It’s easy to find a good driving position, because the seat and steering wheel are multi-adjustable and once inside you’re greeted by a superbly built and upmarket cabin. The soft-touch dash with its circular air vents adds a sporty feel and the controls work with superb precision. The stereo can be a little fiddly but that’s one of very few gripes in what is a well designed and attractive cabin.

The cabin was upgraded when the A3 Sportback was facelifted and received softer touch materials, new black dials with red needles and new stereo switches. As a result it feels more upmarket.

A3 Sportback comfort is impressive and, while the driving experience is not as good as the BMW 1 Series, it does excel if you are looking for a comfortable hatchback. Thanks to supple suspension it soaks up bumps and potholes superbly and makes a great long distance machine, even with a full compliment of passengers on board. The back seats are a little short on legroom for taller passengers (although there’s more than the standard A3), but up front there’s plenty of space and the seats are supportive yet comfortable.

As you’d expect the rear doors make getting in and out much easier and are especially useful if you have young children or child seats to fit.