Audi A3 35 TFSI Edition 1 - cinch Spotlight

While affordable models like the Vauxhall Corsa and Ford Fiesta sit atop UK sales charts, when it comes to premium cars, German brands consistently rank top of the pile. In fact, British buyers love German metal so much that the UK is a top-four market for all of the nation’s big brands. And it’s for good reason, as illustrated by a new arrival into cinch’s stock that we’ve decided to shine our digital showroom spotlight on. Ready for you to buy online now, we give you a very smart-looking Audi A3 35 TFSI Edition 1.

Now, you might be wondering what made us pick this car out from a selection of new arrivals that, thanks to that aforementioned British love affair with German cars, is never short of strong Deutsch candidates. Some of you may have noticed the 'Edition 1' in this A3’s (admittedly quite long) name, which refers to its early-build status. That 21-plate and Edition 1 badge together highlight that this is the very latest generation of A3 in celebratory launch specification. That status earns the model a few extra standard-fit features, essentially adding fancy candles to a new model’s birthday cake.

Before we get to that, the underlying basics. With a turbocharged 1.5-litre engine producing a healthy 150hp, driving the front wheels to enable a 0-62mph sprint time of 8.4 seconds, this is one nippy cinch newbie. For those not fully up to speed with Audi’s latest nomenclature, the 35-badge designates that this model is one of the more economical cars of the A3 pile. But thanks to the Edition 1 finish, it comes dressed like a more sporting variant, meaning you get the best design with an efficient, sensible engine.

As the very latest A3 variant, this 2021 machine – which has only 1,957 miles on the clock, we should add – gets all the latest mod cons, including Audi’s ever-impressive Virtual Cockpit interior technology, with a digital instrument cluster beside an interactive central screen. Audi interiors often set the bar and in the latest A3, you’re again presented with a setup that ought to please tech-lovers as much as it does those who really value design and ergonomics. You could happily spend hours at the wheel of an Edition 1.

Handily, with the Edition 1’s extras, this car comes specced-up with part-leather, heated and power-assisted seats, a perforated leather-wrapped steering wheel and a top-level sound system, as well as a long list of driving assistance features including adaptive cruise control, parking sensors and a rear-view camera. Put it this way, there aren’t going to be any blanked-off buttons in this car’s cabin; it’s a proper all-in machine, appropriate for that Edition 1 rank.

We’ll hedge a guess that it’s the car’s exterior that caught your eye first, though, with that sporting bodywork matched by a set of aggressive 19-inch alloys. This car has been equipped with Audi’s sports suspension, too, so it can walk the walk as well as talk the talk. That being said, it’s just as capable at cruising around city streets in comfort, allowing you to soak up the sounds and sensations of such a refined, high-quality four-door. If there’s a car to highlight the talents of an attainable German machine, this is it.

Of course, there are terrific alternatives to think about, like BMW’s 1 Series and Mercedes’ A-Class, with the latter coming in saloon guise like the A3 to make it a serious contender. These cars each offer unique specialities and, let’s face it, much of an individual’s preference from that list will relate to design. Choosing between them is as much a subjective decision as it is an objective one. Although with a price of £32,450, and equally as competitive monthly payment options (which you can customise on the advert page), there’s a very strong mathematical argument to back up the emotional one. Don’t expect this one to hang about for very long…

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