When you rent a car, it happens that you get to know a model that surprises positively - one that you would otherwise never look twice at. The new Audi A3 8Y is such a car.
Declining popularity?
Audi's model 8Y replaced the 8V in 2020 and shares a platform with the new Golf 8. The previous A3 model was popular in Norway as a tax-favorable plug-in hybrid, but the latest model has not been very popular. In the first half of the year, only 55 cars were sold - almost all of them as plug-in hybrids.
Anonym
The fact that the A3 is perceived as an uninteresting car in Norway is due to the competition - primarily from pure electric cars - but also from new, larger plug-in hybrids. One can probably also add that the A3 is experienced as an anonymous thought, even though it has received Audi's new front and even sharper profiles in the bodywork. If you buy a new standard A3, you are unlikely to get many envious glances.
Sportiness and comfort
Rental cars offer the opportunity to try out new cars in a thorough way - not just half an hour's time around a car dealer. It also provides an opportunity to compare driving experiences between several models. This is where the new A3 impresses. There is a fine balance between sportiness and comfort. The Audi A3 has an absolutely perfect balance. Although many cars offer the option of choosing between comfort and sport, it is rarely perfect. Many of the cars I've driven lately have, in my opinion, been dominated by comfort. So much so that I sometimes wonder how capable they will be in demanding situations.
Safe driving characteristics
In the new Audi A3, I immediately feel in full control. I have spent a lot of time in the previous A3 model – 8V – with different powertrains. Part of the good feeling is probably due to the fact that I know these cars better than many other cars. But, still, via the Ronda de Dalt road system around Barcelona, then north on the Autopista 7 towards Francia, everything felt absolutely perfect. The speed limit on AP7 is 120 km/h. It may seem that the road was built for exactly this speed limit. If you drive faster, you can feel that the car will pull out in poorly dosed turns. I have driven the stretch countless times - with different cars. The new Audi A3 is exemplary on the road.
Great entry-level engine
Our A3 is a 2,0 TDI 116 HP – in Audi's language called 30 TDI. It is a detuned version of the 35 TDI 150 HP. I find Audi's new engine designations can be quite confusing. There are two models with "30" in the engine designation - "30 TFSI" and "30 TDI" - so that one could think that they are similar engines. That is not the case. 30 TFSI provides only a mediocre driving experience. 30 TDI, however, provides a surprising god driving experience. It is responsive, quiet and powerful. It is the torque that creates driving pleasure. 300 Nm between 1600 and 2500 revs. The 6-speed gearbox is well adapted to make use of the good rev range.
Favorable consumption
In Norway, diesel cars are now sold almost exclusively as used cars. It's about Audis, BMWs and Mercedes that today's Tesla owners used to drive around in. The tax policy here at home means that the Audi A3 is only offered as a rechargeable hybrid - also to customers who never charge. It's a shame, because the TDI variant has neither higher consumption nor pollution compared to the more than 200 kg heavier plug-in hybrid 40 TFSI e. After 15 miles on the Spanish highway, the consumption meter stabilized at 0,40 liters per mile. A lot has happened with diesel engines in the last 5 years. Today's 30 TDI is in every way a far better engine for the A3 than the 1,6 TDI 110 engine we drove 5 years ago in the previous A3 model.
The Audi feeling
Our Audi is in basic trim. It has additional equipment such as a flat-bottom sports steering wheel, navigation, adaptive cruise control, digital instruments and a black headliner. The flat standard seats are perfectly fine, but do not contribute to creating any Audi feeling. Upgraded seats are highly recommended. On the road, I recognize the same good driving characteristics of the predecessor. The Audi A3 is one of the cars on the market that improves a little with each generation, without making big headlines. My impression is that the 8V and 8Y are the same size both externally and internally, but according to the numbers, the new model is 2 cm wider and has a slightly wider track width at the front and rear.
Loser to a technological shift
Down-tuned, high-torque turbodiesel engines are no longer tax winners. The Volkswagen group's 2-litre TDI is therefore only sold as 150 HP in Norway. Among other things, it can be delivered to the Audi Q2, Q3 and A4 - but not the Audi A3. It is now only taken in with plug-in hybrid drives. Battery capacity and range have been extended and, according to Audi, is due to improved cell chemistry. But the tax system makes the A3 compete in price with the new Audi Q4 e-tron. Whatever one may think of electric cars, the Audi Q4 e-tron offers more car for the money than the A3 models.
If you like driving and happen to come across the new Audi A3 (8Y) with TDI, you will hardly be disappointed.
Facts Audi A3 30 TDI
Weights and Measures
Length, width, height: 434 x 182 x 145 cm
Wheelbase: 264 cm
Net weight: 1345 kg (without driver)
Total weight: 1905 kg
Number of seats: 5
Max trailer weight w/brakes: 1500 kg
- without brakes: 710 kg
Luggage compartment: 380 litres
- w/ folded seats: 1200 litres
Petrol tank: 45 litres
Roof load: 75 kg
Drivetrain
2,0 TDI Common rail
Power: 116 HP at 2750 – 4250 revs
Torque: 300 Nm at 1600 – 2500 revolutions
Engine: Front mounted
Gearbox: 6-speed manual
Front wheel drive
Performances
Top speed: 206 km/h
0-100: 10,1 seconds
Consumption:
WLTP mixed driving: 0,48 – 0,44 litres/mile
Measured consumption 1: 0,40 litres/mile (15 miles on motorway)
– consumption 2: 0,43 litres/mile (7 miles motorway/suburbs)
– consumption 3: 0,51 litres/mile (all tenants last 700 miles)
Tires
Dimension: 225/45R17
Type: Summer
Brand: Pirelli Cintaurato P7
Price
Not sold in Norway with TDI
About the car
Place of manufacture: Ingolstadt, Germany
Owner: Sixt Spain
Model: 2021
Mileage: 25303
Km driven: 275 km (so far)
Source: audi.de
Pictures of the Audi A3 30 TDI
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