Audi A3 Sedan Review

The Malaysian C-segment sedan market has always been a crossroads of family and light luxury needs. Many consumers desire the refinement of German brands while valuing the practicality and cost-effectiveness for daily use. Although the local price of the 2025 Audi A3 Sedan Public has not been officially announced, referencing the positioning of the 2019 model, it still targets urban family users who emphasize details and brand aesthetics. In this test drive, we focus on verifying whether it can continue Audi's high quality in terms of design, features, and driving experience, while meeting the daily needs of local roads.

In terms of appearance, the 2025 A3 Sedan Public maintains the sharp family-style design. The hexagonal single-frame grille on the front has slightly increased in size, with a smoked honeycomb pattern inside, complemented by narrow LED headlamps on both sides, offering high recognizability. The headlights support automatic activation and cornering assist functions, which are quite practical for nighttime driving. The side profile of the car has smooth lines with a waistline stretching from the front fender to the rear, making the body look more elongated. The 18-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels have a sportier design than the previous model, with tire dimensions of 225/40 R18, balancing grip and road feel. Changes at the rear are mainly centered on the taillights, which use a through-type LED light strip design similar to the A4L. The lighting effect is striking when illuminated. The lower rear bumper features dual exhaust decorations (actually hidden), which enhance the sporty feel. Overall, the exterior aligns with Audi's luxury positioning while not appearing overly ostentatious.

Sitting inside the car, the highlights remain its sense of technology and quality. The dashboard adopts a layered design with the upper layer covered in soft-touch materials and the middle section accented with silver trims, providing a high-end tactile and visual experience. The 10.1-inch touchscreen in the center console replaces the 7-inch screen in the previous model, with a significantly improved interface smoothness. It supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, making daily operation quite convenient. The fully digital instrument cluster upgrades to a 12.3-inch screen, capable of switching between classic, sport, and other display modes, providing clear vehicle information and navigation maps. The seats are made from a combination of genuine leather and Alcantara materials. The front seats offer 8-way electric adjustment (including lumbar support) and good cushioning, ensuring comfortable seating for long periods. The rear seats have soft padding, with legroom rated as average among C-segment cars. A 175 cm tall passenger sitting in the rear has two-fist space between the knees and the front seatback, and around one-fist headroom, making it suitable for daily family use. In terms of storage space, the front central armrest box has a relatively large capacity and can accommodate a tablet, while the door panel storage compartments can hold two 500 ml water bottles. The trunk offers a capacity of 425 liters, and the rear seats can be folded down in a 60:40 ratio, providing good expandability for transporting luggage or large items, which is very practical.

For performance, the 2025 A3 Sedan Public continues to be equipped with a 1.4T turbocharged engine, delivering a maximum power of 150 PS and a maximum torque of 250 N·m, paired with a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox. During daily driving, the power response is quick, with no noticeable turbo lag during acceleration; a light press on the accelerator delivers decent acceleration. When switched to sport mode, the transmission's shift logic becomes more aggressive, with quicker downshifts. Flooring the accelerator during overtaking provides direct power output. The official 0-100 km/h acceleration time is 8.2 seconds, making it suitable for both city commutes and highway driving. The chassis employs a front MacPherson and rear multi-link independent suspension, tuned for comfort while retaining a degree of sportiness. On common local asphalt roads, the suspension absorbs most minor bumps, and the shocks are well-buffered when driving over speed bumps. On mountain roads, body roll is well-controlled, and the steering wheel provides precise feedback with suitable return force, instilling ample confidence in the driver.

Fuel consumption performance is a key concern for family users. In our tests conducted under mixed road conditions (60% city roads, 40% highways) over 100 km, the displayed fuel consumption was 5.8L/100km, which is slightly higher than the official figure of 4.9L. However, considering the local traffic congestion, this result is already excellent. In terms of noise control, when driving at high speed (120km/h), wind and tire noise are not noticeable, and conversations inside the car are not affected. The engine emits a slight noise when the revs exceed 3000 rpm, but this rpm range is rarely used in everyday driving.

Compared to competitors in the same class such as the BMW 1 Series and Mercedes-Benz A-Class, the 2025 Audi A3 Sedan public has clear advantages: richer interior tech configurations, with a fully digital instrument cluster and a large central control screen as standard, while lower-end models of competitors still use mechanical instruments; a more balanced spatial performance, with rear legroom more spacious than the 1 Series; and lower fuel consumption, offering an advantage in daily running costs. However, its shortcoming lies in the brand premium, which is not as strong as Mercedes-Benz or BMW. For consumers pursuing brand prestige, it may be slightly less attractive.

Overall, the 2025 Audi A3 Sedan public is a well-balanced C-class sedan. It combines Audi's luxurious quality and technological features while also meeting family users' needs for space and fuel efficiency. It is suitable for urban family users aged 30-40, particularly those who value practicality and brand image but do not seek extreme sportiness or luxury. If you are looking for a car that is easy to drive daily, has sufficient configurations, and is from a reliable brand, the 2025 Audi A3 Sedan public is worth considering.