2017 Audi A3 vs Volkswagen Golf

What's the difference?

You know when you reckon you've got the room, you've got some great stories in the chamber and everyone's looking at you and then someone else walks in. That someone else has an effortless style and sophistication, doesn't try too hard, just looks great all the time?

BMW and Mercedes know that person. It's called the Audi A3. It outsells the BMW 1 Series by two to one and even beats the Mercedes A Class home (although if you add the CLA, not so much). From 2015 to 2016, market share of the segment it occupies has grown from a quarter to almost a third.

So there’s probably no point in updating it, right? Wrong. Because it’s now four years old and BMW and Mercedes have been chucking the kitchen at their cars to try and catch up, knowing Audi has something up its sleeve.

And here is - a refreshed A3 with new technology, new engines and some of the more subtle styling changes you’ll see, even for an Audi.

While Australia’s passionate SUV love affair continues unabated, Europeans maintain a more stable and mature relationship with the wagon. And who can blame them?

With a lower centre of gravity for more nimble dynamics, a good wagon combines the practicality of an SUV with the driving pleasure of a conventional hatch or sedan.

In fact, the compact performance wagon is something Euro carmakers do extremely well. And happily, the Volkswagen Golf R, is returning to Australia in wagon form from January next year.

The Golf R wagon was sold in Australia in limited numbers in 2015, but this time around it will sit alongside its hatch sibling as a permanent addition to the local VW line-up.

Volkswagen Australia invited us to a preview drive of the latest ‘Mk7.5’ version of the car, in its home environment.