After much anticipation, the all new Audi A3 sedan has made its world premiere at the 2013 Shanghai Motor Show. The A3 sedan replaces the A4 as the new entry level sedan for the German brand. The A3 sedan is designed to ward off competition from the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class and the upcoming BMW 1 Series sedan.

The styling is very typical of Audi and one would not mistake it for any other makes. The baby Audi sedan measures 4,460mm long and 1,800mm wide with a wheelbase of 2,640mm. This makes the car shorter but wider than class competitor, the CLA.

Base engine is a 1.4-litre TFSI petrol with 140bhp and 250Nm of torque. 0-100km/h is performed in a brisk 8.4 seconds while it sips fuel at 4.7L/100km. Range topper for the petrol version at the moment is a 1.8-litre TFSI with 180bhp and 250Nm of torque that allows the car to complete a century sprint in a timing of 7.3 seconds. Transmission options include a six-speed manual or seven-speed S-Tronic gearbox. A high performance S3 version that runs a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with 296bhp is said to be in the pipeline.

Although the spiritual successor of the Audi 80 is the A4, the A4 has grown so much that it is close to the size of the last Audi 100 that we have. Customers looking for a true compact, well built German sedan can now rejoice with the arrival of the A3 sedan.