Audi A3 infotainment: New compact, more modern than A4, A6 and A8

The man has every reason to smile. The fact that Ricky Hudi is in charge of the development of electronic components in the Audi empire may be one reason, but the more important one is: No other car manufacturer currently gives its developers so much freedom in the interior and infotainment area. Even if you - as in the case of the new Audi A3 - make higher-positioned models like the A4 look old.

D he Audi A4 has despite the current one Facelifts no super-flat 8-inch screen (highest of three expansion levels) that extends out of the dashboard. Even in the flagship Audi A8, there is no touchpad integrated into the rotary push button, nor is there a planar antenna in the interior for wireless amplification of cell phone reception - great for Bluetooth users. The new toggle-style buttons are also currently reserved for the Audi A3. Instead of top-down, you do down-top in Ingolstadt.

New Audi A3 with graphics quality like Playstation

So you may still be divided about the somewhat cautiously further developed exterior design of the new Audi A3 , the interior deserves a lot of 'like-me-thumbs' in the Facebook generation (also coming). It doesn't seem as narcissistic as in the Audi A6 and A8, but sets clear and modern accents in optics and operation.

But Hudi prefers to talk about the inner values: the super-fast Tegra 20 graphics processor from the American graphics specialist Nvidia, for example. In the top infotainment version, this enables not only Google Streetview, but also 3D views of the Audi A3 swirling across the screen, which are otherwise only known in this quality from Playstation and Co. 'The Tegra 30 chipset will follow next year, with which we will then also be able to display the instruments fully digitally in unprecedented quality.'

The electrical engineer refuses to add anything in the next Audi TT. 'Or our new group-wide modular infotainment kit (MIB), for which we have the authority to develop the top systems.' Even if the presentation and operation will differ from brand to brand (VW stays with the touchscreen), this is the case with MQB but the same technology behind it. In addition, the Golf VII brother Audi A3 has a WLAN hotspot with UMTS speed and adapted for an additional chargeOnline services such as very precise real-time traffic information based on statistical mobile phone movement data.

Bang & Olufsen subwoofer does not steal any trunk space

Then Hudi twirls the aluminum-framed volume control of the new Bang & Olufsen sound system to the right. His sound developers bravely put in a live recording of ACDC. Nothing for audiophile fine spirits and low level systems. But the B&O ensemble fires Brian Johnson's whiskey-tanned voice in a completely relaxed, focused and contoured manner into the compact interior of the Audi A3. No wonder, when the entire loudspeaker (now four instead of eight ohms) has been newly developed and 705 watts ensure a fully digital surround sound mood (Dolby Digital). In the kick drum area, the pant legs flutter wildly, and it is hardly noticeable that the bass reflex subwoofer in the spare wheel well has a bit of a problem with very low tones.

The astonishingly light additional woofer does not cost any trunk space . The luggage compartment of the new Audi A3 has grown to 365 liters and no longer has a spoiler lip behind the back seat. This makes it easier to attach a larger LED television to the back.