2025 Audi A3 Debuts As BMW 1 Series, 2 Series Gran Coupe Rival

2025 Audi A3 Debuts As BMW 1 Series, 2 Series Gran Coupe Rival


BMW is months away from transitioning the 1 Series and 2 Series Gran Coupes to next-generation models by skipping the regular Life Cycle Inspiration. Audi is doing things differently as it gives the A3 Sportback and A3 Sedan a traditional mid-life update. The two compact models from Ingolstadt are joined by the new A3 Allstreet, a hatchback on stilts. BMW is unlikely to answer this hatch with a cross section.

Audi is no longer rewriting the design book with its 2025 A3 as the car uses an evolutionary style as one would expect from a facelift. The hexagonal grille is flatter and slightly wider than before while adopting a revised design to improve things. Audi has a new lower lip that gives the illusion of a bigger and more attractive car.

At the back, Audi has redesigned the bumper with a fake diffuser loaded with fake exhaust tips. There’s more black plastic than we’d like to see in a luxury car, even if the A3 is near the bottom of the food chain in the company’s larger lineup. In fact, the A3 will be an entry-level car sooner or later as the A1 supermini will be discontinued.

As for the new kid on the block, the front-wheel drive A3 Allstreet has a suspension chain that gives it an extra 30 millimeters of ground clearance. It has plastic covers around the wheel arches in the same vein as the larger A4 and A6 Allroad models. Audi keeps a distinctive grille to echo the Q range of crossovers and SUVs, along with roof rails, forged skid plates and wide tires. Depending on the A3 you use, there are many alloy wheel designs available in sizes from 17 to 19 inches.

While BMW has largely done away with buttons and other physical controls, that’s not the case with Audi. The 2025 A3 Sportback, Sedan, and Allstreet have many standard controls for climate settings and other frequently used functions. A standard dashboard layout is definitely easier to use on a daily basis compared to cars that have integrated many features into a touchscreen.

By the way, the new Audi A3 has a 10.1-inch central display and an all-digital instrument cluster. Also standard is a wireless charging pad, connected to a pair of USB-C ports on the front console and two more for the rear occupants. Overall, the cabin is fine as it hasn’t changed, but we’d say that’s a good thing since we like old-school buttons instead of relying on touchscreens.

Initially, Audi will only sell the facelifted A3 with a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine and a 2.0-litre diesel. Additional gas and diesel plants will be introduced in Q2 2024, with plug-in hybrids to follow before the end of the year.

Of course, the S3 and RS3 will also receive a nip and tuck. The former is already confirmed to get more power to battle the future M135i xDrive and M235i xDrive while the latter is also likely to offer more oomph from its 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine. BMW is unlikely to add a 1 Series and 2 Series Gran Coupe beyond the M Performance variant, which should go with the X1 M35i and X2 M35i.

Source: Audi