RE: Audi A3 and S3 saloons revealed

[st4]

Each generation of car grows, this will allow the next gen A4 to become larger, which in turn drives up the size of the A6.

The next gen of this will be about the size of the first A4, which IMHO was a really nice size of family saloon car.

This looks a little dumpy, as per the CLA, but junior execs will lap them up

[Gorm]

This is a horrid, nasty, looking little car. Plasticy on the inside and very BLACK.

[Mermaid]

st4 said:

The next gen of this will be about the size of the first A4, which IMHO was a really nice size of family saloon car.

Cars are longer and wider - car parking spaces have remained the same size for decades.

[stormy22]

martin mrt said:

stormy22 said:

So just a slightly shorter A4 then. What's the point?

Just like the Jetta is a slightly smaller Passat, because there is a market in certain countries for such a vehicle

I actually really like that, and im never usually a fan of saloon cars

Isn't the Jetta quite a bit smaller than the Passat? This A3 is only 6cm shorter than the first A4. I too prefer Saloons, so yes, I do like it...I just don't see the point in a car than is practically the same as it's...I'd like to say older brother..but it's more like 4 minute older Twin brother.

The A3 was different because it was a hatch...now, not so different.

[WMP]

Isn't that a Skoda Rapid?

Joking aside there's an interesting article by Harry Metcalfe in this Month's EVO in which he discusses VAG's proposed new "multi-platform", if we aren't there already the death of cars with individual appeal is on the horizon!

[FWDRacer]

This becomes much more interesting when you consider they can drop in 5-cylinder?

[rumple]

I like the wheels, I like the colour, the rest of it is same old same old, I've nodoubt it'll be a massive hit.

[RichTBiscuit]

The man who 'styles' these cars needs to find an imagination from somewhere.

I honestly can't tell an A3 Saloon from an A4 or A6....

[astra la vista]

Mermaid said:

Cars are getting longer and wider - but car parking spaces have remained the same size for decades.

unfortunately so have the roads, that's why that cayenne/range rover/x5 coming towards you is in the middle of the road.

[Sarkmeister]

I really like that. Looks a bit less bland than the hatchback version.

I'm sure it'll get royally slagged off on here though.

[greggy50]

Skoda rapid with a fancy grill and a softer dash then for nearly 10k more... (know they is more to it than that)

Trouble with this platform sharing is the skodas and seats start to make the vws and lower end audis very overpriced for what they are as they are merging into he same car gradually...

[astra la vista]

btw, are there any genuinely new mass market cars on the horizon?

just about everything i see on PH these days is a tweaked/larger/smaller/coupe/estate version of existing metal.

[Rawwr]

Usually hatchback to saloon migrations end up looking a little odd and ungainly -- think Belmont and Orion -- but it seems to work very well for the A3.

[Ex Boy Racer]

Not only the same size as the first A4 - that first side-on shot really reminded me of one

[Zod]

Bizarre; I thought the A4 was the saloon version.

[Regiment]

Wolands Advocate said:

Much better looking than the droopy CLA but I can't see it being a big seller over here. Why would you have an S3 saloon instead of an S3 Sportback?

The S3 is a bland, awful looking thing when you compare it to the RS Megane, the new Astra VXR, the Scirocco, or the Seat, at least the Saloon gives you an alternative, not a great alternative as its a slightly smaller S4 which is bland and boring looking but it's still a step up from a standard S3.

[sagarich]

Yes please, I think it looks great.

[Mermaid]

Zod said:

Bizarre; I thought the A4 was the saloon version.

The A4 is the larger saloon. In the old days it was, Ford Anglia, Cortina, Corsair, Zephyr.

& the 1 series Coupe is the old 3 series/2002

[stuckmojo]

Audi are the quickest at filling every possible niche of every possible variant of every possible segment.

Nothing wrong with that, if the cars wouldn't all look exactly the same.

[CypherP]

This is getting silly now..