A touch of a button sends a large colour display screen gliding silently out of the top of the Audi A3’s dashboard.

The crystal-clear screen in the top S line specification displays everything from radio and iPod information, to satellite navigation instructions and mobile phone controls. It is a classy touch to a thoroughly upmarket car.

The three-door A3 model, priced from about £19,250, might be a compact hatchback, but it has all the build quality, style and executive feel of a much larger vehicle.

The car is squarely aimed at young-at-heart motorists and those downsizing drivers who want a smaller car that retains the high-quality workmanship seen in bigger cars.

So the heated front seats are trimmed in a luxurious blend of cloth and leather, instrumentation has tasteful chrome trim and the whole cabin exudes an air of bomb-proof quality.

This is clearly a car built by people who care passionately about what they are doing.

Audi’s passion in motoring extends way beyond the fit and finish of their cars, with handling and performance a vital part of the brand, underlined by its recent success in sports car racing around the world.

So even though the A3 is a car destined for the school run, shopping trips and battling with rush-hour queues, Audi has provided the latest technology to let you enjoy those moments when you escape the constraints of mundane motoring.

Taut, responsive and smooth-riding, higher specification models are fitted with the Audi drive select adaptive dynamics system, that at the touch of a button allows the driver to electronically select from five modes which dictate the car’s driving characteristics — comfort, auto, dynamic, efficiency and individual. They influence the weighting of the steering, the sensitivity of the throttle pedal, the shift points of the S tronic transmission if this is fitted and the settings used by the optional adaptive cruise control system.

Three specification levels — SE, Sport and S line — are available in the UK, all including alloy wheels, air conditioning or climate control, radio with electrically-folding screen, iPod connection, Bluetooth interface and navigation preparation.

Top S line specification delivers 18-inch alloy wheels, S line body styling, xenon headlights with LED daytime running lamps, an S line, motorsport-style flat-bottomed sports steering wheel and part-leather-upholstered sports seats embossed with the S line logo.

Options range from radar-assisted adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring and speed limit detection to a system that links the car to the Internet.

And if you are feeling particularly lazy, the optional £835 electronic parking system will even slot your car automatically into the tightest of parking spaces. All at the touch of a button.

Auto facts Audi A3 1.6 TDI S line

  • Top speed: 121mph
  • Length: 423.7cm/166.8in
  • Width: 177.7cm/70in
  • Insurance group: 16 (1-50)
  • Fuel consumption (Combined): 74.3mpg
  • Luggage capacity: 12.9 cu ft
  • Fuel tank capacity: 11 gallons/50 litres
  • CO2 emissions: 99g/km
  • Warranty: 3 years/60,000 miles