ALL of today's German compact executive cars possess an aura of infallibility, but the five-door A3 Sportback is well up on the stairway to hatchback heaven.

It has the same wheelbase as the three-door A3, yet has extra inches (about 7cm) at the back to boost both rear-seat comfort and the cargo area.

A3 purists might prefer to stick with their three doors, but a lot of fans of this hard and fast hatch will sway towards the Sportback simply because five doors cost just £500 extra against any three-door equivalent.

Astute buyers will probably haggle the Sportback tag down to the price of the smaller version, given that Audi loves the British market and, with the larger A4 saloon and estate just on sale, is eager to please.

Even so, that's a very cheap premium for the extra space, flexibility and lifestyle loadability - not to mention the more aggressive exterior styling, with the deeper A6 and A4-style front grille taking the nose to the floor.

The A3 range is pricey to begin with, but badge-buyers will be badge-buyers, so the range's £16,000-plus starting price won't be too much of a deterrent.

Not so sure about the name "sportback", though - is it a case of Audi wanting to layer more racetrack sheen on the range in order to enhance the sporting pedigree, or is the firm simply falling in with current fashion when it comes to practical, semi-estates?

To qualify the latter half of that query, remember that "Sportwagon" and "Sport Tourer" are typical of names given to anything that stretches slightly over, and often way beyond, standard hatchback proportions.

Not that the five-door A3 hatchback, at just 4.28 metres long, qualifies as a serious load carrier - but it has the same firecracker drive and handling, and decent ride comfort, as the shorter-bodied three-door.

The chassis package copes superbly with the under-bonnet muscle - even the smallest option, the 100bhp 1.6-litre, is firmly-toned for a zippy ride, but a run out in the two-litre, 148bhp FSi Sport, with its six-speed standard manual gearbox, demonstrates that this is the kind of potency the car needs.

Top speed is 132mph, and the nought to 60mph time of 8.9 seconds might seem mediocre, but this £19,820 two-litre version feels faster, and can easily pace bigger-engined cars on motorways.

No excessive paying-out at the pumps, either, with 48.7mpg on the country cycle.

The flagship is the 3.2-litre quattro Sport, which can hit 60mph from standing in 6.3 seconds, but at £24,625, buyers have got to be deadly serious about the A3 - you can walk off with a huge, quality off-roader for that kind of money.

The A3's de rigeur diesels are of 1.9 and two litres in size, and, again, it is the larger unit that combines sound economy with fair performance.

There are just three trim options - basic, which just about whips most of the opposition out of sight, SE and Sport.

The latter two are more heavily stilted towards refining the look rather than adding masses of extra equipment, so Audi still wants your extra readies by charging for items like the rear floor mats (£30 - I ask you!) through-load system (£175, fair enough) and roof rails (standard on just about every estate going, but £225 from Audi).

In every A3 Sportback (pictured) there are all-electric windows, heated, powered door mirrors, heat-insulating tinted glass, rear wash/wipe and excellent security.

Electronic climate control, a driver information system and front fog lamps are the Sport's equipment upgrades, plus classier fabric, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, and front sports seats to enhance the comfortable, compact, cabin. The usual excellent Audi safety package is present, too.

For more information, call Martins Audi on 01256 867020.