Skip advert
Advertisement

Audi A3 Saloon (2013-2020) - Interior, design and technology

There are few surprises inside or out, but the A3 Saloon still boasts a premium, high-quality feel

Interior, design and technology rating

4.0

How we review cars
RRP
£30,080 £53,045
Avg. savings
£2,549 off RRP*
Find your Audi A3
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

Audi’s design philosophy tends to run along the lines of ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, so the A3 Saloon is barely distinguishable from other cars in its compact car range.

From head-on, the saloon looks identical to the A3 hatch, while moving to the side reveals the standard three-box shape that marks out all of the Audi saloons. Indeed, when viewed from a distance, and with no scale of reference, the A3 Saloon could be confused with an A4, A6, or even the flagship A8.

For some people Audi’s uniform look isn’t a bad thing, as the sharp, no-nonsense lines, tight panel gaps and distinctive light clusters give the car a simple, yet classy appearance. In fact, the optional LED daytime running lights even make the A3 appear quite stylish, although as part of a £2,000 LED headlamp upgrade package they certainly don’t come cheap.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Step inside the Audi A3 Saloon, and again it's immediately evident that the cabin shares its layout with the A3 hatch. That means you get a pop-up display screen on top of the dash, round air vents, a bank of switches and a rotary control wheel just behind the gear lever to operate the infotainment system. You also benefit from Audi’s excellent build quality, but again there are no surprises.

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

The standard-fit infotainment package on all A3 Saloons includes sat-nav with mapping on the 5.8 inch colour display screen that pops out of the dash. The stereo comes with an 8-speaker installation, a single CD player and Bluetooth or USB/cabled connectivity for streamed music.

If you want to upgrade, £1,145 gets you the Technology Package that brings HDD-based sat-nav with a high-res seven-inch display and 3-D mapping. You also get a DVD player and additional MMI Touch (touch sensitive) functionality with handwriting recognition for when you want to enter postcodes or phone numbers. 

A couple of hundred pounds more gives you Audi Connect, which turns your car into a Wi-Fi hotspot. The optional Audi sound system is £255 and gives you a 10-speaker system with 180 Watts of output. For £750 you can specify a Bang & Olufsen surround sound system with 705 Watts and 14 speakers. 

Skip advert
Advertisement

New & used car deals

Audi A3

Audi A3

RRP £26,295Avg. savings £2,549 off RRP*Used from £11,890
Audi A4

Audi A4

RRP £32,725Avg. savings £2,195 off RRP*Used from £14,395
Audi A6

Audi A6

RRP £39,640Avg. savings £7,356 off RRP*Used from £16,990
Audi A5

Audi A5

RRP £42,660Avg. savings £4,231 off RRP*Used from £20,000
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

New Peugeot 208 GTi: electric hot hatch gets stunning looks and plenty of power
Peugeot E-208 GTi - reveal front

New Peugeot 208 GTi: electric hot hatch gets stunning looks and plenty of power

Hot Peugeot E-208 gets racier styling, 276bhp and does 0-62mph in just 5.7 seconds
News
13 Jun 2025
Car Deal of the Day: Kia Sportage at £255 per month can’t be anything but popular
Kia Sportage - side panning

Car Deal of the Day: Kia Sportage at £255 per month can’t be anything but popular

The Kia Sportage has earned its popularity over the years and deals like our Car Deal of the Day for June 14 won’t do it any harm at all.
News
14 Jun 2025
New entry-level Renault Symbioz is £3k cheaper than a Nissan Qashqai
Renault Symbioz hybrid - front angled

New entry-level Renault Symbioz is £3k cheaper than a Nissan Qashqai

The Renault Captur has also been fitted the new full-hybrid powertrain, which gets a bigger battery for more pure-electric driving
News
12 Jun 2025