We got an early look at the revamped 2017 Audi A3 lineup in April and now the automaker has released specific information regarding changes we’ll see on the A3 Sedan, A3 Cabriolet, A3 Sportback e-tron and the hot S3 Sedan variants. As expected, the key visual tweaks shown earlier carry over to our versions of these Audi models pretty much intact. That means the redrawn and bolder front/rear fascia treatments and lighting upgrades – including the availability of full LED headlamps — make the cut but the trick Active Matrix units still won’t be heading stateside. New 17-inch/18-ich wheel/tire choices bring their own sense of elevated style to the 2017 A3/S3 mix.
Virtual reality arrives
Beyond a new multifunction steering wheel and revamped trim choices, the biggest news inside of the leather-lined A3/S3 range is the long-awaited availability of Audi’s Virtual Cockpit instrumentation that’s based around a 12.3-inch configurable TFT screen. The MMI Touch system with handwriting recognition also benefits from a retractable screen and more user-friendly layout while the smartphone interface which is optional on the A3 premium trims but standard on the Premium Plus and Prestige grades now offers Android Auto and Apple CarPlay along with a Wi-Fi hotspot and available 4G LTE connectivity.
The 2017 Audi A3/S3 lineup steps up its selection of standard/available driver assists that already included a rear view camera, parking sensors, active lane assist and adaptive cruise control. Audi Pre-sense Basic and Pre-sense Front with emergency braking function are now standard on all models while blind-spot-monitoring Audi Side Assist Front and Rear Cross-traffic Assist are available on Premium Plus and Prestige trims, with the latter spec gaining a standard high-beam assistant feature.
Powertrain choices
While Audi is still holding off announcing powertrain specifics for both the base front-drive A3 and the A3 Sportback e-tron plug-in models, it has confirmed the Quattro-equipped A3 Sedan and Cabriolet models will carry on with the existing 220-horsepower/2.0-liter backed by a 6-speed S tronic automatic and the S3 Sedan will continue to pack a 292-horse/2.0-liter that also ships its motive force to all four wheels via a 6-speed S tronic transmission.
Also: Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Awards of 2016
Pricing for the 2017 Audi A3 Sedan Quattro will start at $35,150 with the Premium Plus opening at $38,400 and the Prestige kicking off at $44,100. The A3 Cabriolet Quattro adds $6,100 to each of those trim levels while the S3 Sedan Quattro starts at $43,850 in Premium Plus trim and $49,350 in Prestige spec. No word yet on the base FWD A3 Sedan or the A3 Sportback e-tron pricing.
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