Autosportfoto

Carbuyer celebrates the Audi A3

A3 range stars claim Carbuyer top spots in 2015 awards

A3 Sportback wins Carbuyer Best Small Luxury Car award
A3 Cabriolet awarded Best Convertible
Pricing starts from £26,085 OTR for the cabriolet rising to £35,265 OTR, Sportback versions priced from £19,195 OTR to £30,525 OTR
High performance ‘S' version of both variants available
Full-blown RS version of A3 Sportback available from March
Audi has secured yet more 'searched-for‘ success for its advanced A3 range in the latest Carbuyer awards. The Audi A3 Cabriolet and its versatile five-door sibling, the A3 Sportback, have been chosen as Best Small Luxury Car and Best Convertible respectively by the motoring review website, which selects the most popular reviews as its winners.

According to Carbuyer's Editor, Stuart Milne: "No other drop-top blends so much comfort, performance and style as the A3 Cabriolet. Plus, a clever fabric roof makes it as quiet as the hatchback when you're on the move."

This automatically retracting hood allows Audi A3 Cabriolet drivers to make the most of the sunshine by retracting in just 17 seconds and at speeds of up to 31 mph. For Sport and S line versions, an upgraded sound-insulating acoustic hood ensures even greater levels of interior refinement when on the move.

Explaining why the five-door Audi A3 also came out on top, Carbuyer cited its ability to 'demonstrate everything that makes an Audi special' and commends the fact that it features 'a wide selection of engines that range from the very frugal to the very fast.' The motoring portal also heaped praise on the A3 Sportback for being 'practical, affordable to run and hugely desirable.'

Both models feature comprehensive equipment lists in entry-level SE form. Highlights include a retractable 5.8-inch central screen, the Audi Music Interface, Bluetooth, DAB and preparation for SD card navigation. All models also benefit from an extensive set of safety systems, including an active bonnet, adaptive brake lights which flash during an emergency stop, an electronic differential lock and a secondary brake collision assistant.

Company car drivers have the option to upgrade to 'business class' with the latest SE Technik version of the A3 Sportback, which adds SD card-based satellite navigation, a colour driver's information system, cruise control and an acoustic rear parking system over and above SE specification. In addition, Sport and S line upgrades are available offering even more standard equipment and visual enhancements.

Advanced TFSI and TDI engines to suit a multitude of driver preferences are available for each model, from a 1.2-litre TFSI which can return a diesel-rivalling 57.6mpg combined to the most powerful 2.0 TDI quattro with 184 PS and 380Nm of torque. The S3 Cabriolet is the fastest, most powerful convertible ever to be produced by Audi, drawing on a 2.0 TFSI engine delivering 300PS and a 0-62mph time of just 5.4 seconds. quattro all-wheel drive is fitted as standard for the ultimate in top-down driving thrills.

At the head of the five-door A3 range is the 367PS RS 3 Sportback. Its evocative powerplant is the most powerful five-cylinder in Audi series production history, endowing the super hatch with a 62mph sprint time of just 3.4 seconds and a derestricted top speed of 174mph. Ordering opens this month ahead of first deliveries in summer.