Billing your car as a 'premium compact' is all well and good up until that moment when a 1.6-litre family hatch shows you a clean pair of heels. Then it's time to take a long, hard look at your set of priorities. If you're going to buy a premium compact car, at least make sure that it's a properly sorted one with all the technology and a decent dose of power. A car like the Audi A3 Sportback 2.0T FSI may appear expensive at first glance but it offers a good deal more than any of the mainstream hatches can muster.

Yes, you did read that right. It's a turbocharged version of the now defunct 150bhp 2.0-litre FSI engine, fettled to produce a hefty 200bhp. Slotting in between the feisty Sportback 1.8 TFSI and the Range-topping 3.2-litre V6, the 2.0T FSI engine offers a decent compromise between economy and performance and looks the most sensible choice of all of the petrol engines in the Sportback line up.

Two versions are offered, each attractive in its own right. The front-wheel drive model is available with or without Audi's ridiculously ingenious S Tronic twin-clutch transmission while the other option is a manual gearbox mated to a quattro all-wheel drive chassis. There are two trim levels on offer with this engine - SE and Sport - with prices starting from £21,830 in Sportback guise but buyers can also specify the S Line pack for added visual impact. The front wheel drive car will, by dint of its much lower carbon dioxide emissions (187g/km versus 216g/km), appeal to business users whereas the all-wheel drive model offers better all weather versatility for those with active lifestyles.

Performance figures for the two models are virtually identical although the front wheel drive car gets markedly better fuel economy. The S Tronic front wheel drive car will notch off the sprint to 60mph in 6.8 seconds and run on to a terminal velocity of 146mph. Its combined fuel economy figure of 35.7mpg compares favourably with the rather thirsty 31.3mpg of the quattro model. The quattro offers some recompense with a bigger fuel tank but for most of the people most of the time, the front wheel drive model is the one to plump for.

"For most of the people most of the time the front wheel drive model is the one to plump for"

Part of the reason lies in that gearchange. The revolutionary S Tronic dynamic shift gearbox was first seen in the original TT 3.2 V6 coupe and is based around a sequential manual transmission but utilises an ingenious twin clutch system to ensure creamy smoothness. Engage first gear and the gearbox will pre-engage second gear in advance, the second clutch engaging as soon as you flick up to slot instantly into second gear. This means a seamless flow of power. The electronics predict what gear you're about to engage, depending on whether you're accelerating or braking and the result is astonishing, making every other gearbox look distinctly clunky. The other option is to slip it into 'D' and drive it like a normal automatic. Even in this mode it's butter smooth and makes other attempts at sequential manual systems appear distinctly clunky and yester-tech.

One of the reasons Audi didn't give the old five-door A3 the big fanfare was, when all was said and done, it was just a three door A3 with an extra pair of doors wedged in. The A3 chassis was always very tightly packaged and with five doors, the styling lost something and the back seat was only ever any good for kids or rather squashed adults. This time round, Audi have approached the problem in a more expansive manner, leaving the regular A3 as a sleek three door and offering this longer bodied five-door model that really does the job for those looking for added versatility.

Although it lacks the nuggety compactness of the three-door car, the five-door Sportback isn't a bad looker at all, certainly a good deal easier on the eye than the rather 'challenging' BMW 1 Series. An 83mm increase in body length and extra wide opening rear doors adds up to easy accessibility and far better rear knee and head room than its three-door counterpart. Space up front is equally good, the transverse engine minimising intrusion into the passenger cell. Given that the current generation A3 is 65mm longer in the wheelbase than its predecessor, it's obvious that rear seat passengers will be a whole lot happier in the Sportback than the old A3 five-door. The luggage compartment also grows by 20 litres giving a total of 1,120 litres of space with the rear seat folded flat.

Standard safety equipment includes window airbags, electronic stability control, ABS, brake assist, a part-electric power steering system and anti-whiplash head restraints. The cabin has been restyled to offer a little more design flair, Audi realising that high quality alone isn't enough to lure buyers into showrooms. There has to be some style on display too. The fascia struts ape the interior design of the TT, as do the round air vents and chrome-rimmed dials. It's still not what you'd call revolutionary, but it's beautifully executed.

There's a lot to be said for the Audi A3 Sportback 2.0T FSI. Although its turbocharged engine may have slipped under the radar of many buyers, it nevertheless offers an excellent blend of power and economy at prices which, when long term running costs are totted up, are distinctly reasonable. The Sportback is a car with very few vices and this is probably the best of the petrol models, especially when twinned with the S Tronic gearbox. As an exemplar of how far the premium compact hatchback has come, it's hard to think of better.

TOP 5 A3 DEALS

The results below show the top A3 deals on buyacar

	Audi A3 2.0 T FSI S Line 5dr S Tronic Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £382	Saving £2,098	Price £22,922
	Audi A3 2.0 T FSI Quattro Sport 5dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £357	Saving £1,917	Price £21,343
	Audi A3 2.0 T FSI Quattro S line 5dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £381	Saving £2,098	Price £22,962
	Audi A3 2.0 T FSI Sport 5dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £329	Saving £1,777	Price £20,083
	Audi A3 2.0 T FSI S line 5dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £358	Saving £1,958	Price £21,702

typical 9.96% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000