2025 Audi A3 35 TFSI S line review

If there’s ever been a car that quietly defines what a premium compact sedan should be, it’s the Audi A3. Over two decades on, it continues to blend restrained elegance with everyday liveability and that tight, Teutonic precision Audi does best.

For the A3 35 TFSI S line, 2025 brings subtle exterior tweaks, an improved cabin layout, and a slightly more refined mild-hybrid powertrain. It seems like the kind of car that doesn’t need to shout to prove it belongs in the premium space.

2025 Audi A3 35 TFSI S line: Specifications

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo four-cylinder mild-hybrid
Output: 110kW@5000-6000rpm / 250Nm@1500-3500rpm
Gearbox: Seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Drive type: Front-wheel drive
Wheels: F & R: 18×8.0, 225/40
ANCAP: Five stars

Tare weight: 1450kg
Power-to-weight: 13.18:1 (kg:kW)
Official consumption: 5.3L/100km
Our consumption: 5.8L/100km
Fuel tank/Fuel type: 50L/95 RON
Power efficiency: 20.75kW:L/100km
0-100km/h (claimed): 8.1 seconds
Starting price: $57,800

2025 Audi A3 35 TFSI S line: How much does it cost?

Prices for the hatch start from $54,800, and from $57,800 for the sedan (before on-road costs). Both come solely in 35 TFSI S line guise (changed to ‘TFSI 110kW S line’ for MY26). As a result, prices are slightly up on the previous model, but the spec list has also grown considerably, bringing in premium standard equipment that used to cost extra.

A comparably-equipped Mercedes-Benz A 200 sedan and BMW 2 Series are both fractionally more expensive. The Audi’s advantage lies in feeling properly premium without relying as heavily on ticking optional packs or cosmetic upgrades. The only ones available are the $1700 Comfort Package – which adds 360-degree cameras, an electric antiglare rear-view mirror, electric front seats, a powered boot, and antiglare heated and folding side mirrors; and the $2000 Style package – which adds ambient lighting, extra dark rear windows, and painted wheels. Other individual options include different paint types, leather upholstery, and a panoramic glass sunroof.

In terms of running costs, servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km. Every model also comes with a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, five years of free roadside assistance, and 12 years of body corrosion coverage. Audi also offers a five-year service plan for $2520 – competitive in this segment and comfortably undercutting the typical costs for a Mercedes-Benz A-Class. You can also purchase the Audi Advantage package, which gives you an additional two services, two extra years of warranty and roadside, for $3250. But if you don’t want to prepay for services, there is no pricing info available on individual services.

2025 Audi A3 35 TFSI S line: Interior & packaging

Open the solid, reassuringly-weighted doors and the A3 instantly communicates its purpose. Everything feels tightly constructed, cleanly designed, and beautifully intuitive. This is Audi at its most rational; a minimalist dash layout anchored by crisp materials, thoughtful storage, and ergonomics that fit like a glove.

Despite its compact footprint, the cabin is impressively practical. You’ll find a large tray on the right-hand side of the steering wheel (perfect for keys or coins), generous door bins that can swallow large drink bottles, a wireless phone charger, and rear air vents and controls. Even the boot is neatly shaped and decently sized, at 425 litres. Though, the narrow opening compared with the hatch might make loading bulkier items a little tricky.

Comfort levels are excellent, and getting the right driving position is made easy. The S line sports front seats are mildly bolstered for cornering support, but they don’t trap you in too much. They are heated with four-way lumbar adjustment, and you have electric memory on the driver’s seat. Overall interior space is adequate for this size car. Only rear legroom feels a tad shorter than your cheaper counterpart, like a Corolla sedan.

Build quality is impeccable. Every surface feels dense and properly attached, with the kind of precision that separates a premium car from a mainstream one. The new shifter design, subtle metallic inlays, and illuminated elements all work in harmony without feeling overdone. The floating, inverted chrome interior door handles are a particularly neat touch – easy to grab and visually interesting.

Audi’s technology integration remains just as neat. A 10.1-inch multimedia touch-screen is featured on the dash, and it is clear, fast, and surprisingly intuitive to use. Key functions like temperature and drive modes are not buried under layers of menus, making it one of the easiest systems to live with day-to-day. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard, and the 12.3-inch Virtual Cockpit Plus display display behind the steering wheel allows deep customisation, from classic analogue layouts to full-width maps and trip data.

There’s also a sense of personality to the A3’s cabin lighting and design details. You can program different LED matrix headlight signatures via the infotainment menu – a feature usually reserved for higher-end Audis – and the optional ambient lighting adds a tasteful glow across the dash and doors at night. The S line interior trim brings sportier flourishes such as a perforated leather steering wheel and metal pedals, while still maintaining an elegant restraint.

Other standard equipment that stands out include keyless entry with touch sensors on all four doors (a rare and very handy feature when you have your hands full and need to access the back seat), and a premium 10-speaker Audi sound system.

Safety and driver assistance tech are also well represented. Standard systems include Audi pre-sense front (AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection), lane departure warning, collision avoidance assist, turn assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automated park assist, and front and rear parking sensors.

There’s also adaptive cruise control with lane guidance for semi-autonomous driving support. However, it misses out on speed sign recognition and a driver attention monitor; though some drivers may actually prefer the quieter experience without constant alerts.

From an external perspective, the 2025 A3 looks leaner and more assertive thanks to its flatter, frameless ‘Singleframe’ grille and sharper lighting profile. The etched model name on the B-pillar adds a modern touch, while the new 2D Audi rings align with the brand’s latest corporate identity. It’s not shouty, just well-proportioned and quietly handsome. The S line bodykit adds subtle aggression without undermining the car’s timeless silhouette.

2025 Audi A3 35 TFSI S line: Powertrain & handling

Under the bonnet, the A3 35 TFSI uses a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder mild-hybrid engine producing 110kW and 250Nm, paired with a seven-speed ‘S tronic’ dual-clutch transmission driving the front wheels. It’s not blistering on paper, but in reality, it’s an eager and polished performer. Officially, it can get from 0-100km/h in 8.1 seconds.

There’s a nice growl when you lean into the throttle, with a sporty yet subtle note that reminds you it’s alive without being intrusive. And it’s not a droned-out moan from the characteristics of a CVT auto transmission, which you get in some rivals.

It feels muscular from low revs, delivering solid torque straight off idle, peaking between 1500-3500rpm. You don’t need to rev it hard to make progress, but if you do, it pulls cleanly through the midrange with that characteristic Audi smoothness. It feels zippy in urban use and relaxed on the highway, always sitting in the right gear thanks to the transmission’s quick, decisive shifts.

The mild-hybrid system quietly assists the engine using a 48-volt belt starter-generator. It can recover energy during braking or coasting and redeploy it during take-off to smooth out power delivery. More cleverly, the system allows the A3 to coast with the engine completely off or temporarily shut down two cylinders at highway speeds under no or light throttle, saving small but meaningful amounts of fuel over long trips. The transition between engine-off and engine-on operation is near seamless, adding to the A3’s refined, almost electric-like cruising behaviour.

Which leads us into fuel efficiency. It is a standout. Thanks to that mild-hybrid assistance and cylinder-on-demand technology, the A3 officially returns around 5.3L/100km. And that is a realistic figure; our average usage was a close 5.8L/100km. Those are figures that should embarrass some fully-fledged hybrids with larger battery capacities. It’s proof that efficient engineering can still come from petrol power when done properly.

Dynamically, the A3 S line strikes an excellent balance. The suspension is one of its best traits; supple enough for Australian roads yet firm enough to stay flat in corners. It absorbs bumps with a soft initial touch before settling instantly, feeling composed over broken surfaces where some rivals become unsettled. Steering is accurate, weighty enough to feel sporty, and completely natural in its response.

You sense that typical Audi tautness through every input. It doesn’t chase thrills like a hot hatch, but it feels planted, confident, and inherently cohesive. On twisty roads, it rotates neatly into bends, grips faithfully, and communicates just enough through the wheel to give you confidence. The chassis has that familiar Germanic solidity; light on drama, heavy on reassurance.

Braking performance is linear and strong, while road noise suppression is excellent for a small sedan. Even at motorway speeds, the A3 remains hushed, giving it the sort of refinement you expect from something larger.

Our main gripe is the cruise control stalk, which is positioned below the indicator. It’s a legacy design from 10-plus years from Volkswagen/Audi that hasn’t been updated here. It takes a little getting used to and can be fiddly at first. But once you memorise what the different stick directions do (because you can’t see the writing behind the steering wheel), you will no longer need to take your eyes off the road.

2025 Audi A3 35 TFSI S line: Key attractions/reasons to buy

• Fuel economy: Cylinder-on-demand and mild-hybrid tech make the A3 one of the most fuel-efficient non-hybrid sedans on sale, achieving real-world economy in the mid-5s.
• Ride and handling balance: A suspension tune that offers a superb mix of comfort and composure, ironing out rough roads without losing agility.
• Premium solidity: Every button, switch, and panel feel tightly built, giving a genuine sense of strength and craftsmanship.
• Thoughtful practicality: Clever cabin storage, rear vents, lock touch sensors on all four doors, and generous door bins make it one of the most usable small sedans in the luxury class.

2025 Audi A3 35 TFSI S line: Key considerations before you buy

• Small boot opening in the sedan: While the luggage capacity is decent, the narrow aperture can limit loading bulkier items compared with the hatch.
• Cruise control stalk ergonomics: Positioned below the indicator and behind the steering wheel, it takes practice to operate intuitively.
• Limited driver aids: There’s no speed-sign recognition or driver monitor, which some rivals now include as standard. It can be a good thing, depending on your stance on this stuff.
• Ageing platform: The A3 in its current form is nearing the end of its lifecycle, based on the MQB Evo platform which started life in 2020. While updates keep it fresh, newer rivals may feel more tech-forward with more futuristic designs.