Coupé to head new A3 range

Exclusive images show stylish baby brother to A5 Sportback Aims to take range up a class

- Sam Naylor

AUDI is readying its all-new A3 family car range, with the next hatchback,Sportback and Saloon set to be joined by a sleek new four-door Coupé. The line-up should be complete by the end of the decade, with the new addition giving Audi a direct competitor to the Mercedes CLA.

The move is aimed at shifting some of Audi’s compact models up a segment into the executive class – where the A4 saloon competes – without a dramatic price hike. Mercedes has enjoyed huge success with this strategy, filling niche segments in its compact cars range – with models such as the CLA and CLA Shooting Brake – which helped it become the world’s most successful premium car brand last year. The addition of a new A3 variant will also help Audi hit its target of having 60 individual models on sale by 2020.