Audi A3 wins Car of the Year

Audi A3 has won the prestigious 2014 World Car of the Year at the World Car Awards, announced on April 17 in New York, overpowering a field of 23 other vehicles.

"Winning Car of the Year is a huge achievement and an excellent demonstration of the work that has gone into the A3, " says Dean Sheed, General Manager of Audi New Zealand. "For many people in New Zealand the A3 defines the brand and it has an established an incredibly loyal following."

The Audi A3 was voted as the winner by an international jury panel of 69 top-level journalists from around the world. The other two finalists in the category were the BMW 4 series and Mazda 3.

The World Car Awards jurors observed that the A3 "offers classic, chiselled contours and even better interior trim levels. With a superb choice of engines and four body styles, the A3 range packs a hefty premium punch in the small luxury segment. Audi should be complimented for making this A3 ride like no other A3".

Locally, the range has proved just as popular. The A3 is Audi’s biggest seller and a major contributor to Audi’s record-breaking first quarter this year.

"Our focus remains on providing New Zealand customers with models that meet the Kiwi lifestyle, along with value for money and the A3 is an excellent example of that," says Sheed.

Audi A3s currently available in New Zealand are: A3 Sportback, S3 Sportback and all new A3 Sedan. The market can look forward to the introduction of the S3 Sedan, A3 Cabriolet and S3 Cabriolet later this year. The A3 Sportback e-tron, a latest-generation plug-in-hybrid car, will also be arriving in New Zealand at a later date.

Now in their tenth year, the annual World Car Awards is the number one awards programme in the world. The awards were inaugurated in 2003, and officially launched in January 2004, to reflect the reality of the global marketplace, as well as to recognize and reward automotive excellence on an international scale.