When Audi revealed its A3 Concept sedan model at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, it made no secret of the fact that it’s a concept designed specifically with the US in mind. The German brand is already improving its status as a luxury brand in the US market, with record sales in the first quarter of this year, especially thanks to the new Audi A8.

It plans to continue pursuing BMW to usurp its throne as the world’s top premium automaker, particularly in emerging markets like China. But strong competition from BMW and Mercedes in the US means this market is equally important, and has both sales and brand growth potential for Audi.

When the Audi A3 Concept debuted live at the Geneva show we weren’t exactly overwhelmed by its style, being the latest in a long line of very similar looking cars from the company. It was, however, described variously by the American as “hot”, “svelte”, “sleek” and “shapely” although those labels could be applied to any number of coupe-sedan models currently on the market. What did Audi do that was so clever that has the Americans waiting to welcome the A3 sedan?

Continue reading: Analysis: Audi A3 Concept for the US - what the Americans say about their A3 sedan

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New renderings for the Audi A3 Sportback and Sedan models have been produced by Theophilus Chin, who has done another nice job. He has tried his hand at both models and we like what we see on the Sportback. The Audi A3 Concept revealed at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show should be exactly what we can expect from the new A3 sedan when it gets to production.

While the A3 sedan will position itself below the Audi A4, and is designed to charm the American public, the European market will get another restyling of the A3 Sportback, which could borrow from the new sedan. In these pics it gets a more slanted rear in a coupé style which should give it a more modern design than the traditional boxy hatchback look.

Audi A3 renderings: sportback and sedan

Continue reading: New Audi A3 renderings: Sportback and sedan

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This video of the Audi A3 Concept from the 2011 Geneva Motor Show is one of the company’s steady and very thorough videos. We get a look at the A3 sedan concept from all angles. No driving footage is provided so we don’t get to see the 2.5-litre engine in action with its 408 hp. We do however, get to see the A3 Concept interior. While it’s still a showcar interior, there’s certainly some lovely quality finishes that Audi will be using to get its interior to the luxurious level required to compete with the other big German brands on the American market. We’ll be bringing you more this week.

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The 2011 Geneva Motor Show saw the debut of the Audi A3 Concept. The model previews what will be a new compact sedan for the company, providing another model in the C segment that will go to Audi assaulting the US car market further. With the new Audi A4 growing to 470 cm in length, the A3 sedan would be placed under that model, taking the role of smaller sedan in the Audi range.

The A3 Concept measures 4.44 metres long (with a wheel base of 2.63 m), 1.84 m wide and 1.39 m tall. The boot space is 410 litres and overall the vehicle weighs 1,540 kg. From the point of view of style, the A3 Concept design won’t be noted for its originality and while this might work for a model based on the success of the A3 hatchback, Audi might need to produce something more interesting in the near future to keep itself relevant in the world of car design.

The interior of the A3 Concept is more interesting from a design point of view, although it’s hard to know what are show car touches and what will be carried across to the production version. Circular shapes feature, the central console houses the MMI multimedia system with touchpad and MMI monitor. The latter is housed in dash and is electronically controlled - at the touch of a button, it comes out of the dash and folds back into it again when not being used. The usual features we’re seeing in all luxury sedans these days are provided including wireless navigation and iPad compatibility for the rear passengers.

Continue reading: Audi A3 concept pics and details

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The Audi A3 Concept shown live at Geneva shows the new compact sedan model developed by the company. It’s appearing at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show together with the Audi RS3 series model and the Q5 Hybrid. The A3 Concept has the difficult task of updating the Audi image and refreshing the A3 range which has long relied on its hatchback model.

The new A3 sedan is 4.44 metres long and sports the usual sloping roof line we’re seeing on all sedan models to give them that coupé look. The difficulty will be to continue the improved design phase Audi is currently enjoying, but to distinguish between the various models which are slowly taking on an awfully homogeneous look.

The A3 Concept gets a renewed front end but still in keeping with Audi tradition, and we can see new elements being experimented with including new door handles and striking pillars. The interior has gone pared back, providing a minimalist and essential environment. Audi is concentrating on the new focus in lightweight models and the A3 Concept weighs a total of 1,540 kg. It is equipped with a five-cylinder, 2.5-litre turbo TFSI engine with 300 kW and 530 Nm of torque. The transmission is a seven-speed S Tronic and Quattro all-wheel drive is also included on the prototype.

Audi A3 Concept live at 2011 Geneva Motor Show

Continue reading: Audi A3 Concept live pics from 2011 Geneva Motor Show

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This Audi A3 Concept will show at Geneva and is the latest in the coupé-sedan trend. The A3 sedan is strictly concept at the moment and it will be interesting to see in the future how it might fit in with the rest of the four-door, sedan models in the Audi range. It will be a four-seater model that Audi describes as “notchback” and if it makes production, it could be headed for the Chinese market, or even the US market due its aversion to hatchbacks.

The A3 Concept measures 4.44 metres long, 1.84 wide and 1.39 high with the now classic sloping roof line giving the sedan the must-have coupé look. It will introduce the future VAG platform: the MQB which will go to developing the Volkswagen Group’s future B, C and D segment models.

The concept is equipped with a five-cylinder, turbocharged engine with 408 hp and has all-wheel drive technology and DSG gearbox. While no production plans have been released, the tone of the press release suggests that the company has market plans for the Audi A3 sedan in the future.

It is described as being based on the next generation A3 hatchback and will contribute to the expansion of this model’s line-up. If it looks as good as these drawings suggest, it could just about steal the hearts of those for whom the A4 and A6 have been a little disappointing.

Audi A3 sedan concept renderings

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