Audi A3 Allroad (2021). The raised version shown

The future raised Audi A3 could very well look like this.

Audi seems to be preparing an unprecedented elevated version of its A3 compact sedan. Body protections and increased ground clearance would be on the menu of this variant with the unknown name. This is what this future A3 Allroad could look like, unless Audi prefers the name Cityhopper.

Since 2019, rumors have announced a raised version of the Audi A3 Sportback. This would be a first for the compact with rings, the initial generation of which dates back to 1996. Camouflaged prototypes recently caught in testing seem to confirm the development of such a variant, and we can already have a fairly precise idea of what it will look like.

AudiA3 elevated exterior illustration — Black protections should be affixed to the sills.

A compact that looks like an SUV

In its “adventurer” version, the Audi A3 should undergo the same treatment as the A1 Citycarver. We can therefore expect to find increased ground clearance (by 35 mm in the case of the A1), black plastic protections running along the side sills, metal protection plates for the front undercarriages and rear, as well as some more subtle details like a specific mesh of the radiator grille. The A1 Citycarver is also entitled to an air intake with an exclusive design between its hood and its grille; an element of this type could be introduced on the A3 in its most adventurous configuration.

Audi A3 Sportback gray — The standard Audi A3 Sportback

What name for the raised Audi A3?

The name of this likely raised Audi A3 remains to be known. Station wagons converted to off-road traditionally carry the Allroad suffix at Audi and are equipped with Quattro all-wheel drive. But the A1 “high on legs”, pure traction with an urban vocation, inaugurated the Citycarver emblem. Depending on the type of transmission offered, the enhanced A3 could therefore be awarded one or other of these badges. According to some hallway noises, the vehicle would otherwise be developed under the code name Cityhopper, which could become the model’s brand new trade name. Whatever its name, this brand new A3 could be unveiled before the end of this year. Later, the range of the compact Audi could also be enriched with a “five-door coupe” competing with the Mercedes CLA and BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe, according to some sources. But it remains to be taken with a grain of salt …