Affirmed class consciousness with the latest upgrade of this posh little car.
For more than two decades, the Volkswagen Golf—or Rabbit in the U.S.—has been the classless car par excellence in Europe, driven by students, the common worker, and the top executive who appreciates the anonymity of the compact hatchback.
The demographics of the Golf buyer changed slowly but irrevocably with the introduction of its posh brother, the Audi A3 which entered the market in 1996. Built on the same platform, the A3 was nicer in every respect. And when the Golf's cool, clean lines were lost in the transition from the fourth to the current-model generation, the second-generation A3, launched in 2003, got an additional boost. The U.S. got its first A3 for the 2006 model year and made the 2006 Car and Driver 10Best Cars list.
Now it's time for some upgrades. For 2009, the front hood and fenders of the A3 are repainted with a stronger brush; the car gains new door handles; mirrors with integrated blinkers; and a different choice of wheel designs are thrown into the package.
The three-door A3—which is not likely to be sold in North America—gets a restyled third door. But the new five-door “Sportback” as it is known in Europe—or five-door hatch as we know it in the U.S.—is the better looking of the two.
And it wouldn’t be an Audi without the coolest lights in its class. The cold, watchful LED strips that come with the optional bi-xenon package could turn us into unflinching devotees.
The interior is upgraded with a few more aluminum-look accents and an optional sport steering wheel with a flat bottom side—racy.
So Many Powertrains to Choose From
But this is more than just a cosmetic facelift—with some updates to the powertrain choices. In Europe, there are eight engines in the stable, six of them direct-injection four-cylinders with turbocharging. The five gasoline engines range from 101 hp for the naturally aspirated 1.6-liter to 261 hp for the 2.0-liter turbo in the S3. Three turbo-diesels make between 104 hp and 168 hp.
In North America, the 3.2-liter V-6 continues, with S tronic dual-clutch transmission, but the 2.0T (turbocharged inline-four) adds Quattro and S tronic. The A3 also gets a new “Magnetic Ride” adaptive shock absorber.
Upgrades to transmissions in Europe include: the wet-clutch six-speed dual-clutch transmission for the diesel, the 200-hp 2.0 TFSI and the 3.2 V-6 model is complemented by a new dry-clutch seven-speed unit for the lower-torque gasoline engines. The four-wheel-drive system is tweaked for quicker power distribution. Magnetic Ride is a new option in Europe as well.
No S3 For U.S.
Power addicts in Europe can finally order the wild S3 as a five-door version with the uprated 2.0-liter turbo if the three-door isn’t sufficient. In North America, the slightly heavier and less-powerful V-6 remains the top choice in an A3—still no S3 for us in any body style. Audi says the European S3 clocks 0 to 62 mph in just 5.7 seconds (5.8 seconds for the five-door). Top speed is governed at 156 mph.
If you are stuck in traffic and bored, the new A3 offers more options to play with than most other machines, even far bigger ones. This compact car even mimics the Lexus trick of attempting to park itself.
Audi is taking orders now, with the first face-lifted A3s to be delivered to European customers this summer with a starting price of 20,350 euros ($31,960). In the U.S., the changes take effect in September with the launch of the 2009 model. We don’t expect huge price increases over the lineup that currently ranges from about $25,000 to $34,000.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar