Audi focuses on higher quality: This is how the cockpit of the new A3 sedan is made

(Motorsport-Total.com/Motor1) – After the A1 and Q2 were discontinued, the A3 effectively becomes Audi’s entry-level model for combustion engines this year. And since the premium brand has abandoned the goal of becoming fully electric by 2032, there is still time for another generation with combustion engines. Work on a new compact model is already in full swing – and it will be more than just a newly dressed version of the current model.

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The Concept C shown above from 2025 is not only a preview of the electric sports car of the coming year but also a blueprint for the entire future Audi lineup. Ingolstadt will revise its entire portfolio with a new design language, which we have already seen on a production model: the Nuvolari.

While the super sports car sits at the top of the model hierarchy and is limited to just 499 units, the next A3 remains a volume model – technically closely related to the Volkswagen Golf and Skoda Octavia.

The British magazine Auto Express spoke with Audi’s CTO, who revealed some details about the fifth generation of the A3. Rouven Mohr emphasized that exotic models like the production-ready Concept C and the Nuvolari quite accurately anticipate the improvements to be expected across the entire range. Including the most affordable Audi.

“You will be surprised how many elements you will find in the so-called standard cars: the reduced interior, the mechanical haptic feedback, the round steering wheel, the material quality.”

Photo gallery: 2025 Audi Concept C

The next A3 is part of Audi’s larger plan to restore the brand’s reputation for interior quality. The company openly admitted in an interview with us that the interiors have not always met the standards associated with the four rings recently. Now Audi wants to put material quality, tactile feedback, and intuitive operation back at the center of its cockpits.

At first, this sounds like a small thing. Until you remember what originally made Audi interiors so attractive. The brand once knew how to make even its more affordable models feel like smaller versions of the higher-class vehicles.

The CTO promises a return to more perceived quality and more intuitive controls. Ideally also through less dependence on screens and their large frames, as seen in the recently facelifted A3.

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The right balance between buttons and screens

We hope for a better balance between displays and physical controls. The next A3 will likely still keep large digital displays, because that is what the interior of modern cars looks like. All the more pleasing is that Audi apparently is re-evaluating how much a cockpit should be dominated by screens. If the Concept C is any indication, the brand may have found the right ratio between classic switches and displays.

The first Audi with this new approach will be the electric A4 e-tron sedan, which is expected in 2028. The next A3 is likely to follow towards the end of the decade. It will still be based on the proven MQB platform with combustion engines, although it is hard to imagine that the diesel will be retained beyond the current generation. Given stricter emission regulations and more efficient gasoline hybrid drives, there is little reason to continue diesel in small cars.

Motor1 says: Audi does not need to reinvent the A3. The brand needs to remember why people wanted an A3 in the first place. The original car was not remarkable because it had a huge screen or an app store hidden somewhere in the infotainment system. It felt special because Audi managed to transfer a convincing part of its larger and more expensive models into a compact format.

This philosophy seems to have been diluted over the years. If Audi actually brings back better materials, more convincing switches, genuine haptic feedback, and a more thoughtful mix of physical and digital controls, the next A3 could become significantly more attractive as a premium compact or sedan. And honestly: I would always prefer such a quality upgrade over yet another screen.

The irony is: Audi may have to look back to move forward.

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Source: Auto Express