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Audi A3 Sportback (04 on) - Review

Review by David Ross on 16 July 2008

Last Updated: 02 December 2009

The A3 Sportback is effectively the five-door version of the A3 hatchback. Initially Audi went a step further by redesigning the rear of the Sportback with a new tailgate to differentiate the two cars when it first went on sale in 2004. A number of refreshes to both hatchback and Sportback models, however, means that both now have the same styling, apart from the two extra doors on the Sportback model of course. If you’re after a comfortable five-door medium sized car then the Audi A3 Sportback is a good choice. It doesn’t have the driving dynamics of the BMW 1 Series rival, but is a worthy contender in refinement, comfort and premium feel and finish. As well as the added practicality and convenience of the two rear doors, making it easier for rear passengers to get in and out of the back, this model also increases boot space by 20 litres. It’s also a little bigger than the standard hatchback and this means there is a little extra legroom for rear passengers. For the extra doors and space you will pay a premium over the three-door model, however. The Audi A3 Sportback was facelifted in 2008, along with the hatchback model, and was given a much sharper front end – including new bumper, light design and grille. At the same time the manufacturers’ seven-speed automatic S Tronic gearbox was available for the first time on the car. Combined with a more spacious rear cabin and the same high levels of refinement and quality, the A3 Sportback is a good upmarket hatchback. From behind the wheel there is very little different to the three-door car, with predictable and assured handling while there's a good choice of excellent petrol and diesel engines. A low emission and high economy 1.6 TDI model, which uses a start-stop system, is available and can average an impressive 69mpg. This replaced the less refined 1.9-litre diesel engine available when the car first went on sale in 2004. A more powerful 2.0-litre diesel engine, with 168bhp was also added to the line-up in 2006, while a smaller more fuel efficient and lower-emitting 1.4-litre petrol engine was added to the ever-growing engine range in 2008. This engine downsizing has continued with a turbo charged 1.2-litre petrol engine available from 2010. For the full Audi A3 Sportback review, read on.

4 out of 5

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Standard Trim

1.2 T FSI (Start Stop) 5d

1.2 T FSI 5d S Tronic

1.4 T FSI 5d

1.4 T FSI 5d S Tronic

1.4 TFSI (08) 5d

1.4 TFSI (Start Stop) 5d

1.4 TFSI (08) 5d S Tronic

1.4 TFSI (Start Stop) 5d S Tronic

1.6 5d

1.6 (08) 5d

1.6 5d Tip Auto

1.6 5d S Tronic

1.6 FSI 5d

1.8 T FSI 5d

1.8 T FSI 5d S Tronic

1.8 TFSI (08) 5d

1.8 TFSI (08) 5d S Tronic

2.0 FSI 5d

2.0 FSI 5d Tip Auto

2.0 T FSI 5d

2.0 TFSI (08) 5d

1.6 TDI 5d

1.6 TDI 5d S Tronic

1.9 TDI 5d

1.9 TDIe 5d

1.9 TDI (08) 5d

2.0 TDI 5d

2.0 TDI 5d DSG

2.0 TDI 5d S Tronic

2.0 TDI (08) 5d

2.0 TDI (Start Stop) 5d

2.0 TDI (08) 5d S Tronic

2.0 TDI (170bhp) 5d

2.0 TDI S Tronic (Start Stop) 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) 5d S-Tronic

2.0 TDI (170bhp) (08) 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) (Start Stop) 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) (08) 5d S-Tronic

2.0 TDI (170bhp) (Start Stop) 5d S Tronic

2.0 TDI (170bhp) Quattro 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) Quattro (Start Stop) 5d

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Technik

1.6 Technik 5d

1.6 Technik 5d S Tronic

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Special Edition

1.6 Special Edition 5d

1.6 Special Edition 5d Tip Auto

1.9 TDI Special Edition 5d

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Sport

1.2 T FSI Sport (Start Stop) 5d

1.2 T FSI Sport 5d S Tronic

1.4 T FSI Sport 5d

1.4 T FSI Sport 5d S Tronic

1.4 TFSI Sport (08) 5d

1.4 TFSI Sport (Start Stop) 5d

1.4 TFSI Sport (08) 5d S Tronic

1.4 TFSI Sport (Start Stop) 5d S Tronic

1.6 Sport 5d

1.6 Sport (08) 5d

1.6 Sport 5d Tip Auto

1.6 Sport 5d S Tronic

1.6 FSI Sport 5d

1.8 T FSI Sport 5d

1.8 T FSI Sport 5d S Tronic

1.8 TFSI Sport (08) 5d

1.8 TFSI Sport (08) 5d S Tronic

2.0 FSI Sport 5d

2.0 FSI Sport 5d Tip Auto

2.0 T FSI Sport 5d

2.0 T FSI Sport 5d DSG

2.0 T FSI Sport 5d S-Tronic

2.0 T FSI quattro Sport 5d

2.0 TFSI Sport (08) 5d

2.0 TFSI Sport (08) 5d S Tronic

2.0 TFSI Quattro Sport (08) 5d S Tronic

3.2 V6 quattro Sport 5d

3.2 V6 quattro Sport 5d DSG

3.2 V6 Quattro Sport 5d S-Tronic

1.6 TDI Sport 5d

1.6 TDI Sport 5d S Tronic

1.9 TDI Sport 5d

1.9 TDIe Sport 5d

1.9 TDI Sport (08) 5d

2.0 TDI Sport 5d

2.0 TDI Sport 5d DSG

2.0 TDI Sport 5d S-Tronic

2.0 TDI quattro Sport 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) Sport 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) Sport 5d S-Tronic

2.0 TDI Sport (08) 5d

2.0 TDI Sport (Start Stop) 5d

2.0 TDI Sport (08) 5d S Tronic

2.0 TDI (170bhp) Quattro Sport 5d

2.0 TDI Sport S Tronic (Start Stop) 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) Sport (08) 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) Sport (Start Stop) 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) Sport (08) 5d S-Tronic

2.0 TDI (170bhp) Sport (Start Stop) 5d S Tronic

2.0 TDI (170bhp) Quattro Sport (08) 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) Quattro Sport (Start Stop) 5d

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SE

1.2 T FSI SE (Start Stop) 5d

1.2 T FSI SE (2010) 5d S Tronic

1.4 T FSI SE 5d

1.4 T FSI SE 5d S Tronic

1.4 TFSI SE (08) 5d

1.4 TFSI SE (Start Stop) 5d

1.4 TFSI SE (08) 5d S Tronic

1.4 TFSI SE (Start Stop) 5d S Tronic

1.6 SE 5d

1.6 SE (08) 5d

1.6 SE 5d Tip Auto

1.6 SE 5d S Tronic

1.6 FSI SE 5d

1.8 T FSI SE 5d

1.8 T FSI SE 5d S Tronic

1.8 TFSI SE (08) 5d

1.8 TFSI SE (08) 5d S Tronic

2.0 FSI SE 5d

2.0 FSI SE 5d Tip Auto

2.0 T FSI SE 5d

2.0 T FSI SE 5d S-Tronic

2.0 TFSI SE (08) 5d

1.6 TDI SE 5d

1.6 TDI SE 5d S Tronic

1.9 TDI SE 5d

1.9 TDIe SE 5d

1.9 TDI SE (08) 5d

2.0 TDI SE 5d

2.0 TDI SE 5d DSG

2.0 TDI SE 5d S-Tronic

2.0 TDI SE (08) 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) SE 5d

2.0 TDI SE (Start Stop) 5d

2.0 TDI SE (08) 5d S Tronic

2.0 TDI (170bhp) SE 5d S-Tronic

2.0 TDI SE S Tronic (Start Stop) 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) SE (08) 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) SE (Start Stop) 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) SE (08) 5d S-Tronic

2.0 TDI (170bhp) SE (Start Stop) 5d S Tronic

2.0 TDI (170bhp) Quattro SE 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) Quattro SE (Start Stop) 5d

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Technik SE

1.6 Technik SE 5d

1.6 Technik SE 5d S Tronic

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S Line

1.2 T FSI S Line (Start Stop) 5d

1.2 T FSI S Line 5d S Tronic

1.4 T FSI S line 5d

1.4 T FSI S line 5d S Tronic

1.4 TFSI S Line (08) 5d

1.4 TFSI S Line (Start Stop) 5d

1.4 TFSI S Line (08) 5d S Tronic

1.4 TFSI S Line (Start Stop) 5d S Tronic

1.6 S Line 5d

1.6 S Line 5d S Tronic

1.6 FSI S line 5d

1.8 T FSI S line 5d

1.8 T FSI S line 5d S Tronic

1.8 TFSI S Line (08) 5d

1.8 TFSI S Line (08) 5d S Tronic

2.0 FSI S line 5d

2.0 FSI S line 5d Tip Auto

2.0 T FSI S line 5d

2.0 T FSI S line 5d DSG

2.0 T FSI S Line 5d S-Tronic

2.0 T FSI quattro S line 5d

2.0 TFSI S Line (08) 5d

2.0 TFSI S Line (08) 5d S Tronic

2.0 TFSI Quattro S Line (08) 5d S Tronic

3.2 V6 quattro S line 5d

3.2 V6 quattro S line 5d DSG

3.2 V6 Quattro S Line 5d S-Tronic

1.6 TDI S Line 5d

1.6 TDI S Line 5d S Tronic

1.9 TDI S Line 5d

2.0 TDI S line 5d

2.0 TDI S line 5d DSG

2.0 TDI S Line 5d S-Tronic

2.0 TDI quattro S line 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) S Line 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) S Line 5d S-Tronic

2.0 TDI (170bhp) Quattro S Line 5d

2.0 TDI S Line (08) 5d

2.0 TDI S Line (Start Stop) 5d

2.0 TDI S Line (08) 5d S Tronic

2.0 TDI S Line S Tronic (Start Stop) 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) S Line (08) 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) S Line (Start Stop) 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) S Line (08) 5d S-Tronic

2.0 TDI (170bhp) S Line (Start Stop) 5d S Tronic

2.0 TDI (170bhp) Quattro S Line (08) 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) Quattro S Line (Start Stop) 5d

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S line special edition

2.0 T FSI S line Special Edition 5d

2.0 T FSI S line Special Edition 5d DSG

2.0 T FSI S Line Special Edition 5d S-Tronic

2.0 T FSI quattro S line Special Edition 5d

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Black Edition

1.8 TFSI Black Edition 5d

1.8 TFSI Black Edition 5d S Tronic

2.0 TFSI Black Edition 5d

2.0 TFSI Black Edition 5d S Tronic

2.0 TFSI Quattro Black Edition 5d S Tronic

2.0 TDI Black Edition 5d

2.0 TDI Black Edition (Start Stop) 5d

2.0 TDI Black Edition 5d S Tronic

2.0 TDI Black Edition S Tronic (Start Stop) 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) Black Edition 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) Black Edition (Start Stop) 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) Black Edition 5d S Tronic

2.0 TDI (170bhp) Black Edition (Start Stop) 5d S Tronic

2.0 TDI Quattro (170ps) Black Edition 5d

2.0 TDI (170bhp) Quattro Black Edition (Start Stop) 5d

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S Line Exclusive Edition

1.8 T FSI S Line Exclusive Edition 5d S Tronic

2.0 T FSI Quattro S line Exclusive Edition 5d

2.0 TDI Quattro S Line Exclusive Edition 5d S Tronic

2.0 TDI Quattro S Line Exclusive Edition 5d

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