The new A3/S3 saloon.

paradigm

paradigm

paradigm

Caporegime
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So, Audi revealed the nigh-on 300PS S3 saloon during March, and despite its rather lovely appearance, I can't help but wonder what segment this is meant to fill? I also can't help but think that it should have had a version of the 2.5T 5-Cyl from the RS3/TTRS.

The A4 is already their "compact exec" saloon, so where does the A3 fit in?

http://www.audi.co.uk/new-cars/a3/s3-saloon.html
 
paradigm said:
The A4 is already their "compact exec" saloon, so where does the A3 fit in?
Click to expand...

Maybe as some sort of slightly confused BMW 1 Series Coupe rival?

edit - someone ought to be shot for allowing those photos on the site, the compression artefacting is horrendous
 
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Thinking about it VW sell plenty enough Jettas (and Boras before it), which is just a Golf with a boot.

I guess they figured there are people with a bit more money who would like a nicer badge in the form of an A3 with a boot but aren't quite at A4 money :p
 
Maybe they're trying to create a market rather than fit into an existing one. If nobody had ever thought outside of the existing marketplace then we wouldn't have gotten very far. This concept that everything must fit into an existing box is very narrow-minded.
 
I've seen the odd ford focus with a boot strapped to the back, strange looking things, maybe it's just a slightly more upper market solution looking for a problem?
 
Saloons have traditionally been more popular than hatchbacks on the continent, which is the opposite to the UK market.

This is clearly a rebadged Jetta, but it's interesting they've decided to do an A3 with a boot, and bring it to the UK.
But I guess if Merc have the CLA then they haven't really got a choice..
 
mjt said:
Saloons have traditionally been more popular than hatchbacks on the continent, which is the opposite to the UK market.

This is clearly a rebadged Jetta, but it's interesting they've decided to do an A3 with a boot, and bring it to the UK.
But I guess if Merc have the CLA then they haven't really got a choice..
Click to expand...

But why waste the time/money on a non existing market? My mum used to have a vauxhall nova saloon, and just like the random focus saloon you see now and then, you have to ask what the point is?
 
mattyfez said:
But why waste the time/money on a non existing market? My mum used to have a vauxhall nova saloon, and just like the random focus saloon you see now and then, you have to ask what the point is?
Click to expand...

Is it really non existent though?

VW have had the Bora/Jetta for years and years now, Seat have had the Toledo. Not as popular as their hatchback counterparts but decent enough sellers nonetheless. The Skoda Octavia, whilst technically a hatchback has always been more saloon in shape, rather than a flat back like a Golf too.

When you think about it, it's almost odd the A3 never had a saloon variant like the Golf and Leon have had for ages now :p

They're just extending the small saloon range up a brand, that's all.
 
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