I still think of it as a wagon, and I wish Audi had gone with the un-Germanic appellation Avantino. In concept, Audi has been
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| Audi pulls many of the same Avant cues that make their larger wagons absolute standouts from a design perspective. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press) |
willing to dig out Italian suffixes, the Avantissimo (a 2001 concept you will hear more about being a brilliant counterpoint to the diminutive wagonesque A3). Audi pulls many of the same Avant cues that make their larger wagons absolute standouts from a design perspective: the rising beltline, windows getting narrower as you move to the back of the car, the hexagonal outline of the liftgate when seen from directly behind, uniquely shaped Avant taillamps (I'm at a loss as to how to describe the shape without going on for too long, but they're the same basic shape as the Avant's) and
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| For me the A3's design works perfectly, lending the pint-sized racer a suitably aggressive face, profile and greenhouse cutout. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press) |
the aggressively sloped rear windscreen that is the signature touch that justifies this Sportback's name.
Some of the details that set the Sportback apart from its larger Avant siblings are its severely cut rectangular headlamps that come to a sharp point leaving just enough space to provide backdrop for Audi's gaping new grille, subdued to compact proportions by necessity so as not to overwhelm the littlest version of the brand. For me it works perfectly, lending the pint-sized racer a suitably aggressive face, profile and greenhouse cutout. Wait, did I forget to mention the A3's wicked proportions? Lots of metal and slim glass windows make Johnny want to go fast. Oh yes, it's a racer, and you should know it from the instant you set eyes on it.
