Remember how funny-looking off-road hatchbacks used to be teased? The Rover Streetwise, the Polo Dune, the Panda Trekking, the Adam Rocks and so on - what scorn was poured upon them, higher up and protected against the elements (well, a bit) but front-wheel drive only. We thought they'd been wholly replaced by compact SUVs - but now look: Audi is making a new one from the updated A3, the original slightly posh hatchback. Having already made the A1 City Carver and dropped it in the UK, no less. Perfect timing, though, for anyone aghast at the state of the roads and for whom a full-fat SUV seems too after-school clubby.
This is the allstreet, then, introduced as part of a wider range refresh for the current A3 hatch and saloon. With nothing more on the S3 or RS3 as yet, it’s as interesting as the model gets for the moment. It rides 15mm higher than standard (with 30mm more ground clearance) on its own spring and damper settings (hopefully nice and cushy for speed bumps). A new matte black grille aims to make it resemble a Q SUV, the front spoiler looks like a skid plate (but isn’t) and the rear bumper is ‘robustly designed’. It’s not a Golf Country for the 2020s, sure, but then it doesn’t claim to be. Though there are some concessions to lifestyleness: the roof rails are standard, with options including a towbar and storage packages. Standard wheels are 17s, which ought really to be retained for maximum utilitarian chic with the dark cladding; expect the optional 18s and 19s to be popular.
Audi hasn’t forgotten the core appeal, however, and it’s not looking a bit cooler. It’s the reason all of your parents’ friends have something vaguely SUV-shaped: ‘Thanks to the slightly raised seat position, the A3 allstreet offers increased comfort when entering and exiting the vehicle and a better command of the road’. Winner. This has to be preferable to a Honda Jazz Crosstar. Once inside, allstreet occupants will be treated to the same ‘significantly sharpened’ interior as the rest of the A3 range, with a new gearbox shifter that looks even less appealing than before, a redesigned centre console and ‘decorative fabric inlays’. Backlit doors, contour and ambient lighting aim to spruce up the interior a tad; you probably still wouldn’t call it an Audi interior masterclass, though anything must be an improvement on the outgoing setup.
That Audi makes much of the third-party apps available in the MMI infotainment and the ability to select from four different daytime running light signatures demonstrates that this isn’t exactly a comprehensive overhaul. No doubt an A3 EV is waiting in the wings once everyone has had their fill of allstreet/Allroad. As if to prove the point, the new A3 range will launch in March with just a pair of 150hp engines, the 35 TFSI and 35 TDI. Both will use a seven-speed DSG, with a manual - a manual! - to follow for the petrol soon. Additional variants are coming, too, including a PHEV, though it’s hard to imagine a sprawling range as might once have been the case. Audi has confirmed that the 35 TFSI allstreet will cost €37,450 in Germany, or £32k at current exchange rates. UK specs to follow as soon as we have them. And here’s a not-at-all risky V8 Allroad to get us all in the mood for another almost off-road Audi.
1 / 9
