The Volkswagen Group’s compact cars are in for a significant makeover, and with the new-gen VW Golf and Skoda Octavia already unveiled, it’s time for the Seat Leon and Audi A3 to follow in their footsteps.
The latter has already been spied testing in Scandinavia, close to the Arctic Circle, in four-door body style. The brand’s rival to the likes of the Mercedes-Benz A-Class Sedan wore its production body beneath the vinyl stickers and we expect it to remain pretty much the same, bar the steel wheels and light bar mounted at the front.
Read: New Audi A3 Set To Spawn A Rugged “Cityhopper” Variant
While on the outside it will look like an evolved version of its predecessor, with a somewhat more dynamic styling, the interior will be massively overhauled. Our spy photographers have already provided us a first look inside the new-gen A3, revealing the new infotainment system incorporated into the dashboard, very sporty design of the air vents on the driver’s side, new steering wheel and digital instrument cluster. Elsewhere, there will also be new trims and upholsteries, giving customers more personalization options.
The 2021 A3 Sedan will go down the electrified route, like its hatchback sibling. This means that mild- and plug-in hybrid powertrains are expected, alongside the usual gasoline and diesel units. Audi won’t launch a battery-electric variant, as that one is reserved for a standalone model belonging in the e-tron family. The S3 and RS3 will live on, albeit probably with more power than the outgoing ones, which will allow them to better challenge the Mercedes-AMG A35, A45 and A45 S trio.
The exact launch date is unknown, but we could see the new A3 Sportback at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show, next March, followed by the Sedan a couple of months later.
![](https://www.carscoops.com/wp-content/themes/carscoops/assets/images/icons/arrow.png"){kind=icon}