SNOW, mud and ice are a front-wheel-drive car’s worst enemy, particularly if there’s an uphill climb involved. A visit to one of Australia’s mountain resorts in the grip of winter will be witness to this.

One option for those who want something small and luxurious that is both decent around town but more than capable on the annual run up to the snow is a high-riding soft-roader such as BMW’s X1 or Audi’s own jacked-up Q3.

But what if you don’t want that high-riding position?

What if all you want is a normal, easy-driving hatchback with a showy badge and the ability to provide some extra grip on the occasions it is called for?

Audi has the answer, adding a version of its quattro all-wheel-drive system – once the preserve of more sporty “S”- and “RS”-badged models – to its city-friendly A3 Sportback for the first time.

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