Audi A3 Sportback 1.5 Facelift Review
22 Mar 2025|5,969 views
Facelift (What's New)
New head lights
Redesigned grille and front bumper
New taillights and redesigned rear bumper
Flat gear selector and extended contour lighting
Powered once again by a 1.5-litre engine
Buying an A3 Sportback is like buying a Hugo Boss dinner jacket. That is one of the best ways to describe the hatchback to a driver who's new to the Audi brand.
The A3 Sportback offers handsome styling, generous equipment, and a nicely built interior that's intuitive as well. When it arrived here in 2021, it was a Cat B model. With rising COEs, it was replaced barely a year later by a Cat A model with a smaller engine.
That car was like a 'blazer' - it also looks good but somehow doesn't have the same panache. But now that the A3 has been updated, does it once again have the flair its predecessor lacked?
The new grille's slanted elements, along with the variable light signatures, make the A3 look even more dynamic
Subtly does it
The A3 Sportback still looks very similar to the pre-facelift model, but this is done on purpose. Audi doesn't make radical changes to its models, so spotting the differences can be tricky.
Up front, the A3 now has a new grille that's flatter and frameless. This is flanked by a pair of new LED head lights, which allow you to choose from one of three daytime running light signatures. The air intakes at the bottom have also been enlarged, giving the car a sportier look.
Designers wanted the rear bumper to resemble the front grille, but it ends up looking too busy instead
The rear bumper has also been redesigned, with the reflectors now vertical instead of horizontal. Even the taillights are new - instead of vertical lines, the light signature is now a series of chevrons.
Since the cockpit's layout is the same as in the previous model, you'll need keen eyes to spot the detailed changes inside as well. The air-con vents, for instance, have chrome trim in the shape of a blade, making them look slimmer. Audi says this was done to emphasise the width of the cabin.
The A3's interior fundamentals were solid to begin with, so no drastic changes were needed
This is likely why the new gear selector is now completely flat. Perhaps designers wanted this to make the cabin feel more open. To further enhance the 'mood', contour lighting now extends around the centre console, and the cupholders are also illuminated.
All these additions are nice to have, but frankly, only the most eagle-eyed or perhaps owners of the pre-facelift A3, will probably notice the differences. That said, the cabin continues to be well-made, and the controls possess a good, tactile feel.
A return to four cylinders makes the A3 Sportback feel peppier than before, but it won't be as quick as the 'original' Cat B model
Mechanical notes
The A3 Sportback is once again powered by a turbocharged 1.5-litre engine, just like it was when it arrived. It produces 114bhp and 220Nm of torque, or 5bhp and 20Nm of torque more than the turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder in the preceding model.
The added oomph has resulted in zippier performance, with the benchmark century sprint now taking 9.9 seconds instead of 10.6 seconds. Audi claims a combined fuel economy of 16.1km/L, but achieving this or coming close to it requires commitment on the driver's part.
Over three days of driving in mixed conditions, the A3 Sportback averaged 13.9km/L. I managed 14km/L in the 1.0-litre A3 Sportback back in 2022, so you can either see it as the 1.5-litre unit being relatively efficient, or the 1.0-litre being thirstier than expected.
A designer hatchback
The A3 Sportback remains a handsome and well-equipped hatchback that doesn't just offer buyers a glimpse of what else they can expect from the four-ring brand. It gives them an actual slice of the ingredients that have made drivers loyal to the brand.
The only question for would-be buyers remains the car's asking price, for even in today's context of sky-high COE premiums, $200,000 is a lot of money that can buy a lot more than a five-door hatchback.
However, if the newfound pizzazz of the A3 Sportback has drawn your attention, and its many improvements prove convincing, then there's one thing left to ponder: This 'blazer' is more stylish than before, but will it eventually go out of style? Or do you see it becoming a wardrobe staple?
These stories may also interest you
Facelift (What's New)
New head lights
Redesigned grille and front bumper
New taillights and redesigned rear bumper
Flat gear selector and extended contour lighting
Powered once again by a 1.5-litre engine
Buying an A3 Sportback is like buying a Hugo Boss dinner jacket. That is one of the best ways to describe the hatchback to a driver who's new to the Audi brand.
The A3 Sportback offers handsome styling, generous equipment, and a nicely built interior that's intuitive as well. When it arrived here in 2021, it was a Cat B model. With rising COEs, it was replaced barely a year later by a Cat A model with a smaller engine.
That car was like a 'blazer' - it also looks good but somehow doesn't have the same panache. But now that the A3 has been updated, does it once again have the flair its predecessor lacked?
The new grille's slanted elements, along with the variable light signatures, make the A3 look even more dynamic
Subtly does it
The A3 Sportback still looks very similar to the pre-facelift model, but this is done on purpose. Audi doesn't make radical changes to its models, so spotting the differences can be tricky.
Up front, the A3 now has a new grille that's flatter and frameless. This is flanked by a pair of new LED head lights, which allow you to choose from one of three daytime running light signatures. The air intakes at the bottom have also been enlarged, giving the car a sportier look.
Designers wanted the rear bumper to resemble the front grille, but it ends up looking too busy instead
The rear bumper has also been redesigned, with the reflectors now vertical instead of horizontal. Even the taillights are new - instead of vertical lines, the light signature is now a series of chevrons.
Since the cockpit's layout is the same as in the previous model, you'll need keen eyes to spot the detailed changes inside as well. The air-con vents, for instance, have chrome trim in the shape of a blade, making them look slimmer. Audi says this was done to emphasise the width of the cabin.
The A3's interior fundamentals were solid to begin with, so no drastic changes were needed
This is likely why the new gear selector is now completely flat. Perhaps designers wanted this to make the cabin feel more open. To further enhance the 'mood', contour lighting now extends around the centre console, and the cupholders are also illuminated.
All these additions are nice to have, but frankly, only the most eagle-eyed or perhaps owners of the pre-facelift A3, will probably notice the differences. That said, the cabin continues to be well-made, and the controls possess a good, tactile feel.
A return to four cylinders makes the A3 Sportback feel peppier than before, but it won't be as quick as the 'original' Cat B model
Mechanical notes
The A3 Sportback is once again powered by a turbocharged 1.5-litre engine, just like it was when it arrived. It produces 114bhp and 220Nm of torque, or 5bhp and 20Nm of torque more than the turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder in the preceding model.
The added oomph has resulted in zippier performance, with the benchmark century sprint now taking 9.9 seconds instead of 10.6 seconds. Audi claims a combined fuel economy of 16.1km/L, but achieving this or coming close to it requires commitment on the driver's part.
Over three days of driving in mixed conditions, the A3 Sportback averaged 13.9km/L. I managed 14km/L in the 1.0-litre A3 Sportback back in 2022, so you can either see it as the 1.5-litre unit being relatively efficient, or the 1.0-litre being thirstier than expected.
A designer hatchback
The A3 Sportback remains a handsome and well-equipped hatchback that doesn't just offer buyers a glimpse of what else they can expect from the four-ring brand. It gives them an actual slice of the ingredients that have made drivers loyal to the brand.
The only question for would-be buyers remains the car's asking price, for even in today's context of sky-high COE premiums, $200,000 is a lot of money that can buy a lot more than a five-door hatchback.
However, if the newfound pizzazz of the A3 Sportback has drawn your attention, and its many improvements prove convincing, then there's one thing left to ponder: This 'blazer' is more stylish than before, but will it eventually go out of style? Or do you see it becoming a wardrobe staple?
These stories may also interest you
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Car Information
Audi A3 Sportback Mild Hybrid 1.5 TFSI S tronic(A)
$215,999
CAT A|Petrol-Electric|16.1km/L
Horsepower
85kW (114 bhp)
Torque
220 Nm
Acceleration
9.9sec (0-100km /hr)
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- Subtly Does It
- Mechanical Notes
- A Designer Hatchback
