The designer responsible for the exterior of the new Audi A3 Sportback says he wanted to imbue the fourth-generation model with “typical hot hatch properties”.
Of course, the actual hot versions are surely on the way, in the form of the S3 Sportback and the flagship RS3 Sportback.
Speaking to Autocar after the reveal of the latest version of Ingolstadt’s midsize hatchback, A3 exterior designer Juan Carlos Huerta Martinez suggested the new model needed to be sportier than its predecessor.
“We had a clear goal with this generation: we wanted to bring more typical hot hatch properties. The proportions are much sportier than in the previous generation and the roof line is lower, more dynamic,” Martinez told the publication.
“We don’t have the sporty three-door A3 now, so it was important to bring sportiness to the Sportback,” he added.
“This is still an A3, but the car needed to stand out more on the road. The outgoing car is a great car but it needed more character, in my opinion.”
Interestingly, Martinez cited a certain Lamborghini when asked where he drew inspiration for the new design.
“One reference point was the Lamborghini Countach. The A3 has the same high shoulder line, but it’s obviously more extreme in the Countach. There’s this really dominant line and the surface of the bodyside faces down. It’s the first time we have the bodyside of an RS model in the A3,” he said.
