Audi A3 2024: new Allstreet and upgraded S3

The current A3 generation - the fourth since Audi established the premium compact segment in 1996 - arrived in 2020 and has now received its mid-cycle update.

Unsurprisingly, the headline addition in this 2024 A3 “facelift” is the new Allstreet. It sits three centimetres higher from the ground, offers a more elevated driving position and adopts the crossover-style cues that the market continues to demand.

First impressions

Beyond that initial impact, the A3 Allstreet is distinguished by its higher-mounted, matt-black single-frame Singleframe grille, creating a visual link with the German marque’s Q-badged SUV models. It also gains three distinctive slots incorporated into the front spoiler and rear diffuser.

Darkened sill panels and trim along the lower door areas immediately make the Allstreet appear taller. This is partly due to the combined effect of suspension travel raised by 15 mm and the larger wheel diameters.

Its spring-and-damper assemblies receive version-specific tuning, while 17-inch alloys come as standard - one inch larger than those fitted to the A3 Sportback. Buyers can alternatively choose 18-inch or 19-inch wheels.

Roof rails are standard, and the boot retains the same 380-litre capacity, expanding to 1200 l when the rear seatbacks are folded down. It also includes a net to prevent items in the load area from moving while the car is travelling.

For the first time in an A3, drivers can choose and switch between four different digital daytime-running-light signatures through the human-machine interface (MMI).

Inside, changes include a redesigned, smaller gear selector, revised air vents and a newly arranged centre console.

Standard equipment includes a 10.1-inch touchscreen, Audi’s Virtual Cockpit and an inductive mobile-phone charging pad. There are also two USB-C ports in the front centre console and two more in the rear. The smartphone interface enables Android and Apple handsets to be integrated into the A3’s infotainment system.

Engines

The Audi A3 2024 will enter the market in 35 TFSI and 35 TDI forms. The former uses a 1.5-litre, 150 cv petrol engine with a seven-speed S tronic automatic gearbox and mild-hybrid technology; a six-speed manual gearbox will become available later. The latter is a 2.0-litre Diesel unit, also producing 150 cv and paired with a seven-speed S tronic automatic transmission.

Over the course of the year, the range will expand with further petrol and Diesel engines, as well as a plug-in hybrid version in September.

The line-up will begin with the 30 TFSI - due before summer - which will no longer use the 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine. Instead, it will adopt a 1.5-litre four-cylinder version producing 116 cv, combined with a six-speed manual gearbox. It will be joined by a mild-hybrid variant working with the seven-speed S-tronic automatic transmission.

On the Diesel side, the 30 TDI will likewise use the 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, although with 116 cv and a six-speed manual gearbox.

However, neither the 30 TFSI nor the 30 TDI will be offered in the new Audi A3 Allstreet. Its least powerful versions will be the 150 cv 35 TFSI and 35 TDI.

Audi S3 with RS 3-style traits

The Audi S3 - for which images are not yet available - will remain the more performance-focused four-wheel-drive option, retaining its turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. Upgrades to the electronic management and turbocharger increase output to 333 cv and 420 Nm, gains of 23 cv and 20 Nm.

As a result, the 0-100 km/h sprint is one tenth quicker at 4.7s, while top speed remains electronically limited to 250 km/h.

Audi’s German engineers say the S3’s principal innovation is the introduction of a rear-axle torque-splitting system, first introduced by Audi on the RS 3. It employs two multi-plate clutches - one for each wheel - positioned at the rear differential output, with the aim of improving the S3’s cornering ability. The S3’s automatic transmission has also been upgraded to shorten shift times.

Further changes are intended to make handling even more precise, including revised wheel camber - around 1.5º negative, more than double that of its predecessor - plus stiffer suspension arms and bushes.

Another S3 addition is the Dynamic Plus driving mode, which directs maximum torque to the rear wheels to heighten rear-axle oversteer through corners. In this mode, the stability control becomes less intrusive, the engine and transmission respond more immediately, and idle speed is set at 1300 rpm - 200 rpm higher than in Dynamic mode.

The new S3’s braking system - available in both Sportback and Limousine forms - has been enlarged with discs of greater diameter and thickness, measuring 357 mm x 34 mm respectively. The two-piston front calipers are new, while 19-inch wheels are fitted with 235/35 tyres front and rear.

Arrival date and pricing

The Audi A3 2024 will reach Portugal from May, although pricing has yet to be announced. Prices are nevertheless expected to start at €40,000 for the 35 TFSI Sportback, with the plug-in hybrid costing slightly more.

The A3 Limousine is expected to cost €900 more, while the all-new A3 Allstreet will be almost €2,000 more expensive than the five-door body style.