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A3 Sportback is What Car? COTY

LONDON, England - Audi's A3 Sportback has has come top in the 36th annual What Car? awards.

It was also named Small Family Car of the Year.

What Car? editor-in-chief Chas Hallett said: “The Audi A3 Sportback mixes excellent refinement and an accomplished driving experience with easily the finest cabin quality yet seen in a small family hatchback. It sets a new benchmark and it is keenly priced, a combination that makes it a worthy Car of the Year.”

Martin Sander, director of Audi UK, said: “The A3 has never before faced such formidable competition, so the category win for this all-new car is achievement of which to be incredibly proud. To win the Car of the Year Award is something else entirely though – this great honour marks the car as something truly special in the eyes of UK car buyers and is, of course, also highly prized by all of us at Audi.”

FORD DOMINANCE

The Ford Fiesta won the supermini category, the Mondeo (which is no longer sold in SA) was named the best family car, the Mondeo Estate is this year’s top estate car, and the Ford Focus ST-1 is What Car?’s best hot hatch.

Chas Hallett said: “Ford really is building great cars, they look good and are great to drive, reliable and make great buys.”

Three trophies went to the BMW Group: the BMW X3 took the SUV award, the BMW 320d ED automatic the Executive Car crown and the Mini Roadster Cooper S Best Open-top Car.

Sports Car of the Year went to the Porsche Boxster 2.7, the MPV award was won for the third year running by the Seat Alhambra. The Audi TT continued its run of success by being named Best Coupé for the seventh time.

The British-built Range Rover was crowned Luxury Car of the Year and the Volkswagen UP! retained its City Car of the Year title.

Mazda was awarded the Ultra-low-carbon Award for its Skyactiv technology. Skyactiv shows how a radical rethink can deliver real gains without the need for more expensive hybrid and fully electric systems.

What Car? readers and website visitors voted in their thousands to name the Alfa Romeo 4C as Most Exciting Car for 2013.
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