2025 Audi A3 Sedan First Look: Subtle Refresh, Expressive Customizable Headlights
The North American market gets an exclusive refreshed A3 sedan while the European market gets new Sportback and Allstreet variants.
Much like the four-ring brand's overall design language, the new 2025 Audi A3 keeps things subtle. Audi's refresh of its entry-level sedan has made its official debut and for now the list of new features is relatively short. Its exterior gets a few sharp updates including some new customizable LED headlights while the interior generally stays the same. Let's break down the details, talk about the two versions of the A3 the North American market isn't getting, and what we can expect in the near future.
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2025 Audi A3 Sedan's Subtle Exterior Refresh
We wouldn't blame anyone who has a hard time distinguishing the previous A3 with the 2025 model. While Audi was reserved with the styling updates on the 2025 A3, keen eyes will start to pick out the differences. The most noticeable change to our eyes is the redesigned grille. The last year's model wore a hexagonal grille more vertical and when paired with the black splitter appeared to go all the way to the bottom of the front end.
The 2025 A3's grille is frameless, wider, and flatter. The grille doesn't disappear into the bottom of the front end but is "hugged" by the A3's body work. The new grille is flanked by updated, angular side intakes which connect to the front splitter. Audi says the side intake and splitters are designed to make the A3 appear lower to the ground. We don't quite get that sensation from the official images but perhaps seeing it in person will communicate that optical illusion better.
The rear bumper features a new black plastic insert with diffuser vibes. Even while parked the insert breaks up any monotony and helps the paint pop a bit more with the added contrast.
The headlight design is virtually the same, but it has some major changes on the inside which we'll get to in a bit. On that note, the taillights are a carry over from the outgoing model. A new set of split five spoke wheels reside at the corners and there will likely be more wheel options available, but Audi USA isn't ready to share that yet.
A3's Interior Stays Mostly The Same
Bottom line is there isn't a whole lot about the 2025 Audi A3's interior that has changed from the outgoing model. One the one hand, Audi has a decent interior game, so that in that context this shouldn't be a bad thing. On the other hand, we found that the 2024 A3's interior was a bit too noisy and low-rent for our liking. So, while the interior design didn't change much we hope that Audi found ways to bring the A3's cabin more upmarket with nicer materials.
Otherwise, there is new standard contour lighting that runs around the center console and cup holders so you don't accidentally spill coffee out of your limited edition Stanley cup you just posted to Instagram. Speaking of illumination, the inserts on the front doors are now backlit in the 2025 A3 because why not? To pull it off, the fabric had to be laser cut 300 times. The lighting is dynamic and can also display when locking and unlocking the vehicle. Users can choose from 30 different colors for the lightning within Audi's MMI software.
Pixel Perfect: Audi A3's New Customizable LED Daytime Running Lights
In a first for the A3 line, users can select and switch between four different daytime running light (DRL) "signatures" via the MMI dashboard interface. Audi says users can change the signatures on the fly including "coming home" and "leaving home" scenarios. The LED and Matrix LED DRLs utilize 24 pixel elements over three rows in the upper corners of each light.
It's not going to set the world on fire, but it is a pretty interesting way to add another level of customization to the A3. Though, it would be great if Audi could somehow offer even more signatures in the future via over-the-air (OTA) updates.
Two Variants North America Won't Get, and One We Will
Inevitably when talking about a European OEM, there will often be regional exclusives. Unfortunately, that is the case with the 2025 Audi A3. While the North American market will exclusively get the sedan, the Sportback and new Allstreet versions are for the European market only.
This is something that American Audi fans are all too used to, especially when considering Sportback hatch and wagon models. Missing out on the Audi A3 Allstreet is where the fresh pain comes from. The Allstreet is effectively an A3 crossover that stands out from the rest of the A3 lineup. It has an extra inch of ground clearance, wide fender flares, and standard roof rails, similar to larger Allroad variants.
When we asked about why America isn't getting the Allstreet, a rep from Audi suggested that the automaker is content with its current SUV lineup and adding an A3 crossover to that mix isn't a move that it wants to make at the moment. On the bright side the rep did confirm that we will get a sportier S3 variant. The North American market 2025 A3 sedan, which is only available with Quattro all-wheel drive now in Premium trim, starts at $39,495. The U.S. S3 now starts at $49,995, which is $1,500 more than the previous model year.
Andrew Beckford’s passion for cars started as a middle schooler when his friend Richie explained how an internal combustion engine works. He was bitten by the bug and the rest, as they say, is history. He dug deep into the tuner scene and eventually wrote for Turbo Magazine, Import Tuner, Super Street. He covered car shows, feature builds, and reviewed racing games for those magazines in addition to covering motorsports including Formula Drift, Indy Car, and F1 for his personal blog. Eventually Beckford joined MotorTrend to cover the daily automotive news beat. Besides being a gearhead, Beckford has been a gamer since the ’80s and is a huge fan of the arcade racing games of the ’90s like Daytona USA, SEGA Rally, and Ridge Racer. Beckford’s a movie buff as well, especially comic book films from DC and Marvel. When car culture crosses over with gaming and entertainment, rest assured Beckford is aware of it. In addition to serving as a consultant on a “triple A” racing titles, he’s reviewed major racing games such as Forza Motorsport, Need for Speed, Gran Turismo, F1, and more. He’s also interviewed blockbuster directors including Steven Caple Jr. (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) and Neill Blomkamp (Gran Turismo). His biggest profile to date was with Robert Downey Jr. on his love affair with cars and his show Downey’s Dream Cars on MAX. Beckford’s profile of Downey Jr. was the first print cover story written by an African American in MotorTrend’s history. Along with KJ Jones, Andrew Beckford also heads up MotorTrend’s celebration of Black History Month by spotlighting diverse voices in the automotive industry and motorsports. Beckford’s first car was a 1982 Nissan Stanza affectionately named “Stanley” by his late mother.
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