FLEET WORLD - Audi takes two awards for the A3 and A4 at this years ceremony.

All-round appeal of Audi premium compact hatchback and compact executive saloon is recognised by top fleet title

• Best Premium Lower Medium award for Audi A3, Best Compact Executive Award for Audi A4 presented in London at annual Fleet World Honours ceremony

Factors such as efficiency, connectivity, premium quality and range variety feature particularly prominently in the decision making process for fleet managers, and it is against these and many other key criteria that the Audi A3 compact hatchback and A4 compact executive saloon have been judged best-in-class in the 2017 Fleet World Honours.

Presented yesterday at the RAC Club in London, the Fleet World Honours include a total of 20 car-focused award categories, each  requiring the models within them to be assessed not only on the basis of ‘real world‘ attributes such as performance, refinement, economy, accommodation and connectivity, but also on their ‘on-paper’ viability from a fleet perspective.

AUDI A3

AUDI A4

The importance of the A3 in carving out the compact hatchback segment wasn’t lost on the judges, and nor were the many benefits of the significant revisions the three-door hatchback, five-door Sportback, Saloon and Cabriolet underwent in mid-2016. 

In summarising their decision they wrote: “Audi created this segment with the original A3, but it hasn’t rested on its laurels. Refreshed last year, the A3 now features the latest connectivity and safety features, as well as two compelling petrol alternatives to the default diesel engines. Peerless cabin quality, and trims to suit all tastes and needs, mean it’s still leading the way.”

The judges were even more emphatic in their praise for the A4, describing the compact executive Saloon and Avant as “a revolution in its segment”. They went on to pronounce it “better than ever to drive, with more space for passengers and an interior good enough to suit cars costing twice as much. Factor in a line-up of fleet-friendly diesel, and now petrol, engines, a versatile estate and rugged Allroad versions, and it’s a great offer for fleets.”

Head of Audi Fleet Sales James Douglas welcomed the excellent result for these two vitally important Audi fleet sector contenders, saying: “Fleet World is a respected title with a specific focus on director level fleet decision makers, so the appearance of two of our most compelling company car offerings at the forefront of their respective Honours award categories could potentially have far-reaching positive implications for us. Fleet managers take endorsements such as these seriously, and so do my team and I – we thank Fleet World for showing such confidence in the viability of these two heartland Audi ranges.”

The Audi A3 ranges received a raft of important updates in 2016, taking on board new features such as the Audi Smartphone Interface and standard Xenon or LED lighting and introducing numerous new driver assistance and infotainment options from the larger classes including Matrix LED headlamps, the fully digital Audi Virtual Cockpit and Audi Phone Box wireless charging and connection. A new three-cylinder 1.0 TFSI engine also added to the already highly economical range of four-cylinder TFSI and TDI engines, one of which – the 1.4 TFSI with 150PS – works alongside a powerful electric motor to deliver 166mpg and 38g/km potential in the A3 Sportback e-tron plug-in hybrid.

A completely new A4 range encompassing Saloon, Avant, allroad quattro and S quattro models became available in the UK in late 2015, and quickly distinguished itself by way of near luxury class levels of refinement and quality, exceptional in-car technology and a range of extraordinarily efficient four and six-cylinder TDI and TFSI engines contributing to a highly cost effective ownership proposition.