car to accelerate.

As this is only a facelift, it is still being built on the same MQB Evo platform as the outgoing cars. Again that isn’t a bad thing, as this ultra-capable platform has created some truly fun-to-drive cars in recent years.

Grip levels are decent, and the steering feel and feedback eggs you on to drive harder. It isn’t the most compliant car over bumps, but the stiff shocks create a sense of agility that you’d not get it was less aggressively sprung.

Better With Age

Despite the base design being half a decade old now, there’s no real sign that the A3, especially in its facelifted guise, isn’t every bit as competitive as its newer competitors. It has all the bells and whistles that you’d expect at this price point, with the build and brand prestige that you’d expect from a German brand.

Also, upsizing may seem like an unusual move, especially in a world where automakers are going the other way. But it makes for a car that feels far more responsive, making it feel a lot more usable in the real world. And it manages to do so without paying a significant fuel consumption penalty.

And its platform’s reliability track record has been fairly solid too – so you can be assured that you’d be getting a properly competitive little executive saloon when you buy an Audi A3!

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