Big car sophistication in compact style: The new Audi A3 now available in Singapore

Audi Singapore has launched the latest generation of the Audi A3 in the brand's first Audi Experience session of the year.

The new Audi A3 carries an elegant design language in combination with upgraded premium features and a fully-fledged connected ecosystem, staying true to its winning attributes Audi customers and fans have come to love.

The launch presentation at Audi Experience was held with the help of key opinion leaders from various fields to give their perspective on the new Audi A3. Among them was Rae, Singapore' top virtual influencer and one of Asia's latest hyper-realistic virtual personalities.

The interior's driver-centric focus is reflected in the A3's display and control elements. The vehicle is equipped with a 10.1-inch touch display, handwriting detection, as well as natural language control as standard.

The Audi virtual cockpit instrument cluster measures 12.3 inches in length and offers three different graphics presets. The RPM and speed are shown here as bar diagrams with angular red graphical elements.

The driver has direct access to the functions of the digital display via the multifunctional steering wheel.

On request, a unique material made from recycled PET bottles can be used in place of the leather upholstery that comes standard for Singapore. This is the first time the material is offered by Audi, making the A3 unique in the segment.

Up to 89 per cent of the textile used consists of recycled PET bottles, which are transformed into yarn in an elaborate procedure.

This results in fabrics that guarantee the same quality standard in terms of look and feel as conventional textile upholstery. More than 100 PET bottles are used to upholster a single A3.

The new Audi A3 is powered by a 1.5-litre TFSI engine that delivers 148bhp through a quick-shifting seven-speed S tronic gearbox.

The engine features a 48V mild hybrid system, which recovers energy during deceleration, supports the engine with an additional 50Nm of torque, and allows the vehicle to coast with the engine switched off. This translates into fuel savings of up to 0.4L/100km.

The A3 can be connected to a smartphone via the myAudi app, Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Personalisation options allow up to six users to store their preferred settings in individual profiles, including those for the seat, climate control and media.

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Equipped with lane departure warning as standard, the A3's safety systems work with onboard sensors to prevent accidents. This is the first time Audi is offering the feature as standard in the segment. Another notable feature on the A3 is Park Assist.

Using information from the rear-view camera and 360-degree proximity sensors, the car can locate and execute steering inputs for parallel and perpendicular parking manoeuvres. The system also manages the exiting of parallel parking lots.

The new A3 Sportback offers more space and functionality combined with compact external dimensions. Measuring 4,340mm in length and 1,820mm in width, the premium compact car has grown three centimetres compared to its predecessor.

With the rear bench seats folded down, the luggage compartment can hold a generous 1,200 litres.

Car model	Price as of press time (inclusive of COE)
Audi A3 Sedan Mild Hybrid 1.5 TFSI S tronic (A)	$166,140
Audi A3 Sportback Mild Hybrid 1.5 TFSI S tronic (A)	$167,890

This article was first published in sgCarMart.