Photo: Kolesa
Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in! I held my tongue after seeing those recent spy images depicting a jacked-up version of the Audi A3 hatchback, but now that people are already doing renderings of this upcoming crossover, I feel compelled to speak up.
Here’s my issue with what’s either going to be called the A3 Allroad or A3 Citycarver (like the A1) – it joins a range that’s already saturated with subcompact crossovers. This is true for Europe mostly, because in the U.S. you only have the Q3 sitting underneath the compact-sized Q5. Yes, the Q4 e-tron and Q4 Sportback e-tron as well, but since those are electric, they get a pass.
So then, here’s what Audi has to offer in terms of subcompact crossovers across the pond. There’s the Q2, SQ2, Q3, Q3 hybrid, Q3 Sportback, Q3 Sportback hybrid, RS Q3 and RS Q3 Sportback. Almost as many variants as in Disney+’s Loki TV Show. The point is, and I know we can say this about lots of cars, but what can you do with a jacked-up A3 hatchback that you can’t with a Q2 or a Q3? And vice versa.
In terms of size, the A3 hatchback already sits smack dab in the middle of the Q2/Q3 combo, and good luck trying to convince anybody that gap had to be filled.
“But Sergiu, what if some people don’t want a small SUV, love hatchbacks and simply require a little more ground clearance?” – Well, then this becomes a semantics issue. By giving the A3 more ground clearance, does it not automatically become a crossover? It literally crosses over into another segment. So yeah, it’s a crossover, and crossover is just another term for small/compact sports utility vehicle.
As far as what it will look like, this rendering by Kolesa does a solid job of combining the appearance of the regular A3 hatchback with a couple of design traits usually found on something like the A4 Allroad or the A6 Allroad. From the body cladding to the rugged-looking spoiler and door sill inserts, what we have here is an Audi A3 that should fill you with a tiny bit more confidence when it comes to heading off the beaten path – not all the way off, obviously.
Ultimately, the way the car industry has been struggling as of late, plus all the environmental issues we’ve been having, can you really make the case for yet another variant of an internal combustion engine-powered car going on sale? Sure, you, as a carmaker, might not be ready yet to ditch ICE technology altogether, but enough already with spawning all these new body styles for models that aren’t battery electric.
So then, here’s what Audi has to offer in terms of subcompact crossovers across the pond. There’s the Q2, SQ2, Q3, Q3 hybrid, Q3 Sportback, Q3 Sportback hybrid, RS Q3 and RS Q3 Sportback. Almost as many variants as in Disney+’s Loki TV Show. The point is, and I know we can say this about lots of cars, but what can you do with a jacked-up A3 hatchback that you can’t with a Q2 or a Q3? And vice versa.
In terms of size, the A3 hatchback already sits smack dab in the middle of the Q2/Q3 combo, and good luck trying to convince anybody that gap had to be filled.
“But Sergiu, what if some people don’t want a small SUV, love hatchbacks and simply require a little more ground clearance?” – Well, then this becomes a semantics issue. By giving the A3 more ground clearance, does it not automatically become a crossover? It literally crosses over into another segment. So yeah, it’s a crossover, and crossover is just another term for small/compact sports utility vehicle.
As far as what it will look like, this rendering by Kolesa does a solid job of combining the appearance of the regular A3 hatchback with a couple of design traits usually found on something like the A4 Allroad or the A6 Allroad. From the body cladding to the rugged-looking spoiler and door sill inserts, what we have here is an Audi A3 that should fill you with a tiny bit more confidence when it comes to heading off the beaten path – not all the way off, obviously.
Ultimately, the way the car industry has been struggling as of late, plus all the environmental issues we’ve been having, can you really make the case for yet another variant of an internal combustion engine-powered car going on sale? Sure, you, as a carmaker, might not be ready yet to ditch ICE technology altogether, but enough already with spawning all these new body styles for models that aren’t battery electric.
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