If the MINI Cooper opened the door for premium compact cars in the U.S., then Audi is about to storm through that gap with its second-generation A3.
Bringing this type of vehicle-a five-door hatchback-to a market that has been indifferent to such body styles might be a gamble, but it looks to be a good one. Never before has such a high-quality compact hatch been offered in America, and it's aimed at the most dynamic sector of the market, at young, active consumers looking for distinctive vehicles to fit their lifestyles. Moreover, given that women make most of the purchase decisions, it's to Audi's advantage that the A3 should appeal as much to female buyers as to male. It's also the first U.S.-bound Audi whose success may depend as much on its style and functionality as its technology.
Vorsprung Durch Technik Und Sizzle.
In other words, forget minivans, SUVs and traditional station wagons. The A3 typifies one of those "niche within a niche" vehicles often used by carmakers to invade market segments (real or not) yet to be exploited (or not). Such vehicles can remain ablaze after they catch fire-the MINI, for example-or they can Roman candle themselves out of the market, sparkling with appeal but ultimately fizzling to a quiet end while all eyes turn to the next spectacle. Which will it be?
The car's brief history has to give Audi confidence that the new A3 will fulfill the more successful scenario. A hit overseas since its debut in three-door trim in 2000, the second generation of the line, now being introduced in Europe, has also spawned this five-door sibling, dubbed Sportback. It will be the only body style imported to North America (Europeans have a choice between the two A3 IIs) but, disappointingly, it won't get to U.S. shores before May 2005.
I enjoyed a tantalizing first taste of the A3 Sportback in Monte Carlo last July. It's sporty, beautifully appointed, and its technology and build quality reflect the best efforts of Audi's studios and labs. But, what about the styling? Will that swing-up door at the rear be a barrier between the car's goodness and the U.S. buyer's receptiveness of its compactness? Utility was openly cited by Audi as one of the car's strengths, and though I don't share that bias against the arrangement of openings, I'm still not convinced that the A3 is large enough to match the larger, American definition of utility (though I'd gladly sacrifice some driveway space for an A3 and a year or two of utility exploration.), but I am also convinced that the A3's strengths make it entirely capable of creating its own definition of usefulness-as a technologically adept and socially suave partner in life (of the lease, at the very least).
Audi pointed, repeatedly, to certain styling touches that give the hatch a coupe-like personality. My eye has become so befuddled by variables within the design idiom that it doesn't much matter what labels are applied. I do know I liked the A3's profile, and it presented a cleanly trim rear end when being followed. Head on? I'm no more convinced about Audi's new grille motif than the A3's measure of utility, but I'm willing to live with it, as the rest of the car is so damnably wonderful.
Unfortunately, especially for Audi dealers, the market is ready-now-for the A3 (re: Saab 9-2X, Volvo V50 AWD, Subaru WRX), but the car is not. And when it does arrive, the A3 will be available only in a front-drive version, powered by the "base" four-cylinder engine. Quattro enthusiasts must pine away until the first quarter of 2006, when the awd model hits the States. But patience will be rewarded by the quattro's motive power: the big 3.2-liter six found under the hood of the VW R32 and Audi TT 3.2 DSG.
The A3 Sportback's projected MSRP will be somewhere just south of $25,000 ($33,000 Canadian); fully optioned cars will climb to around $32,000. The list of standard equipment is copious and generous (including an S Line exterior package that really spiffs it out), but more important, in today's power-crazed environment, the A3 has the punch it will need to draw attention and convince shoppers.
Its new intercooled 2.0-liter turbo four is an absolute peach of an engine, deserving of the same raves that welcomed the 1.8T when it appeared. With 200 bhp backed by a grin-inducing 207 lb-ft of torque that spreads its maximum muscle across a broad band from 1800 to 5000 rpm, the 2.0T FSI is every bit as rewarding as engines with far more displacement. It's the first production car engine to combine turbocharging with direct gas injection, and it whirs through its powerband like only the most meticulously designed machines can. I couldn't even purposely get the turbo to lag, my best efforts subsumed by waves of torque.
The A3 Sportback spec sheet claims 7.0 sec. in the 0-to-60-mph sprint, but that modest figure doesn't do justice to the car's response to the whip. Torque is always there, and the engine revs so freely to 6000 rpm that it feels virtually free of driveline drag.
The turbo FSI four is based on one of the seven engines offered in the A3 lineup in Europe a 2.0 FSI naturally aspirated four (150 bhp). The two engines share such key dimensions as the 88mm cylinder spacing and have the same cylinder head and crankshaft drive, but many other components were modified to handle the higher operating pressures and dynamic load of the turbo.
The block is made from gray cast iron, a material that exhibits both high pressure resistance and excellent acoustic properties. A mass balance system-two balance shafts rotate at double the speed of the crankshaft to compensate for the engine's inertial forces-further improves the acoustics. Power goes from crankshaft via a triangular-layout chain that drives the oil pump as well as the balancing shafts. A growly, specially tuned exhaust system provides a pleasing counterpoint to the engine's smoothness up and down its rev range.
A high-tech plastic intake manifold also integrates the charge movement flaps. Continually adjusted by a pilot motor, the flaps ensure optimum movement of airflow, based on engine-speed and load conditions. The four-valve cylinder head with low-friction roller-cam-follower drive has a modified inlet duct geometry that produces even higher tumble values than the naturally aspirated FSI engine, ensuring greater knock resistance and, hence, efficiency.
This means the turbo engine can run with a compression ratio of 10.5:1, a figure that is generally achieved only by modern naturally aspirated engines. This, coupled with the advantages of gas direct injection, plays a crucial role in boosting the thermodynamic efficiency compared with both manifold injection engines and conventional turbo engines.