2026 Audi A3 Sedan review

The sedan body style hasn't really been in fashion Down Under for a while.

With the exception of the Tesla Model 3 and Toyota Camry, sales of the traditional three-box sedans have basically fallen off a cliff and, as a result, most car companies have moved away from offering them in Australia, particularly in the smaller segments.

Audi is not one of those automakers. The current A3 range maintains a sedan equivalent to the five-door Sportback hatch in every model grade locally – including high-performance S3 and RS3 versions – following a great showing from the previous-generation model.

Here on test we have the 2026 Audi A3 Sedan TFSI quattro 150kW S line (deep breath), the most recent addition to the local lineup. It bridges the gap between the base TFSI 110kW mild-hybrid and the Volkswagen Golf R-powered 245kW S3 quattro.

It pairs a detuned version of the German auto giant's 2.0-litre 'EA888' turbo-petrol engine from said S3 and Golf R with quattro all-wheel drive and a slick-shifting seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch auto. While it looks cutesy and demure, it packs GTI levels of performance underneath.

So while this little Audi sedan stacks up as a potential sleeper on paper, does it justify its existence in the local lineup when so many Australians are likely to jump straight to the S3?

Well, let's find out...

How much does the Audi A3 cost?

The A3 Sedan generally commands a $3000 price premium over the equivalent A3 Sportback, including the high-performance S3 and RS3 variants.

On test here we have the TFSI quattro 150kW S line, which starts from $65,800 plus on-road costs. Our test vehicle also included the $1990 Premium plus package, while the Mythos black metallic paint seen here costs another $1350. Other options as tested included the Black exterior styling package ($1200), a panoramic sunroof ($2000), and privacy glass ($650).

So that's $72,990 as-tested for this compact premium sedan, before on-road costs, which is nudging $80,000 on the road. That's no small amount for a small car, but it's still cheaper than the base price of the Mercedes-Benz A250 Special Edition (from $74,600), while the BMW 220 Gran Coupe starts around the same price as the Audi (from $64,800) and requires similar box-ticking to get equivalent spec.

If you really want all-wheel drive and turbocharged performance in a smaller sedan and you aren't fussed about the badge, the Subaru WRX (from $48,890) offers a range of variants with more power as well as the option of a six-speed manual transmission if you prefer to shift your own gears.

Perhaps the A3 TFSI quattro's biggest natural rival comes from within the Audi family, given the 245kW S3 Sedan starts from $81,800 before on-roads.

To see how the Audi A3 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Audi A3 like on the inside?

There's not much to distinguish the cabin of this mid-spec A3 from the base one, particularly when they both have optional packages specified.

Even I struggled to find differences at the beginning, and my partner recently bought a new A3 Sportback TFSI 110kW S line. But, there are a couple of little (or not so little) things that distinguish the 150kW from the 110kW.

If you're comparing the base specifications of each variant, the quattro picks up leather-appointed trim, electric front seats, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, and configurable LED ambient lighting as standard, while they're relegated to the options list in the base model.

Further, it adds Audi drive select modes and surround cameras – we'll touch on that more in the driving section – and the exterior mirrors are auto-folding and auto-dimming on both sides. The base model doesn't offer the drive mode selector, and the cameras and extra mirror features are optional.

And our test vehicle's Premium plus package goes a little further than what's available even as an option on the 110kW S line, bringing memory functions for the side mirrors and the driver's seat, as well as a head-up display, and a 15-speaker Sonos premium sound system – though the projector-type HUD removes sound-insulating acoustic glass.

With 15 speakers, a subwoofer, and a 680-Watt quoted output, the A3's premium audio option offers really good sound quality, with crisp audio and solid, thumpy bass. It's noticeably meatier than the base 10-speaker Audi sound system, which is already very good in its own right.

Apart from the seat memory controls integrated into the door grab handle and the Sonos badges on the speakers, there's little to differentiate even an optioned A3 TFSI quattro from my partner's fully-optioned A3 TFSI 110kW, as everything else is pretty much carried over.

That could be good or bad depending on how you look at it, but it means the facelifted A3's excellent in-car technology and generally sound build quality remains present here.

Audi's 12.3-inch virtual cockpit plus remains one of the best digital instrument clusters in the business, for its classic layout and extensive configurability. It also offers slick response, sharp clarity and smooth animations, which keeps it looking fresh and feeling upmarket even several years on.

The 10.1-inch MMI touch infotainment system is on the smaller side of touchscreen dimensions in 2026, but like they say, size doesn't always matter. Like the virtual cockpit display, Audi's infotainment system is attractive to look at, and offers good configurability and functionality, as well as slick operation.

I also like the clicky haptic feedback that's a hark back to Audi's old physical infotainment controls. There’s additional app integration too, like a native Spotify application for music streaming, while wireless Apple CarPlay worked flawlessly during our time with the A3.

General comfort and perceived build quality remain very good for the segment, with the front Sport bucket seats offering great bolstering and support, as well as extendable under-thigh cushions (a personal highlight of mine) and three-stage heating.

Audi has retained clicky, tactile physical climate controls, as well as actual buttons for other functions like the Audi drive select control and parking assist features. However, as has been well documented with this fourth-generation A3, material quality has taken a dip in mid- and lower-tier areas of the cabin, where there are harder, scratchier plastics.

The plastic grab handles on the doors and plasticky air vents are perhaps the most conspicuous signs of cost-cutting compared to the previous generation, which was widely lauded as a benchmark for compact-car interior design, and featured a higher ratio of soft-touch materials mixed in with flourishes of metal and chrome accents.

The A3 rides on the same 2630mm wheelbase as the Golf, meaning it offers similar rear passenger accommodation. At 6'1", I can fit behind my own preferred driving position, though the chunky front sports bucket seats eat into the rear a little more than regular seats, meaning you might feel a touch hemmed in.

At least the deep footwells offer good foot and toe room on either side of the thick driveline hump in the floor, and the A3 Sedan's sloping rear roofline isn't detrimental to headroom – though it's not as airy inside as the Sportback.

Being a small car, the fifth seat isn't meant to be regularly used, but it's at least not too skinny or raised too high, so it can be used for smaller adults or kids when needed, though the driveline tunnel does mean you have to share the footwells with passengers on either side.

Rear amenities include air vents with temperature controls – though not a digital climate panel like in its Volkswagen and Skoda platform mates – plus a fold-down centre armrest with cupholders, net-type map pockets on the front seatbacks, bottle holders in the doors, and of course your requisite ISOFIX anchor points on the outboard seats and top-tethers on the backs of all three for child seats.

Further back there's a remote-opening boot lid, though it's not power-assisted like is optionally available on the Sportback hatch.

The quattro underpinnings mean this particular A3 sedan loses some underfloor storage, thus dropping its quoted cargo volume to 390 litres versus the 425L quoted by the TFSI 110kW mild-hybrid.

For reference, the equivalent A3 Sportback TFSI quattro 150kW quotes 325L with the rear seats in use, upping it to 1145L with them folded. The Sedan doesn't quote a seats-down figure.

Regardless, the quattro maintains its space-saver spare wheel – whereas the S3 only gets a tyre repair kit.

To see how the Audi A3 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What's under the bonnet?

The Audi A3 TFSI quattro 150kW is powered by a version of the ubiquitous EA888 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine, which shares its DNA with the higher-output unit used in the VW Group's compact performance models including the Audi S3, Cupra Leon VZx, Skoda Octavia RS, and Volkswagen Golf GTI/R.

Our indicated fuel consumption readout of 8.6L/100km is some 30 per cent up on Audi's official combined claim, though our 520km behind the wheel included plenty of peak-hour commuting in stop-start, bumper-to-bumper traffic. I also noticed the idle-stop system wasn't all that keen to cut in during high-traffic commuting compared to the eager 48V system in the base A3.

Our indicated consumption would suggest a real-world driving range of over 600km per fill of the 55L fuel tank, which requires a minimum of 95 RON premium unleaded. It's worth noting the quattro gets a slightly larger tank than the 110kW MHEV version, which has 50L of fuel capacity.

Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and turbo-diesel versions of the A3 are also offered in overseas markets, though neither has been confirmed for Australia at this point in time. Diesels have effectively been ruled out by Audi's local product team for the marque's smaller models, while the A3 e-hybrid PHEV has long been "under consideration", though the needle has barely moved on this in two years.

To see how the Audi A3 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Audi A3 drive?

It may look like a humble compact sedan, but the A3 TFSI quattro has the heart of a warm/hot hatch and, combined with all-paw traction, it might surprise you.

In typical Audi fashion, the A3 quattro is pretty understated and demure in the way it goes about its business. It leaves the theatrics and street cred to the S3, and instead offers pretty effortless torque for everyday commuting as well as highway stints.

I spent plenty of time behind the wheel commuting to and from events during my week with the vehicle, as well as a few family and social engagements outside of work, and I was surprised at how much it reminded me of my Golf GTI, albeit without a sporty exhaust note.

The seven-speed dual-clutch auto will still occasionally be hesitant off the line or when you try to make a quick run for it while rolling, but for the most part it's one of the better transmissions of this type in day-to-day use, and also allows the 2.0 TFSI's 320Nm of torque to do most of the heavy-lifting in the name of refinement and efficiency.

Left in 'auto' drive mode, the A3's drive select system will adapt to driving conditions and driver input to provide the best balance of efficiency and performance. I generally left it in this profile, only occasionally flicking it into dynamic if I hit a winding B-road.

The A3 quattro doesn't feature S sport suspension or dynamic damper control, with the Audi drive select system only tailoring the throttle and steering. I'm sure if you asked Audi nicely enough you might be able to add adaptive damping like you can in overseas markets, but truth be told the standard passive setup is fine.

Its ride is on the tauter side but is pretty well balanced for everyday driving, even if there's a firmer edge to how the A3 reacts to obstacles like potholes, road joins and tram/train tracks, which you'll commonly find in Australian capital cities.

As for handling, my partner's base A3 TFSI 110kW seems to only have one steering setting, given it doesn't have Audi drive select, so between the balanced and dynamic settings the A3 quattro felt a little tighter and better dialled-in, despite not being fitted with the S3's variable-ratio progressive steering rack.

While typically Audi in feeling overly assisted and therefore light-on in feel and weight, its linear and direct steering response makes for confident handling, both when pootling around town and taking on a technical set of bends at speed – like the backroads between my home in Melbourne's eastern suburbs and the Yarra Valley.

It's got plenty of pace and grip for this kind of thing, but lacks the engagement and soundtrack to really elicit any emotion or excitement. It's quite clean and clinical, which to be fair works with the general vibe. The taut chassis, however, really shines through in higher-performance A3 variants like the S3 and RS3, which better exploit its well-sorted setup.

The BMW 1 Series and 2 Series Gran Coupe siblings are arguably more feelsome behind the wheel, but you can't get all-wheel drive without opting for the more expensive M135 xDrive or M235 xDrive which, in my humble opinion, is outclassed by the equivalent Audi S3.

The A3 quattro's standard 18-inch wheels and 225/40 Nexen N'Fera Sport tyres are up to the task, even if most target buyers will probably never test their limits, though on coarse-chip roads they aren't as quiet as you might expect for a luxury vehicle, perhaps a byproduct of removing acoustic windscreen glass for the head-up display – though this is a common trait among its premium-badged rivals also.

That said, wind noise is kept to a minimum and the A3 Sedan feels impressively settled at freeway speeds, helped no doubt by the fact this variant is capable of sitting at nearly 250km/h on the Autobahn back home.

As for driver assistance, Audi tends to set the tone for the core Volkswagen Group brands – its mantra translates to 'progress through technology', after all.

Standard adaptive cruise assist combines distance control and lane-centring to offer Level 2 driver assistance on the highway, though the cruise controls are on an old-school stalk under the indicator stalk, rather than having multifunction controls on the steering wheel.

It works very well and, like the Travel Assist system in related Cupra, Skoda and VW products, it's easily one of the most accurate and user-friendly highway driving assistance systems at the compact end of the market. One point of annoyance for me personally though is that the Audi doesn't allow you to adjust the speed in increments of 1km/h, only 5km/h or 10km/h.

Side assist combines blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic assist, the latter applying braking intervention to help avoid collisions when reversing out of perpendicular parking spots, while an exit warning system will alert you if you're about to open your door into the path of a vehicle or cyclist.

The quattro adds a standard surround-view camera over the base variant (though it's optional on the TFSI 110kW), and while it's helpful in offering a wider field of view and multiple angles including the front and rear wheels to avoid kerb rash, the quality and clarity of the camera feeds just can't match those in numerous Chinese cars.

Other features include speed sign recognition, which is compatible with the head-up display, as well as park assist plus including front and rear parking sensors, which is capable of controlling the throttle, steering and braking to effectively park the A3 for you.

To see how the Audi A3 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

The A3 TFSI quattro 150kW S line sits between the entry-level TFSI 110kW S line and the more potent S3.

2026 Audi A3 TFSI 110kW S line equipment highlights:

• 18-inch 5-spoke alloy wheels – gloss-turned
• Space-saver spare wheel
• S line exterior package
• LED headlights
• LED daytime running lights
• • incl. multiple digital signatures
• LED tail-lights
• S line interior package
• Sport front seats with integrated head restraints
• • incl. 4-way lumbar support
• Electric driver's seat adjustment
• Heated front seats
• Headliner in black
• Inlays in dark aluminium spectrum
• Stainless steel pedals
• S multifunction steering wheel
• • Perforated leather
  • Contrast stitching
• 3-zone climate control
• 12.3-inch Audi virtual cockpit plus
• 10.1-inch MMI navigation plus
• • Voice control incl. natural speech recognition
  • 3D map display
• Audi connect plus Navigation & Infotainment – 3 years
• • Online traffic information
  • Destination entry via myAudi, Google Maps
  • Parking information
  • Weather
• Audi connect plus Security & Assistance – 3 years
• • Car finder with remote signal
  • Remote lock, unlock
  • Emergency call (10 years)
  • Online roadside assistance
  • Automatic service reminder (10 years)
• Audi smartphone interface
• • Apple CarPlay – wireless, wired
• • Android Auto – wireless, wired
• Audi connect plus
• Audi phone box light – wireless charging
• Audi sound system
• • 10 speakers
  • 180 Watts
• Ambient lighting
• Illuminated aluminium sill plates

2026 Audi A3 TFSI quattro 150kW S line adds:

• 18-inch alloy wheels in 5-twin-spoke design – gloss-turned
• Audi drive select – driving modes
• Exterior mirrors – heated and electric folding
• • incl. auto-dimming both sides
• Sport front seats in leather-appointed upholstery
• Electric front seats incl. 4-way lumbar
• Auto-dimming interior mirror – frameless
• Colour ambient interior lighting – 30 colours

Options

The mid-spec A3 is available with one main option package and several single-item options.

Premium plus package: $1990

• Exterior mirrors with memory function
• Driver memory function
• Sonos 3D premium sound system
• • 15 speakers incl. subwoofer
  • 16-channel amplifier
  • 680W output
• Head-up display
• • *Removes acoustic glass

Single-item options include:

• 18-inch alloy wheels in five-Y-spoke design – gloss-turned: $NCO
• Metallic paint: $1350
• Audi Sport metallic paint: $1850
• Black exterior styling package incl. Audi rings in anthracite grey: $1200
• Electric tailgate – Sportback: $660
• Panoramic glass sunroof: $2000
• Privacy glass: $650
• Roof rails in aluminium or black – Sportback: $550
• Sonos 3D premium sound system: $750

To see how the Audi A3 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Audi A3 safe?

The Audi A3 carries a five-star ANCAP safety rating for vehicles built from July 2025 and sold from September 2025. Assessed against the independent auto safety body's 2025 criteria, it applies to all variants. Earlier vehicles carry a separate 2020 date-stamped five-star rating that applies only to front-drive variants.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• 7 airbags incl. front-centre
• Autonomous emergency braking
• • Pedestrian detection
  • Cyclist detection
  • Intersection assist
  • Swerve assist
  • Turn assist
• Adaptive cruise assist
• • Adaptive cruise control incl. stop/go
  • Emergency assist
  • Lane-centring assist
  • Traffic jam assist
• Lane departure warning
• Lane-keep assist
• Park assist
• Parking sensors – front, rear
• Side assist
• • Blind-spot warning
  • Exit warning
  • Rear cross-traffic assist
• Reversing camera
• Tyre pressure loss indicator

A3 TFSI quattro 150kW S line adds:

• 360-degree cameras incl. kerb view function

To see how the Audi A3 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Audi A3 cost to run?

The A3 is covered by Audi Australia's five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, plus five years of roadside assistance.

Over and above the standard ownership provisions, there’s an available Audi Advantage Package which extends the warranty by two years (up to seven years).

In addition to two years of scheduled servicing (added to the end of any existing service plan) and roadside assistance – this costs $3250 for both A3 and S3 buyers.

Eligible owners can register for complimentary Audi Experience membership during the vehicle’s factory warranty period

To see how the Audi A3 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert's Take on the Audi A3

As nice to drive and easy to live with as the A3 TFSI quattro is, given the price point it's perhaps the least compelling A3 variant – at least in my humble opinion.

The added performance and traction from the larger 2.0-litre turbo engine and all-wheel drive makes for a premium compact sleeper sedan, but I'm not sure whether the $8000 upcharge over the base mild-hybrid is really worth it.

Sure, there are a couple of extra equipment items thrown in for the added spend, but our test car still required $7000 of options, pushing it perilously close to the full-fat S3, which brings a big wallop of extra performance and even more kit.

Given this car is more likely to be used as a daily driver for the work commute, the lack of electrification beyond idle-stop means this engine uses over 30 per cent more fuel than the mild-hybrid based on our real-world testing, which in today's climate of rising fuel prices is another knock against the quattro.

The base mild-hybrid may not have the same pep in its step, nor the full catalogue of features available to it, but it does have the same fundamental chassis and general design, plus a far more efficient powertrain for everyday usage. In lieu of the e-hybrid PHEV offered overseas, it's the more economical everyday premium compact.

Furthermore, there's minimal differentiation between the quattro and the base car, which might rub some people up the wrong way given the price difference, and a lot of the optional equipment fitted to our test car really should be standard – namely privacy glass and driver's seat memory, not to mention the head-up display.

In isolation, the Audi A3 TFSI quattro 150kW S line looks like a smart way to get most of the hot-hatch driving experience in a more premium and understated package, but only if you're willing to sacrifice some fun and theatre in the process.

BMW doesn't offer a mid-tier AWD performance option below the M135 xDrive or M235 xDrive, while the Mercedes-Benz A250 starts nearly $10,000 higher and no longer offers a sedan body style.

Still, at the as-tested price, you're probably better off getting the full-fat S3 with all of its extra performance and luxury gear.

CarExpert can save you thousands on a new Audi A3. Click here to get a great deal.

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MORE: Explore the Audi A3 showroom