Audi A3 2011 News

Audi has today announced a wide-ranging Takata airbag recall, with owners of the Q5, A5 and A3 impacted.

Hot on the heels of the Australian government's mandatory Takata airbag recall, Ford, Audi and Tesla have joined the list of carmakers to detail which of it's models are affected.

The newest addition to the 2015 Audi A3 lineup is this stylish convertible, a “Cabriolet” in Audi-speak, and it makes its debut Tuesday at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show. The new model has grown slightly, stretching 4420mm in length compared to the previous model’s 4237mm, and this has resulted in more space in the cabin as well as extra storage in the boot. For performance fans, Audi says the bigger size also allows wheels ranging up to 19 inches in diameter to be fitted for the first time. In terms of styling, the A3 Cabrio is virtually identical to other 2015 A3 models up until its A-pillar, after which much of its sheet metal is unique. Underpinning the car is the Volkswagen Group’s flexible MQB platform, which also underpins the 2015 Volkswagen Golf and the rest of the A3 range. A key advantage of the MQB is lightweight design, which should make the new A3 Cabrio more fuel-efficient as well as more dynamic than the outgoing model. The lightest variant tips the scales at 1365kg, around 50kg less than the outgoing car. The roof is an automated soft-top and requires just 18 seconds to go up or down, even at speeds of up to 50km/h. It has a glass rear window and comes in several colours, though black is standard. An active rollover protection system protects the occupants in case of a rollover accident. It consists of two spring-loaded plates that are recessed into the body. The interior echoes the rest of the A3 range, with the same layout and features. Audi's latest MMI interface system handles the media and navigation functions, with displays of either 5.8 or 7 inches available. 4G LTE broadband connectivity is also offered. An optional lighting package includes a touch-sensitive switch for the reading lights--a feature being offered for the first time. The 2015 A3 Cabrio has so far been announced with 1.4- and 1.8-litre TFSI engines, delivering 103 and 132kW, respectively. A 2.0-litre TDI is also offered, delivering 110kW. More options will be announced at a further date. Transmission options include a six-speed manual and seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch ‘box. Audi is also planning a high-performance S3 Cabriolet. This will get the same 2.0-litre TFSI engine found in other S3 variants, good for 220kW and 379Nw of torque, as well as standard quattro all-wheel drive. Sales of the 2015 Audi A3 Cabriolet begin in Europe not long after the show, and we can expect to see the car in Australia early next year. www.motorauthority.com  

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  

A3 product head Frank Hermann revealed at this week’s global sedan launch that a cabriolet will round out the range and will share the sedan’s edgy styling. “The car will debut at Frankfurt and it will launch in Europe in February or March," he tells Carsguide in Hungary. “Like all of the A3s, the cabrio proportions are right. It will be based on the A3 Sportback but the body has been taken from the sedan.” He makes the distinction because, despite the joint drivetrains, not one exterior panel is shared between the five-door hatch and sedan. Hermann oversaw the development of the A3 range and says the cabrio is a huge step up from the outgoing car. “The last A3 was designed eight years ago and we have come a long way since then,” he says while noting the lightness and strength of the modular MQB chassis that underpins all new compact cars in the VW Group stable has been a major asset in improving ridigity of the roofless model. “Flex is always an issue with a cabrio but the (MQB) platform has given our engineers a head-start in this area,” he says. “It will share drivetrains with the other A3 models and, as you have seen, they are strong engines with good character. The interior is also important for cabriolet buyers - they want high-quality - and we have this also.” Hermann adds there are no plans to develop an A3 coupe to compete with the Mercedes-Benz CLA and BMW 1-Series “at this time”.  

...Volkswagen Golf, which shares the mechanical package under the new German soft top.  

The latest generation of the Audi A3 arrived here last year, and we’ve already spied the A3 Cabrio and its sporty ‘S3’ variant testing in prototype form. But these computer-generated renderings give us a fairly accurate look as to how the new convertible will be styled. With many buyers in the luxury market now looking for smaller and more fuel-efficient vehicles, the new generation of the A3 Cabrio could be too hard to resist. The new A3 Cabrio will be bigger than the model it replaces.The car’s only direct rival will be the upcoming 2-Series Convertible from BMW, which replaces the current 1-Series Convertible, although we could eventually see a convertible added to Mercedes-Benz’s new small car family. Powertrain options are likely to include a base 1.8-litre TFSI gasoline engine rated at 132 kW and 249 Nm, as well as a more powerful 2.0-litre unit. The high-performance S3 Cabrio will feature the same 2.0-litre TFSI with 218 kW of power and 379 Nm of torque found in the S3 Hatch and S3 Sportback. Inside, owners will find nice round dials and air vents, plus plenty of leather. Audi's latest MMI interface system will handle the media and navigation functions, with displays of either 15 or 18 cm available. Look for a debut of the Audi A3 Cabrio sometime next year, which means you can expect a 2015 model year arrival. www.motorauthority.com  

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.

...cut over the current model through the use of aluminium and lightweight steels.Quality is also up in the cabin and the basic look shows the family link to the face-lifted A5 and the all-new A6.

The Sportback is the first of the A3 range with Audi's single-frame grille and the first with a 2.0-litre turbo under the bonnet. It comes in both four and six-cylinder engines, front-wheel or quattro (permanent four-wheel-drive) and either a six-speed manual, six-speed tiptronic or Audi's Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG). It shares the drivetrain, suspension and wheelbase with the 3-door A3 but is 68mm longer and the wheelbase has been extended by 83mm. The Sportback's new face, aggressive V design bonnet, different headlights and roof-line spoiler distinguish it from its cousin. From the front, the Sportback appears to be ready to pounce. Its high doors, low-profile windows, small third windows and coupe-like rear end give it a more sporty look.The Sportback has crisp and clear lines, which almost make it look like it has been shrink-wrapped from the side. The boot space increases to 370L, 20L more than the three-door and grows to 1120L when the back seats are folded. The 1.6-litre Attraction tiptronic starts the Sportback range at $36,800 with 75kW of power and 148Nm of torque. The 2.0-litre FSI is the only model that comes in manual ($40,850) and is also available in tiptronic ($43,300). It develops 110kW of power and 200Nm of torque. The new addition to the A3 range is the $49,950 2.0-litre TFSI, a turbocharged version of the FSI engine which is mated to the DSG box and produces 147kW of power and 280Nm of torque that is spread from 1800rpm to 5000rpm. The $47,650 2.0-litre TDI is Audi's diesel powerplant of the range which has 103kW of power and 320Nm of torque and is also mated to the DSG gearbox. The range is topped by the all-wheel-drive 3.2-litre V6 with DSG gearbox which has a not too shabby 184kW of power and 320Nm of torque, but comes with a hefty tag of $73,990. All Sportbacks sit on 17-inch wheels and come with ESP, front seats with head restraints, front and side driver and passenger airbags, and a sideguard head airbag system. The 3.2-litre adds Xenon headlights and rain and light sensors. The Sportback comes in 15 exterior and three interior colours. The option list is, however, long and expensive. Extras include: sports suspension, roof rails ($650), Xenon headlights ($1900), light and rain sensor ($650), open sky roof system ($2950), burr walnut trim ($950), sun blinds ($350), electric front seats ($2100), BOSE sound system and Navigation. Aimed at outdoor-loving customers, the Sportback is expected to appeal to the 25-39 year age group and Audi expects 60 per cent of buyers will be male. With this group in mind, Audi has announced swimming star Ian Thorpe will be the face of the new car. "To have Ian align himself with our brand and this sporty vehicle is of great benefit," says Audi Australia boss Joerg Hofmann. The Sportback will be available from the end of the month. FIRST DRIVE On the road, Audi's new A3 Sportback models are smooth and quiet. The 1.6-litre lacks the punch of its bigger-engined siblings. It required feathering of the throttle to stay up to speed, even on the open road. But the lack of sports suspension meant it gave a more comfortable ride. The models with sports suspension felt a little bouncy at times, but the difference was seen at high speed, where they felt more sure-footed. The pick of the 2.0-litre models is the manual. Despite the only difference being the box, the manual felt more engaging. With no turbo models in the country yet, we were not treated to sampling that engine. Having just stepped out of Audi's TT, with the 3.2L V6 stonker under the bonnet, it was refreshing to see that despite the extra kilos, the A3 Sportback, with the same engine and quattro all-wheel-drive, had similar get up and go and did not lose too much in handling. The 3.2 seems to be the only model with DSG that lets the driver down shift at high speed, the smaller engined models refusing to budge. With lightening fast gear changes, the option to use paddles in automatic, sports and sequential manual the DSG box is extremely clever and a great option for those who want to be able to drive both auto and manual. Having not driven Audi's diesel variant for some time, I was once gain pleasantly surprised at the punch this little engine puts out. With miserly fuel economy and heaps of torque the diesel is also a favourite. Inside, the Sportback has a fair amount of rear leg room, with an average person sitting in front, and a reasonable amount of head room despite the sloping roof-line. The boot is also quite large. The material quality is high, even in the base 1.6-litre and there is a fair amount of storage. It was, however, a little puzzling why a car that is pitched at energetic, outgoing types only has the facility to hold one drink bottle in the centre console area. The new Sportback provides customers with a mountain of choice for engines, gearboxes and even colours. But, starting at $12,000 more than a new five-door VW Golf, a car with which it shares a lot, will force buyers to make the choice between brand or value for money.