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Buyers of the front-wheel-drive A3 no longer need to envy the Quattro model’s 2.0-liter engine for 2017. That’s because front-wheel-drive A3s now come with their own, brand-new version of Audi’s latest 2.0-liter turbocharged four. The 1.8T model, and the shame that it brought, is gone.
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Versus the outgoing 1.8-liter turbo four, output increases to 186 horsepower (up 16) and 221 lb-ft (up 21). With the Volkswagen Group’s seven-speed dual-clutch automatic (replacing the six-speed), the 2017 A3 knocks a claimed 0.6 second from the zero-to-60-mph time, to 6.6 seconds (although we recorded 6.5 in a 2015 1.8T sedan). The powertrain also improves the EPA estimates, to 26 mpg city and 35 mpg highway compared with the 2016 1.8T’s 23/33 rating.
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The new model year also brings a wider grille, reshaped headlights that cut below the high-beams (as on the new A4), and an upgraded MMI infotainment system and Virtual Cockpit instrument panel. The A3 stays the course with its sedan, convertible, and plug-in-hybrid hatchback variants. The Quattro models, which continue to come with a higher-output version of the same 2.0-liter engine (220 horsepower and 258 lb-ft), keep the older six-speed dual-clutch automatic. Audi tells us it eventually will swap out the six in the upper A3 trims but that it was easier to roll into 2017 without certifying a second new powertrain. Perhaps Volkswagen’s budget cutbacks are already beginning to show.
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What price small-scale luxury? Depending on trim level and body style, you’ll pay between $ 75 below and $ 1575 above equivalent 2016 A3 models. Front-wheel-drive 2017 A3 sedans start at $ 32,150 for the base Premium model and include leather, dual-zone climate control, a panoramic sunroof, xenon headlights, LED running lights, a backup camera, and several other features you’ll find as options on the Mercedes-Benz CLA. The $ 35,400 Premium Plus adds 18-inch wheels, parking sensors, push-button start with keyless entry, a power passenger seat, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, aluminum trim, and various S line styling bits.
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For $ 41,100, the A3 Prestige brings LED headlights, LED taillights with those oh-so-cool sequential turn signals, power-folding side mirrors, MMI with navigation, Audi Connect apps, the Virtual Cockpit TFT instrumentation, and loads of driver assists including automated emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and automatic high-beams. Quattro and the stronger engine command another $ 2800 to $ 3000 on the sedans.
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- Refreshed 2017 Audi A3 e-tron Plug-in Hybrid Starts at $ 39,850
- Instrumented Test: 2015 Audi A3 2.0T Cabriolet
- 2017 Audi S3 Sedan: More Power and a New-ish Face
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Equipment levels stay consistent across the two other A3 body styles, and since we’ve looked at every pricing sheet possible, we’ll lay them out here so you don’t have to. (Lest you forget, the A3 TDI diesel sedan was one and done for 2015.)
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2017 A3 cabriolet
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• Premium: $ 38,550 (Quattro adds $ 2700)
-• Premium Plus: $ 41,800 (Quattro adds $ 2700)
-• Prestige: $ 47,500 (Quattro adds $ 2700)
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2017 A3 Sportback e-tron (FWD only)
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-• Premium: $ 39,850
-• Premium Plus: $ 42,950
-• Prestige: $ 48,500
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Should you stray into mid-$ 40,000 territory on an A3, stop and try the 306-hp S3 before signing. A base 2017 S3 Premium Plus is $ 43,850 (up $ 425), while the S3 Prestige starts at $ 49,350 (down $ 225) and can creep higher if you crave 19-inch summer tires, magnetic shocks, and various paint and carbon-fiber options.
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