Audi A3 Sportback comes packed with even more features

IN THE great cycle of life I’m at what has become commonly known as the ‘drop and collect’ phase.

Sat, 15 Oct, 2016 - 01:00

John O’Mahony

The average week is now sabotaged and sacrificed to the frenetic schedule of my sons’ sporting and social calendars — soccer tournaments, surfing lessons, rugby blitzes, GAA games, twice-weekly training sessions — not to mentioned the daily schools runs, days hanging out with friends, birthday parties, sleepovers, and the occasional surprises.

Like countless others, I’ve become envious of their varied and busy social diaries — but not so ecstatic about the challenge of delivering and collecting them from every location.

Slim consolation as it is, I’m not alone. I’ve joined the legions of mums and dads orphaned by our offspring. You can spot us every weekend huddled in tracksuited masses on the sidelines, or by the corner flag, gasping for breath — comforting each other with stories of our endeavors.

“When I finish here now I must drop Eoin to Nemo for 12, then rush down to Carrigaline and collect Lurcan from soccer, drop his friend Matthew off on the way, and then double back to collect Eoin. Sean has a match at 5pm. The two lads then have games on Sunday morning, so I’ll have to organize to have one of them collected,” offered one father, hanging on to his takeaway coffee for dear life.

“You think that’s bad,” piped Barry’s father, our youngest Lucy is at a two-day swimming blitz this weekend — 7 in the morning till 7 in the evening.

“We’re taking it in shifts, and trying to get the other three to and from games and training in between. Total madness in our house.” We all share in Barry’s pain, each quietly delighted that at least none of ours have taking up swimming.

“Does anyone know where Mogeely’s home pitch is? Hugh has a match there in the morning at 11. I’ve never even heard of the place,” offered Brian’s bewildered father.

I turn reassuringly to the A3 parked by the clubhouse which comes packed with an array of new technologies including Sat Nav. If you’re going to spend an inordinate amount of time in the car ferry to and from, it helps if behind the wheel is a fun place to be. And the new A3 Sportback is all that.

I’ve always been a fan of Audi’s interiors, and the cabin in the revamped 1.4 TFSI doesn’t disappoint.

It’s sharp, it’s sporty, it feels and looks like quality — from the retro, circular air vents, the dash complete with 7” monitor, to the newly introduced virtual cockpit — an optional extra that has proved a huge hit throughout the Audi range.

The outside too has had a few additional touches — the singleframe grill in front is wider and more defined; the lights are flatter and more contoured; and the back is wider, giving the A3 a very distinctive look.

Some work too has been done under the hood — with the six-strong engine range all updated to maximise efficiency without sacrificing any of the fun stuff.

The 1.4 petrol engine in the tester was a belter, churning out 150bhp via the 7-speed dual clutch transmission.

The steering was light and tight; there was plenty of grip, and even though I didn’t take it out on the open road too much, around town there was enough zip to keep even the most mundane trips interesting. The engine line includes three petrol and three diesel options — offering 110bhp all the way up to just short of 190bhp in the 2.0 litre petrol turbo.

The new entry-level diesel engine is the 1.6 TDI with 110bhp, again with a combination of six-speed manual transmission or the S tronic seven-speed dual clutch.

The luxury feel cabin easily fits fours adults, with plenty of leg and headroom. Even with gearbags, there’s plenty of room for three children in the back.

The Sportback’s additional length means there is a little more room in the boot — 30 litres more than the old model.

With the rear seats up, its boasts 380 litres of space, jumping to 1,200 litres with the seats folded down — not the biggest, but by no means the smallest.

What is large though is the price tag. The Sportback range kicks off at €27,810, climbing to just under €44,000 for the model tested. Not cheap, but then again, I firmly believe that you get what you pay for.