Audi A3 2012 News

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.

... rival the prices on the BMW options' list for things like salad and spuds.So it's no surprise that the top end of town calls the shots at the Palexpo alongside Geneva Airport as Europe's carmakers go head-to-head for the first time in 2012. Ferrari and Lamborghini battle for go-faster bragging rights as Rolls-Royce and Bentley get serious about family motoring for the ultra-rich, while Infiniti pitches an new exotic coupe and even Ssangyong of Korea goes upmarket with a new concept. There are also dozens of one-off dream machines and hotrod tuner cars in Geneva, a show that is traditionally dominated by European design stars including Pininfarina and Giugiaro. But there is plenty, too, for ordinary car buyers as the Fiesta ST brakes cover, Hyundai updates the i20 and teases with the Veloster Turbo, Jaguar confirms an XF station wagon, Audi and Mercedes-Benz previews their A3 and A-Class, and Ford even updates its box-boring Transit workhorse. Picking the best of the best is tough with so much gorgeous stuff on the stands, but Alfa Romeo is the winner for 2012 and edges out the Infiniti Emerge-E with its Disco Volante.The pretty little red coupe is dreamy without being stupid and is already confirmed for production, although the slightly-retro body will be draped over Alfa's existing 8C Competizione chassis - 4.7-litre V8, 335kW, 0-100km/h in 4.2 seconds - which means it's no chance for Australia with only left-hand drive.The Ferrari F12 is exactly what you expect from the fastest car to wear the badge - 340km/h and 0-100km/h in 3.1 seconds - including a swoopy body that taps the past as well as the influences that created the California convertible, but Lamborghini goes even better with an Aventador J preview car that is snapped up for a rumoured $2.8 million ahead of genuine production of an open-topped Aventador supercar.Rolls-Royce updates the Phantom with a new nose that still demands respect, as well as tweaking its colour choices with a two-tone approach that triggers memories of cheap seventies vinyl roofs, and Jaguar gets serious for families with an XF Sportbrake that will still struggle in a world of SUVs.Further down the food chain, the Audi A3 looks good but not as edgy as an A-Class that must break away from the bus pass generation into something closer to the Y-Gen futurists, and Volkswagen previews a more car-like Tiguan crossover with its Cross Coupe.Hyundai has a preview of a new flagship coupe called the i-oniq - did it mean ironic? - Kia shows a Track'ster that will become the new Soul, Honda shows the CR-V design that's coming to Australia, and the pocket rocket Ford Fiesta ST breaks cover with a confirmation for Australia.The action and excitement at Geneva goes on and on, and that is - really - the best thing about the show. Detroit in January hinted that the word's carmakers are finally emerging from the austerity and fear of the global financial crisis and the big-spending effort in Geneva confirms it, with good news for almost everyone from Euro billionaires to ordinary Aussie families.PG PICKS:1. Bentley EXP 9 F.Only one word fits - Ugly. With a big capital U. The hulking British bulldog might tick the boxes for cashed-up families, but this SUV makes a LandCruiser look elegant, and subtle.2. Giugiaro Brivido.Exactly what you expect to see in Geneva, as designers go all-out to impress the crowds - and each other. Not for production but a great looker with huge gullwing doors.3. Range Rover Evoque Convertible. A certainty for production as Land Rover milks its most successful design - ever. This one will never go bush but is being fast tracked for Double Bay and Toorak.4. Ssangyong XIV-2. Who knew the South Koreans could trump the Euros with a design that combines SUV practicality with a coupe-convertible body? A big surprise.5. Toyota FT-Bh: Just when you thought the uglies were done, Toyota lobbed with this. If it's the future for hybrid cars then sales will be slow. Very slow.

The Audi A3 has a family look similar to the latest A5 and A6 but significant use of aluminium and lightweight steels means the new model will weigh up to 80 kg less than the outgoing A3 hatch.Witha five-door Sportback, saloon, cabriolet and avant wagon also in the lineup.

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.