The A3 Sportback is definitely not anonymous looking, sticking out on the
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| Pub-fact No.1: the wiper fluid for the tailgate comes out of the rear wiper arm, and the fluid nozzles for the windshield are hidden under the hood. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
road with its slender, European body, yawning-mouth grille and squinty headlamps, but the visuals on the standard 2.0T aren't particularly loud. Move up to the 3.2 V6 and the car does start to shout for more attention - all 3.2 V6 models come with the S-Line appearance treatment that includes a bodykit which sports larger intakes and bigger foglamps as well as larger, chunkier 17-inch alloy wheels. Extra-keen sportsters, can upgrade to BBS-style 18-inchers, though their beauty may not be enough to offset their $1,400 asking price, or the reduction in ride quality because of the nearly zero-profile tires they are wrapped in.
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| Chunky-looking 17-inch alloy wheels, S-Line bodykit plus a sport-tunedsuspension system are part of the A3 3.2 V6 package. (Photo: JonathanYarkony, Canadian Auto Press) |
Having just gotten out of the new '06 S4, the S3, er, I mean, A3 S-Line ofers a very similar driving experience. Its exterior size gives no indication of how it drives, feeling rock-solid, tight and nimble, always responsive to any input through its contoured three-spoke steering wheel, just like any of the sports-tuned Audis. At higher speeds, it cruises with the security of a big German luxury car, but doesn't carry any excess baggage that might otherwise compromise agility. Hurl it into a bend in the wet or dry and it sticks impossibly to the road, never once tripping the ESP's alarm. It's so incredibly easy to make rapid progress on winding back roads or endless highways with this vehicle.
