Audi A3 1997 News

Do you know where your owner's manual is? Did you read it from cover to cover when you bought your car? Do you read it these days? Chances are, the answer to at least one of those questions is “no”. Maybe that's because you're a whiz at cars, or maybe you feel like you know everything there is to know about your current ride, but for the rest of us, owner's manuals come in awfully handy. Problem is, there's a lot of information contained in a well-written owner's manual, and finding the answer to a particular question can often be difficult. Wouldn't it be easier if you could just look at a particular element on your car and know everything there was to know about it? Well, now you can -- at least on the Audi A1 and A3. In a press release from Audi's tech partner, Metaio, the two companies have just unveiled the Audi A3 eKurzinfo Augmented Reality App, an interactive owner's manual, stored right on your smartphone. It's the second augmented reality manual from them, following the recent launch of one for the A1 -- and suggests more will spread across the Audi range. The apps work very simply: when users have questions about a particular element on their car, they simply crack open the app and aim their camera at the element in question. For example, in the video above, a passenger wants to know about the stop-start button in the middle of the A3's dash. He points his phone's camera at the button, the app recognises the gadget, and a description pops up. He can then tap that description for a bit more information. A concern about the temp gauge leads to information about what's happening, and then direction to find the coolant top-up point -- a blessing for those who open a bonnet to find a confusing jumble of engineering underneath. What's also interesting is that the app draws its information from the cloud, so the app itself rarely needs to be updated, if ever. Provided you're not scrambling for information in a location without cell service, that's a great thing. We're predisposed to like this sort of technology. It's convenient, it's intuitive, and it's constantly updated, making it especially useful in the case of recalls and other problems. It's not yet a substitute for a hard copy of the owner's manual, but it could be very soon. The Audi A3 eKurzinfo Augmented Reality App is slated to debut on iOS devices. (No word on when an Android equivalent might appear.) It hasn't arrived on iTunes just yet, but if you're curious, you can check out the similar app for the A1. www.thecarconnection.com  

Facing serious competition from all quarters, it looks a lot like a rescaled version of other Audi passenger cars in the extensive lineup. Audi says the new model is a high-tech car full of innovations in all areas. Versions with hybrid and alternative drive systems such as natural gas and Audi e-gas are currently in development. A version with an efficient 1.6 TDI engine will launch on the market in 2012 which consumes 3.8 litres/100 km. Audi ultra lightweight technology has helped to trim weight in the body of the car by 80 kg compared to the previous model. The chassis is tuned for a sporty and agile driving style. The engines are powerful yet highly efficient, and the interior offers an ambience of dynamic style. In driver assistance systems and infotainment, the new A3 offers a portfolio of technologies. Helping to keep weight down to a relatively low 1175kg in the A3 1.4 TFSI are aluminium body panels including the front guards and bonnet while the chassis/body integrates a high share of ultra-high-strength and hot-formed steels. The interior has been completely redesigned while the colour display of the driver information system (standard on the Ambition and Ambiente equipment lines) presents graphics in highly detailed 3D images. The electrically retractable Multi Media Interface (MMI) monitor with a seven-inch diagonal in the top version is only eleven millimetres thick. The new electromechanical parking brake creates space on the console over the centre tunnel for the terminal of the optional MMI operating system. Audi is offering the Attraction, Ambition and Ambiente equipment lines as selections on the new A3. The new Audi A3 will launch with three four-cylinder engines, all of which are essentially new developments. The two TFSI engines and the TDI work with 1.4, 1.8 and 2.0 litres of displacement. Their power levels are 90 kW, 132 kW and 110 kW. Compared to the previous model, fuel economy of the new A3 was improved by about 12 per cent on average with some engines the savings are greater. The new Audi A3 will go on sale in the European spring, and first deliveries to customers will be this summer (Europe). The base price of the A3 with the entry-level engine, which will follow around the end of the year, will be 21,600 euros in Germany. Australian launch date, pricing, and specification is not yet available. 2012 Audi A3 TFSI  Price: $43,400 Warranty:3 years, roadside assist Engine: 1.8 litre, 4 cylinder Transmission: 6 speed,manual, front wheel drive Outputs: 118kW/250Nm Thirst: 6.7 / 100Km  

The three-door Audi A3 hatch on show in Geneva previews the vehicle due to go on sale in Australia early next year and is incrementally a smarter car in from the lightweight panels to the new multimedia interface. The body looks slightly more chiselled, there's more interior room and width despite overall length not increasing, and there are three new turbocharged direct-injection engines with idle stop/start helping with average fuel savings of 12 per cent. Options run from xenon headlamps to safety software such as adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and blind spot assist. The new A3 will launch in Europe with a diesel and two petrol engines, though a hybrid system, engine with cylinder deactivation and performance quattro versions will soon follow. The base 1.4-litre petrol engine is good for 90kW/200Nm, with power transmitted via a six-speed gearbox to the front wheels.  The same configuration underpins the 110kW/32Nm 2.0-litre turbodiesel, while a seven-speed automated manual transmission is standard with the 132kW/250Nm 1.8-litre petrol engine. The diesel uses a claimed 4.1 litres/100km against 5.2 litres/100km for the smaller petrol and  5.6 litres/100km for the 1.8. The infotainment system combines telephone functions, voice control, navigation and media interfaces, with a pop-up screen from 5.8-7inches, depending on the car's specification - Attraction, Ambition or Ambiente. One tick for the 1.8-litre Ambition will be the standard inclusion of the "drive select vehicle dynamics system". It lets owners adjust the response of the accelerator pedal, power steering and auto transmission in five modes - comfort, auto, dynamic, individual or efficiency.

Released in Europe during February, the Audi A3 Cabriolet will go on sale locally in July 2008. Audi's move follows BMW's decision to make a cabrio version of its forthcoming 1 Series, news of which was published as a world-first in carsguide.com.au. The A3 Cabriolet will fill a gap between the aging A4 cabrio and the TT roadster. Audi's al fresco ambitions don't stop there with an open top version of the A5 coupe a certainty. And there's talk of a targa R8. With a decision on Australian pricing some way off,  $70,000 to $80K plus would be our guesstimate for the likely two-model line-up. The A3 Cabrio retains some of its hatchback utility, with the rear seat backs folding down to afford a potential 674 litres luggage space, roof up or down. Unlike most new cabrios, but in keeping with Audi's past practice, the A3's roof will be fabric, not a folding metal arrangement. While ostensibly a rival for its fellow Bavarian, another potential competitor is already available here in the form of the well-received Volkswagen Eos. The Eos has arguably the best folding metal arrangement available but starts from less than $50K. Indeed, the A3 shares the same Mark V Golf underpinnings and drivetrains. A version with the VW Group's new 1.8 turbo petrol four is the most likely starter. A diesel will at least be considered.