When it comes to luxury cars, Audi stands out as one of the most admired brands. Its A3 lineup has been particularly popular among the subcompact luxury cars category. Currently, the Audi A3 has two models in its catalogue – the A3 Saloon, a sedan, and the A3 Sportback, a hatchback. Despite their obvious differences, there are various features that are common for both models. Knowing these can help one make an informed decision.

Trims and performance of the Audi A3 Saloon
The sedan of the Audi A3 lineup is available in three trim levels, Sport, S line, and Black Edition. These three trims differ in terms of the engine options they offer and their performance capability. The Sport is the base trim, which is available with five engine options. The first is a 1.5-litre 30 TFSI petrol engine, which can deliver up to 116 hp. This engine is only available for a manual transmission variant. The second option is a 1.5-litre 30 TFSI S Tronic petrol engine, which can also deliver up to 116 hp, and is only limited to automatic transmission variants.

Apart from this, one can also choose a 1.5-litre 30 TFSI petrol engine (for manual) with 150 hp or a 1.5-litre 30 TFSI S Tronic petrol engine (for automatic) with the same power stat. The final engine option is a 2-litre TDI S Tronic engine (for diesel), for automatic variants, which can also deliver a maximum of 150 hp.

The S line trim also offers the same engine options as the Sport trim. The two trims mainly differ in terms of their wheel specs (with the Sport trim featuring 17-inch wheels and the S line featuring 18-inch wheels) and certain external accents (with the S line having special bumpers.)

The Black Edition trim, being the top trim, only has three of the five engine options, which are – 1.5-litre 30 TFSI (manual) with 150 hp, 1.5-litre 30 TFSI S Tronic (automatic) with 150 hp, and 2-litre TDI S Tronic.

Trims and performance of the Audi A3 Sportback
The Audi A3 Sportback is available in four trim levels, namely, Sport, S Line, Black Edition, and S line Competition. These trims mostly feature the same engine options as the trims of the A3 Saloon but with a few additions.

The Sport trim of the A3 Sportback offers six engine options, with the first five being the same as that of the A3 Saloon Sport trim. The sixth engine option that the A3 Sportback Sport trim offers is for its plug-in hybrid variant – a 1.4-litre 40 TFSI e Tronic hybrid engine, which can deliver up to 204 hp. The S line trim of the A3 Sportback offers the same engine options as the A3 Sportback Sport trim. Also, the Black Edition of the Sportback offers the same engine choices as the Black Edition trims of the A3 Saloon.

The S line Competition trim of the Audi A3 Sportback is only available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, which is why it offers only two engine options. The first is the 1.4-litre 40 TFSI E S Tronic hybrid engine, which can deliver up to 245 hp, and the second is the 1.4-litre 40 TFSI E S Tronic Tech Pro hybrid engine with the same power stat.

Other features

Boot space
This is an aspect where both the cars of the Audi A3 lineup have significant differences. This is mainly due to the fact that the Saloon is a sedan and the Sportback is a hatchback, which is why the former would have more boot space. The Saloon offers massive boot space of around 425 litres, with all its seats still up in place. The Sportback offers slightly lower boot space of around 280-380 litres, with the seats up. Despite this, it is still substantial as compared to other hatchbacks.

Safety features
Both models of the Audi A3 have mostly the same standard safety and security features. Their common security features include an anti-theft alarm, an immobiliser to prevent theft, anti-theft wheel bolts, and a remote central locking system. The Saloon and Sportback models are also equipped with a myriad of safety and driver-assist features. Some of these include adaptive cruise control, a lane departure warning system, a collision avoidance assistant, an emergency call feature, and a driver distraction and fatigue warning system.

Technology for driver’s convenience
Yet another aspect where both the models of the Audi A3 lineup have similarities is the features that ensure convenience for the drivers. Among these, one feature is the rain sensing system, which automatically turns on the wipers when rain is detected on the windshield. Another such feature is the advanced, 12.3-inch full HD driver cluster display. The massive display, which is a part of the Audi Virtual Cockpit Plus, makes it easier for drivers to read key details while driving, such as navigation and driver-assist information. Both the cars also include the Audi Drive Select feature, which allows drivers to select a particular driving mode based on the terrain.

Pricing
The Audi A3 Sportback has a starting price of around £29,000, while the Saloon model has a starting price of around £30,000. Since both these prices are for their base models (the Sport trims), one must expect an increase in price upon selecting a higher trim level. Even for the same trim, if one selects a more powerful engine option or adds extra features, the price will increase accordingly. If one is looking for a cheaper deal, one can also consider purchasing a used Audi A3 for sale. A benefit of purchasing a used model is that one can get their desired set of features for a lower price.