Oh no, Audi just ruined its best car

I really like the Audi A3 – I think it’s handsome, good to drive, and there isn’t a bad engine in the (extensive) line-up – whether you go for one of the petrols, the diesel, or the fantastic long-range plug-in hybrid. But what I like most is the interior, because it’s the absolute perfect blend of modernity and sensible features.

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Yes, you get a good-sized touchscreen and digital dials – but you also get a full set of climate controls, and the displays are set low down in the dash so your view out is unencumbered. Plus, the whole thing is screwed together with the sort of bank-vault build quality Audi used to be famous for.

So when I saw what Audi had done to the A3 in its second major mid-life facelift, I wanted to cry. Not to be melodramatic, but just look how they’ve massacred my boy.

Gone are the nice, discreet screens of the current model, and in their place is the same ‘digital stage’ you get on newer Audis. This means a huge curved panel set high up on the dash, combining a massive 12.8-inch touchscreen and an 11.9-inch driver’s display under a single sheet of glass. The whole affair has ambient lighting underneath it to create a floating effect, and the centre screen replaces all of the previous physical controls except for a small shortcut bar under the centre air vents.

I’m extremely disappointed. I get why it was done – Audi’s committed to this interior design for all of its models, and the A3 was the last hanger-on after the updated Q7 and Q4 made their appearance. But the brand has taken something which was great – and which most motorists, if you actually ask them, prefer – and replaced it with something that looks flashier at first but doesn’t hold up in the real world.

And I really do mean most motorists. Numerous surveys have been conducted of real car buyers, and they overwhelmingly vote in favour of proper buttons over touchscreens. Not to mention that Euro NCAP’s latest safety guidance recommends some physical switchgear make a return.

I’ve experienced the ‘digital stage’ setup in several Audi models so far and been really disappointed. Take the driver’s display, for example. It’s set into the same vast glass surround as the infotainment screen, but it’s actually just a narrow strip – with the most gigantic bezel above it. Seriously, it’s like a receding hairline.

The screen itself is so narrow that it looks shockingly basic compared to the high-res, attractive graphics of the A3’s previous ‘Virtual Cockpit’. There’s just no room for a set of proper imitation dials – you can have a rev counter, but it’s barely as big around as a can of coke. Plus, the default grey palette looks really unfinished – like a Windows 95 colour scheme on a new Surface laptop.

The central touchscreen is just fine – they always are these days, most manufacturers having got the hang of where to put functions so they won’t annoy. And of course, you can always bypass most of it by using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Until you want to alter the climate controls, that is… because instead of a super-simple array of buttons, you now have to operate it through the screen.

This is what I really don’t understand. The A3’s climate control panel was so compact and simple – it was a couple of rows of buttons, plus a small LCD display showing the current temp. Move the display to the main screen, then – but let us have just a single row of proper switches. Please. It wouldn’t take up too much room.

I’ve not sat in the new A3 yet so I can’t comment on the new car’s build quality – but if it’s anything like the latest Q3, I suspect I’ll come away disappointed. Audis used to be known for their interiors being incredibly solid, built with posh materials everywhere you touch. My friend has a 2013 Audi A4 Avant and every time I get in I’m shocked at how good it still feels.

The newer Audis are flashier, but they feature many more cheap plastics, shiny surfaces that are easily scratched and sub-par build quality with occasional creaks and rattles that you don’t want to hear on a premium car. Hopefully the A3 retains some of the pre-facelift car’s solidity.

However, if you’re looking for a posh hatchback and like me are allergic to the giant touchscreen craze – buy an Audi A3 now while you still can, or check out a used model. It’s what I’d do.

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