• Refreshed dashboard with facelift
• Even more ambient lighting
• Class-leading material quality

How is the quality and layout?

The cabin features that rewarding Audi quality – almost everything feels really well made and you can tell you’re in something a cut above more prosaic hatchbacks like the Ford Focus. The choice of materials and precision of surfaces is mostly top-notch.

Elements of the dashboard have been redesigned for the 2024 car. Audi has attempted to freshen up the cockpit with a sportier and more youthful ambiance. The gear switch design within the centre console unit has been tweaked slightly, along with the air vents which have also been updated. The changes are fairly minor, and it would take a keen eye to spot the differences immediately between the this cockpit and the outgoing version, but the cabin does have a driver-focussed feel.

There are, unfortunately, still a few hard scratchy plastics present around the doors and dashboard. While not galling, they can bring the premium and homely feel of the cabin down a tad should you graze your hand across. A few more softer surfaces would’ve suited the cabin update, but this is what we’ve got.

As for space, the A3 is just about the most commodious hatchback as you’ll get before encroaching into the territory of compact crossovers. Even the tallest drivers will quickly get comfortable and there’s easily room for two adult passengers in the back..

Infotainment and tech

Every model now has a generous 10.25-inch touchscreen that runs Audi’s latest infotainment system and includes smartphone mirroring for Android and Apple devices. Too often base cars make do without, but Audi is now baking lots of features into its digital displays, which is a nice touch.

The infotainment system is bang-up-to-date and will even remember the profiles of up to six drivers, so the car will store your preferred sat-nav destinations, seat position and even air-con preferences. Buyers can also choose to upgrade to a larger 12.3-inch screen.

Overall, and even with the updates, the A3’s cabin is not quite as impressive-looking as the A-Class inside, perhaps, but easily trumps the 1 Series, and is by far one of the best interiors that Audi has turned out for some time. Multiple storage spaces add to the practical nature of the design.

There are USB-A and USB-C connections too, along with the option of a wireless charging pad.

If you like the sound of a posher hatchback, the new Audi A3 Sportback is definitely worth considering. Parkers has pored all over the new car and been impressed by its build quality, its features and the practical touches that litter the cabin.

Comfort

• Optional adaptive suspension worth considering
• Improved sound insulation and acoustic glass reduce noise
• Good amounts of adjustability

With so much adjustability from the driver’s seat there’s plenty of comfort to be found once you have it set up to your liking. The seats are quite supportive and can be specified with heating.

Quilted leather sports seats grip well and we found them comfy even on long journeys. Two quite tall passengers will fit in the back seats, but those moulded, one-piece front seats standard in the sporty S Line mean they’ll find it hard to see out, owing to the integrated headrests blocking rear passengers’ view. There’s also a pronounced transmission tunnel taking drive to the back wheels and this restricts foot space for a middle-seat passenger on the rear bench.