Audi is banking on technology to generate buyer interest in its revised A3 and S3 range, but early adoption will come at a cost to drivers, with most new additions expected to be priced as optional extras.
When updated models reach Australian shores at the end of this year, they will feature a range of first-in-segment – but optional -- driver assistance technologies and infotainment solutions which Audi claims will elevate the A3 to technology leader in the premium small-car segment.
Front and centre of the technology upgrades will be Audi Virtual Cockpit with navigation. Already featuring in the new TT sports car, A4 sedan and Q7 SUV, the configurable instrument option enables drivers to customise their driver information display on a large colour TFT screen.
It gives users the choice of modes that can show instrument dials either in a conventional display or reduced in size to give way for a large navigation map powered by Google Earth.
Audi Australia expects most A3 buyers will choose to option the Virtual Cockpit, having seen a 90 per cent take-up rate of the technology in the all-new A4.
While options pricing is not yet confirmed for the range, motoring.com.au anticipates the Virtual Cockpit will add around $1500 to the retail cost of the A3.
Audi has also updated its infotainment system with a new Man Machine Interface (MMI) that is based on smartphone operations and therefore more intuitive to use.
MMI Touch is accessed predominantly through a rotary push-button with touch-sensitive touchpad which can be used to enter characters for free-text search and handwriting detection as well as zooming and pinching while in map mode.
Additional Audi connect technology including Wi-Fi hotspot, extended smartphone integration including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Audi phone box for inductive charging are also being added to the A3.
However, it’s not yet clear how well some aspects of the system will perform across Australia’s sketchy mobile data network and what functionality Australians may miss out on. Devices can be connected to the Wi-Fi hotspot but speeds will be very much dependent on data coverage in the area.
Driver assistance technologies are also big news in the facelifted A3, with systems such as Audi Traffic Jam Assist of interest to anyone following the move to autonomous driving.
Traffic Jam Assist uses adaptive cruise control, emergency assist and the S tronic automatic transmission to allow for semi-autonomous driving in traffic at speeds up to 60km/h. Not only will the vehicle slow in traffic, but will accelerate and drive to the conditions, giving steering input if required.
More driver assistance options added to A3 include rear cross traffic alert and emergency assist, which will brake the vehicle if it senses no input to the steering. The Audi pre sense front system will continually monitor the road for other vehicles at all speeds, and pedestrians when at low speed, before taking mitigating action if required to avoid collisions.
While the technology list for the revised A3 is extensive, it is anticipated that, at least initially, all new technologies will be optional extras on top of the vehicle's price.
Early adopters looking to add those premium features to their A3 should plan on spending and extra $10,000 on top of the purchase price of their vehicle.