A brief drive in a new Audi A3 showed a car that is of a build quality which any manufacturer would be proud of, and which follows the strong shift into the 'elite' car segment pioneered by its larger sibling A4.

The car is lower, longer and wider than its predecessor, and though it will not win any awards for being innovative in styling, a conservative evolution in looks is likely to appeal very much to its biggest individual market in its native Germany, and to the rest of us its lithe and timeless wedge will have some sporting appeal.

Inside, elements of the TT have been used, such as the round ventilation ducts and a 'barred' feature on each side of the gearshift. Even a little gimmick in the way the handbrake operates apparently has some advantages in that the mechanism takes up less under-console space which allows better positioning of cupholders and such.

Listen, that's what I've been told. There wasn't an engineer to talk to ...

The quality of the dashboard is high, but we're still in classic Audi dark mode, fortunately eased somewhat by the light colour of the A-pillar trim and roof lining. Also so with the instruments, which retain the traditional nightime red that is a disaster to the eyes of anyone over 40 who are turning naturally long-sighted (the red end of the spectrum is fuzzy to us, while the blue end is still very sharp).

Nice metallic touches abound, and of real metal too. The car also had the climate control extra, and the EPS, which come as part of an extra package.

The seats in the car we drove on launch day also felt tight to my behind, overbolstered but probably very supportive when I get a chance to take the car on something more challenging than the new section of the M1 motorway. I have just such a challenge in mind ... though my driving style and habits are unlikely to require the intervention of the EPS that is not standard here as it is elsewhere.

Then again, how much of this electronic gimmickry do we need? It is another story, but I'm rapidly coming around to an idea that carmakers are becoming the victims of their own technology race, and the customer is eventually footing the bill.

Which might sound a heresy ... particularly coming from a dues-paid technophile like myself!

But meantime, the extra 65mm of wheelbase and lowered front seats - very easily adjustable for those less tall - made it very easy to get both a comfortable driving position and a knees-easy passenger position in the rear.

In that back seat, mind you, the upline of the high waist could make it a claustrophobic environment for some. And for the driver, the three rear head restraints represent a challenge to visibility. But hey, the A3 and the Audi brand are not alone with that problem.

To finish anyway, a few words about the engine that was in front of me. The 140hp 2-litre TDi is the clear conscience of the sporting driver, providing adequate fun potential but with more than a nod towards protection of the environment.

Tickle it and it runs smooth as honey in traffic. Welly it and it leaps forward with a pure joyful ooomph of torque.

Enough until I get a full term with the car. In the meantime, to my email correspondent who managed to get a test drive in the car quite a while before me because the Irish press launch came later than the arrival of the cars in Ireland's Audi showrooms, and who wondered what I thought of it, I can say now that I think it might be good. Maybe even very good.

But she'll probably have bought one before I can test it properly ...