Praising the model, the judges on the What Car? editorial team said it was a 'no-brainer for business users'. They added that the A3 Sportback e-tron ‘mixes the many merits of the A3 with even more incentive for company car buyers to make electric driving more accessible’.

The accolade comes as first customer deliveries of the A3 Sportback e-tron start this month. Priced from £29,950, the first series plug-in hybrid in the Audi range offers the potential for up to 176mpg on a full charge and can travel for up to 31 miles on electric power alone before the 1.4 TFSI petrol engine kicks in. Overall, a range of over 580 miles can be achieved on a full charge and a tank of fuel, according to the official figures.