A3 Sportback Safety

High standards
Your safety is our paramount concern
The Audi A3 puts you in total control, but helps you to avoid dangerous situations before they develop. quattro® permanent all-wheel drive, servotronic steering and responsive suspension all play their part, as does the exceptional braking system. What's more, industry Euro-NCAP passive safety tests have demonstrated that the A3 is one of the safest cars on the road.

NCAP
Established in 1997, Euro NCAP provides motoring consumers with an independent assessment of the safety performance of some of the most popular cars sold in Europe. Through its stringent vehicle crash testing, Euro NCAP has rapidly become a catalyst for encouraging significant safety improvements to new car design. Euro NCAP is backed by seven European governments, as well as motoring and consumer organisations in every EU country.'

Protection
Helping to keep you and your passengers safe

Brake system
The high-performance brake system combines short braking distances, sensitive control and optimum cooling, for a consistently effective performance even after repeated applications. ABS antilock braking and EBD provide extra peace of mind if you need to stop suddenly.

SIDEGUARD®
In the event of a side impact, side airbags will activate, preventing occupant injury. The head-level airbag covers the entire front and rear side-window including the A-post area.
Intelligent airbag system
In the event of an accident, intelligent impact sensors - including an innovative 'up-front' sensor - will detect the severity and nature of the impact and trigger the appropriate occupant protection systems.

Quattro®
Safe and sure with quattro®

Audi's quattro technology isn't all about high-performance handling. For every-day driving, especially with non-ideal road conditions, quattro will help you reach your destination quickly and safely.

It works by varying the amount of drive that is sent to each of the four wheels, reacting in milliseconds, constantly feeling for any loss of grip. So, on slippery surfaces, if one or more wheels are at risk of spinning, more drive is directed to wheels that have better road-surface contact. You don't notice this happening: all you feel is more assured cornering, whatever the weather.

ISOFIX Anchor Points
Child safety as standard

With ISOFIX, compatible child safety seats can be fitted swiftly and securely. On each outer rear seat and the front passenger seat, ISOFIX mounting points are provided. The front passenger airbag can be deactivated for when a child seat is present. ISOFIX mountings are standard across the model range.

ESP
ESP keeps you pointing in the right direction

Audi's electronic stability program (ESP) is a combination of advanced technologies that helps keep the car under control in more extreme situations such as when you need to avoid an unexpected obstacle in the road. ESP is especially helpful in adverse weather conditions.

When you need to turn quickly and sharply, ESP identifies your intended direction and responds by applying the brakes to individual wheels

Ceramic Brakes
Incredible braking performance

Compared with conventional steel discs, ceramic brakes not only last four times longer, but also offer high braking performance, even when driving at the limit, as well as high resistance to fading. The unsprung rotating masses at the wheels are reduced by a total of around 20 kilograms or 50 percent compared with conventional brake discs, resulting in noticeably improved handling and agility.

Compared with an identical brake disc made of steel, this material lasts four times longer: the high abrasion resistance of ceramic discs means that they will last for up to 190,000 miles. The extreme surface hardness of the composite ceramic also means that the brake discs are unsusceptible to solid and liquid road salts as well as to corrosion and rust. There's virtually no brake dust either - so alloy wheels don't get blackened and dirty.

Electronic Safety System

The onboard technologies on Audi vehicles make them some of the safest in the world - especially when road conditions are less than perfect.

ABS
The Anti-lock braking system works by momentarily releasing and then applying the brakes when it detects a skid resulting in reduced stopping distances and the ability to turn under emergency braking.

ASR
Anti-slip regulation - or traction control - reduces power to any wheel that is in danger of spinning. Full power is returned when traction is re-established.

EBD
Electronic brake-force distribution works in conjunction with ABS to ensure an even maximum braking force between the front and rear wheels.

EDL
The electronic differential lock allows a smooth getaway on surfaces with mixed levels of grip.

ESP
Audi's electronic stability programme uses the four technologies above. It identifies the intended direction and applies braking to individual wheels to help keep the car stable.