As critics, we are used to being derisory about "shatchbacks" – four-door saloons wrought from five-door hatchbacks. Such cars are shunned, generally, in Europe, in favour of their five-door brethren and traditionally the biggest markets for such cars have been South America, Africa - and yes, Ireland. After all, we and Turkey are the only European markets where the likes of the Toyota Corolla sells in any serious numbers.
In the past, such cars could be unbelievably gawky looking. Remember the Volkswagen Derby? Or the first generation Ford Focus saloon? Or even the more recent Opel Astra four-door. All of which looked like five door hatchbacks carrying an awkward trunk on their backs.
Things are different now, and frequently the four-door version is now the best looking car in a given family. And this, the new Audi A3 saloon, hammers that point home hard. It's quite stunning, certainly in the bright red paintwork and S-Line bodykit of the car we were shown.
Good looking enough to steal sales from the bigger, more expensive A4? Almost certainly, yes, even though Audi protests it sees the two cars appealing to very different buyers.
This is not just an extra spin-off of the A3 range either. Eventually, the Saloon is expected to take 50 per cent of A3 sales globally, and should find many fans in the Chinese and US markets. And Ireland? Doubtlessly yes, although Audi Ireland is saying it won’t make up half of all Irish A3 sales, at least not at first. The five-door Sportback will continue to be the biggest selling A3 model for the moment. Part of that will be down to price, and although Audi has still not finalised pricing for the saloon, it’s likely to be more expensive than the Sportback. With a Sportback costing around €1,000 more than a three-door A3, model for model, it seems reasonable to assume the saloon will be another €1,000 more. Which would put the key 1.6 TDI diesel model at a price point of around €30,500.
The A3 Saloon will be a critical model for Audi as it battles BMW and Mercedes for global premium car supremacy. Mercedes already has its A-Class-based CLA saloon/coupe on sale, and BMW will shortly be spinning off two- and four-door versions of the 1-Series. Globally, the compact car market is exploding, especially at the premium end, and that makes it a lucrative, but cut-throat, battle ground for the big German players.
By making the A3 Saloon distinctly different to the Sportback (it’s lower, longer, a little wider and only the grille and lights are carried over from the hatch) Audi has put down a strong marker to its rivals, and indeed for the mainstream brands whose customers will doubtlessly be eyeing up the A3 Saloon.
