Too Haute to Handle?

September 10, 2005

Too Haute to Handle?

ENGINE 2.0-litre turbocharged engine is very punchy, and it’s mated to the excellent twin-clutch DSG gearbox

INTERIOR The interior is impeccably built and features some components that are also found in the ultra-stylish TT coupe

EXTERIOR The A3 is very handsome and our test car came with an optional S-line bodykit that further enhances the car’s good looks

What has made it even tougher for Audi to successfully market the A3 here is because of the car that shares its underpinnings, the Volkswagen Golf. It’s not only less expensive and better equipped, but most crucially, it arrived here first and would have caught the first wave of customers looking for this sort of car.

The A3’s price premium, then, turns it into something of a designer product. Though you can get essentially the same car at a lower price, and better equipped to boot, the A3’s detailing makes up some of the difference. For a designer brand like Armani, it may be the label, style and quality that sets it apart. That pretty much sums it up for the Audi A3 as well.

NEED TO KNOW

AUDI A3 SPORTBACK 2.0T FSI DSG
ENGINE TYPE 1,994cc, 16V in-line 4
MAX POWER 200bhp at 5,100rpm
MAX TORQUE 280Nm at 1,800rpm
GEARBOX 6-speed semi-automatic
TOP SPEED 236km/h
0-100 KM/H 7.0 seconds
PRICE $145,000 with COE
WARRANTY 3 years / 75,000km
CONTACT Premium Automobiles
TELEPHONE 6566-1111

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