Photo: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
After the 2024 Audi A3 Sedan was spied in a premiere last November, it is now time for the A3 Sportback to pop its scoop cherry. The premium subcompact hatchback from the Ingolstadt company was spotted undergoing cold-weather testing, wearing the usual amount of camouflage that partially hides some of the design novelties.
Unless that’s some really clever camouflage, we can tell you that the grille was shrunken. The side vents are slightly smaller, and the headlamps, even if they appear to have about the same shape, slightly protruding into the bumper, sport new LED graphics.
The four-ring logo still decorates the grille, right above the license plate, and likely the tailgate too, even if this prototype didn’t have it. The taillights have revised graphics, and the bumper is all-new, incorporating smaller reflectors on each side, and a slightly more discreet diffuser by the looks of it. Oh, and don’t mind those bunny ears, aka the extra lights mounted on the roof, because they were there as a provisional measure for nighttime testing purposes, nor the second antenna next to the right-side roof rail.
Albeit not visible at all, we wouldn’t expect any major updates in the cabin. This is still one of the most driver-centric cockpits in the segment, especially with the Lambo-style air vents on the driver’s side. Audi did a great job designing the dashboard panel and integrating the infotainment system in the middle, and the digital instrument cluster, and not making them look like cheap tablets. If anything, some of the switchgear might be revised, alongside the upholstery and trim. Elsewhere, they might update the software of the two screens, and call it a day maybe after giving it a new steering wheel to further draw the line between the current A3 and the facelifted iteration.
Depending on the market, the fourth-gen Audi A3 is offered with an inline-three gasoline unit in the most affordable configuration, joined by electrified inline-four mills, fed by gasoline, and compressed natural gas. A four-pot diesel is also part of the lineup, and if we were to take a guess, we’d say that it will continue to be offered with the same engine lineup. Nonetheless, the carmaker could work on some of them to make them less polluting and more frugal, but it is impossible to tell what they will do to them exactly, because this is still a well-preserved secret, one that might be kept until the grand unveiling.
As the testing advances, we’re looking forward to catching a first glimpse of the updated S3 and RS 3, in both Sedan and Sportback guises, as these will still sit at the top of the family in terms of pricing and performance. The unveiling date of the 2024 A3 is unknown, but it should be due later this year.
The four-ring logo still decorates the grille, right above the license plate, and likely the tailgate too, even if this prototype didn’t have it. The taillights have revised graphics, and the bumper is all-new, incorporating smaller reflectors on each side, and a slightly more discreet diffuser by the looks of it. Oh, and don’t mind those bunny ears, aka the extra lights mounted on the roof, because they were there as a provisional measure for nighttime testing purposes, nor the second antenna next to the right-side roof rail.
Albeit not visible at all, we wouldn’t expect any major updates in the cabin. This is still one of the most driver-centric cockpits in the segment, especially with the Lambo-style air vents on the driver’s side. Audi did a great job designing the dashboard panel and integrating the infotainment system in the middle, and the digital instrument cluster, and not making them look like cheap tablets. If anything, some of the switchgear might be revised, alongside the upholstery and trim. Elsewhere, they might update the software of the two screens, and call it a day maybe after giving it a new steering wheel to further draw the line between the current A3 and the facelifted iteration.
Depending on the market, the fourth-gen Audi A3 is offered with an inline-three gasoline unit in the most affordable configuration, joined by electrified inline-four mills, fed by gasoline, and compressed natural gas. A four-pot diesel is also part of the lineup, and if we were to take a guess, we’d say that it will continue to be offered with the same engine lineup. Nonetheless, the carmaker could work on some of them to make them less polluting and more frugal, but it is impossible to tell what they will do to them exactly, because this is still a well-preserved secret, one that might be kept until the grand unveiling.
As the testing advances, we’re looking forward to catching a first glimpse of the updated S3 and RS 3, in both Sedan and Sportback guises, as these will still sit at the top of the family in terms of pricing and performance. The unveiling date of the 2024 A3 is unknown, but it should be due later this year.
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