Audi A3 2017 Update

[NITIN]

Hello All,

I booked my Audi A3 (Sedan 1.4 TFSI) in March 2016 with delivery set for May 2016, yesterday the facelift version for 2017 was revealed, which has some fancy features like virtual cockpit and the new front lights.
What could be my options, 1. Should I try to seek more discount on my booked version? 2. Should I cancel the booking, I have already paid booking amount, will I loose it completely? 3. Just take the car delivery of the car without bothering much.

Please suggest some solutions?
Thank you

 

[dboi10]

Same has happened to me NITIN.. Mine is due next week or so.

What discount did you get so far? I got 14.1% overall discount including PCP contribution amounts. I'm pretty certain that's a good amount for a brand new car and wouldn't be repeated on a new face-lift.

I've weighed up the following and decided to not cancel - 1 - I don't/can't wait extra time until July or beyond for a new car, 2 - I don't think I'd pay extra for the virtual cockpit, 3 - the face-lifts will be more £ anyway, 4 - the face-lift isn't drastic enough to feel outdated.

 

[GSB]

Speaking to my dealer, it looks like there will be a price increase.

She also advised me of these timings for the facelift A3;

 

[NITIN]

Same has happened to me NITIN.. Mine is due next week or so.

What discount did you get so far? I got 14.1% overall discount including PCP contribution amounts. I'm pretty certain that's a good amount for a brand new car and wouldn't be repeated on a new face-lift.

I've weighed up the following and decided to not cancel - 1 - I don't/can't wait extra time until July or beyond for a new car, 2 - I don't think I'd pay extra for the virtual cockpit, 3 - the face-lifts will be more £ anyway, 4 - the face-lift isn't drastic enough to feel outdated.

The biggest drawback, I see is that the older version will take a serious hit on resale value. I got discount of 10% + promotional packages. In A4 the virtual cockpit cost around 350 Euro, so it should be similar here as well. I have not spoken to the dealer yet about this.

 

[GSB]

It won't be that significant, and it will be outweighed by having to spend more to get a facelift. The pre facelift you have ordered will still represent the lowest overall cost of ownership.

 

[dboi10]

It won't be that significant, and it will be outweighed by having to spend more to get a facelift. The pre facelift you have ordered will still represent the lowest overall cost of ownership.

I agree with GSB - the resale value will not take a major hit and it will be outweighed by the new price increase. A 1/2/3 year old Audi A3, is still an Audi A3 that holds value like all other Audi's, regardless of it having slightly tweaked headlights. Now if it were a new model, that would be a different story - this is a minor face-lift and you're getting a great deal and great car! you will love it and that's all that counts really..

 

[NITIN]

Thank you for the replies, it really helps. Anyway I still wonder if I do change my mind then what are my options with the dealer. 5% booking amount is already paid.

 

[NITIN]

And my dealer never talked about the face lift, I think it is only ethical to inform customers, who are buying cars right at the edge of an upgrade.

 

[kalniel]

I would expect the deposit to be transferable to a new order without problem, but I've never done it myself so don't have firsthand knowledge.

 

[NITIN]

I would expect the deposit to be transferable to a new order without problem, but I've never done it myself so don't have firsthand knowledge.

It doesn't matter if the car is already manufactured? I guess the dealer still has to sell that car, with higher discount.

 

[NITIN]

It doesn't matter if the car is already manufactured? I guess the dealer still has to sell that car, with higher discount.

I will go and check with my dealer today, let's see what's his advice now.

 

[GSB]

Caveat emptor.

There's always a spec change, revision, improvement or facelift due.

I bought my last car knowing full well that by the time I sold it, there would be a vastly improved and totally re-engineered version on sale. All you can do is do your research, and work out if it's that important. My pre-facelift order got kyboshed by a specification error, by the time we noticed it was to late to change, and now I'm getting a facelift car.

Am I pleased by what some would consider to a turn of luck? Not really, as it means a minimum of a 3 month delay, assuming I get one of the first cars down the line. Considering it's 99% exactly-the-******-same, I am in fact a little upset that it would take the thick end of an entire quarter year to switch over some ****** headlights on the production line.

 

[Lindenman]

I would agree GSB, the anticipated "facelift" is a let down and hardly worth the effort. As for previous comments re pre-facelifts taking a "major hit", a load of twaddle!

 

[CraigI]

This thread will be full of new owners and too far down the line in order placed future owners saying that the facelift does very little and had they been given the option would have stuck with the pre-facelift. This always happens at this time in a models life and is fair enough as they are probably a touch defensive that their new car isn't a new car.

The facelift will improve things, they always do, it just depends on whether you can make the change and take the time. If you don't need the car to arrive as previously planned and the dealer will honour the deal, definitely switch to facelift, otherwise you'll regret it every time you see one.

I picked up my A3 in January. The facelift looks far fresher, loving the new front end, lights and display.
Good work Audi.

 

[GSB]

This thread will be full of new owners and too far down the line in order placed future owners saying that the facelift does very little and had they been given the option would have stuck with the pre-facelift. This always happens at this time in a models life and is fair enough as they are probably a touch defensive that their new car isn't a new car.

I've been both. I ordered a pre-facelift car, expected a pre-facelift car, and argued in the facelift rumour thread that a facelift car is 99% unchanged, and not worth the extra money required to buy into it.

I've now had my pre-facelift order cancelled by Audi, and have been allocated a facelift car instead. I will still argue that a facelift car is still 99% unchanged, and not really worth the extra money required to buy into it.

As I stated before, the facelift is little more than a cynical marketing exercise to beat some more cash out of the 8V before a proper replacement can be launched. The extras are mere tinsel, and unless some absolute fundamental change to the engineering or the ride and handling has occurred under the beautification, it's not worth swapping out of a pre-facelift.

 

[deci]

I've been told our car (early June build) won't be the new version.

Pretty gutted because although we got a good discount, we had to spec up options totalling nearly £2k that we wouldn't need with the 2017 car because the standard tech more or less covers it.

To rub salt into the wounds, two friends who had earlier build dates are getting upgraded to the new model with a price freeze

 

[NITIN]

I've been told our car (early June build) won't be the new version.

Pretty gutted because although we got a good discount, we had to spec up options totalling nearly £2k that we wouldn't need with the 2017 car because the standard tech more or less covers it.

To rub salt into the wounds, two friends who had earlier build dates are getting upgraded to the new model with a price freeze

Same is the case with me

 

[GSB]

Are you absolutely certain? What's your online build tracker say?

A chap in the facelift thread has just been informed his build week 22 car has been cancelled due to the facelift. Week 22 is late May.

 

[G--Man]

I'm in the same boat. My A3 is due to be built in week 16. I don't believe i have a great deal and it's not specced the way I want it as the car was locked 4 days after placing the order (late Feb). I am due to pick it up in mid may and seriously considering cancelling and swapping for a FL and waiting a couple of months longer

 

[h5djr]

Are you absolutely certain? What's your online build tracker say?

A chap in the facelift thread has just been informed his build week 22 car has been cancelled due to the facelift. Week 22 is late May.

That's about right for Audi's normal change over to a new model. The ETKA software gives the new VIN number change date for revised models as 1 June each year and week 22 is Monday 30 May - Sunday 5 June in 2016.

I will be waiting until my dealer gets some of the FL models that I can drive before deciding exactly what to have. I usually change somewhere between 2 and 3 years so it should work out about right for me. My existing A3 is 2 years old. Interested to compare the new 2.0 TFSI against the 184 TDI similar to the one I have at the moment.

 

[deci]

Are you absolutely certain? What's your online build tracker say?

A chap in the facelift thread has just been informed his build week 22 car has been cancelled due to the facelift. Week 22 is late May.

I don't have an online tracker and havne't been given an exact build week but my dealer said it's the pre-facelift model that we're getting and he doesn't see that changing. Apparently it's because we're getting the cabrio. My only option is to cancel the order and have to wait til August/Sept time which will kinda defeat the purpose of the cabrio.

I'm mainly annoyed because we specced the tech pack to get the 7inch screen, and comfort pack to get cruise control (£1700 in total). These things are now standard (plus a load more).

 

[mistac]

I've been both. I ordered a pre-facelift car, expected a pre-facelift car, and argued in the facelift rumour thread that a facelift car is 99% unchanged, and not worth the extra money required to buy into it.

I've now had my pre-facelift order cancelled by Audi, and have been allocated a facelift car instead. I will still argue that a facelift car is still 99% unchanged, and not really worth the extra money required to buy into it.

As I stated before, the facelift is little more than a cynical marketing exercise to beat some more cash out of the 8V before a proper replacement can be launched. The extras are mere tinsel, and unless some absolute fundamental change to the engineering or the ride and handling has occurred under the beautification, it's not worth swapping out of a pre-facelift.

Have you been asked to pay more then? My order was recently placed (probably provisionally as it has not been signed as yet due a problem with the earlier signed order) and I was advised I will be getting a facelift at no extra cost, despite fact that facelift was not officially announced at the provisional order point (the provisional order was placed only a matter of days before the facelift announcement was made though) I am happy with this as I would always want the latest model available if at all possible

 

[Bristle Hound]

Thread Locked

On the 8V A3/S3 section we currently have 4 (four) threads running about the 2016 facelift at the moment which is ridiculous IMHO
I'm locking this one & 2 others

Any further discussions on this topic in this thread please -
http://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/the-new-audi-a3-–-still-ahead-of-the-curve.268369/#post-2708430