Audi A3 2015 News

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”.  

Like many other manufacturers Audi is trying to second guess which way automotive propulsion systems will go. "Engines" will inevitably change due to ever tightening environmental restrictions and other influences.Plenty rides on the outcome — which engine comes to dominate. Get it right and you’ll reap billions, get it wrong and you will do your dough. Audi has a whole bunch of irons in the fire including hybrid petrol/electric cars, methane gas powered cars and plug in full electric vehicles.Full EVs still have a way to go on two fronts, cost and range. Batteries have not come down in price to the expected low level and even good plug in EVs can go perhaps 250km best case scenario.Which leaves Audi’s A3 E-Tron petrol-electric hybrid as the most likely contender for the near future from the big German. It is one clever piece of kit due, here in about 18 months at a possible 10-20 per cent premium over a similar spec’ conventional A3FUEL ECONOMYThe E-Tron promises fuel economy as low as 1.5-litres/100km when the 50km battery range is factored into the economy figures of the petrol engine. Unlike other petrol electric hybrids on the market, the A3 E-Tron can be put in "generate" mode to recharge the battery when driving.It can also be plugged into either a domestic or three phase commercial power outlet to recharge the battery system in as little as two hours.And it doesn’t look whacky in the slightest. No goofy styling from Audi thank you very much. The E-Tron looks the same as any other A3 inside and out until you open the bonnet or look under the boot floor.MOTIVATIONThe car we saw in Germany last week -- and which will be the same as the one we’ll get here -- was powered by a 1.4-litre, TFSi petrol engine with 110kW/250Nm output boosted by an in line 75kW electric motor neatly integrated into the six speed dual clutch manumatic transmission.It drives the front wheels, which harvest regenerative power from brake application and deceleration. This set-up is sufficient to push the small Audi from 0-100kmh in a sharpish 7.6 seconds which is better than most of the conventional A3 that just arrived here.It runs a 96 cell, 250-400 volt lithium ion battery system that helps the E-Tron achieve up to 1000km range on one 40 litre tank of petrol. The system is complex as it has a cooling system to extend the battery’s service life as well as an electronic control system.PRACTICALThe battery system is mostly under the rear seats forcing the pressurised petrol tank behind the rear axle which could create problems in some countries for safety reasons. Cargo capacity is unaffected by the electric drive system and is 280 litres with the rear seats in place, 1120 litres with them folded.The engine is familiar being in many Audi/VW vehicles but this is the latest and greatest version featuring full aluminium construction, internal anti-friction coatings, clever thermal management that optimises efficiency and even an oil quality sensor if the car is used for months at a time simply as an EV without starting the petrol engine.The powertrain delivers strong performance from a standstill with no lag at all thanks in part to the torque instantly available from the electric engine.MODESThe A3 E-Tron can be driven in one of four modes; EV, Hybrid auto, Hold and Charge modes. In Hybrid auto mode the car determines the best strategy for optimum fuel efficiency. The A3 E-Tron will also get Audi’s excellent Drive Select system offering different dynamic set-ups including Normal, Comfort, Individual and Dynamic.CLEVERClever stuff includes 50 per cent of braking using the regenerative system before initiating the conventional brakes, a glide function to reduce fuel consumption and boost mode with both engines running at full capacity for maximum acceleration.The A3 E-Tron gains all the interior goodies that came with the recently introduced new model A3— Audi Connect online services, a range of apps, the ability to dictate texts and have info read to you, and if you have a smartphone you can program it to tell the car to perform functions from a distance such as start the engine and adjust the air conditioning.

...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 first hatches arrive in May, quattro and hotter takes in September. Spied here is next year's sedan -- or is this a liftback a la the A5? Back views suggest that it's so.  

The A3 Sportback five-door has just been revealed in Europe, and is confirmed for Australia in 2013, but now comes news of a radical departure for the sedan. Audi is taking the car upmarket and picking up the plan from the good looking, bright red concept car it displayed at the Geneva motor show in 2011. "The new sedan is giving a very strong, powerful entrant into the US market," says Josef Schossmacher, of Audi marketing, at the Paris motor show. He says Audi is taking a new direction for the A3, because of the arrival of the baby A1. The smaller car has already sounded the end for a three-door A3 in Australia, because of competition from the A1, although the A3 family will still be expanded with an S3 and the sedan. "The A3 three-door was once the basic model to have a first Audi. But now you have the A1 and the Q3," says Schossmacher. He believes the change means more opportunity for an A3 sedan that steps up and away from youthful hatches. "The A3 was a very successful project. But it's the third generation now. So it's better to have an evolutionary design than to make a revolution. "With the limousine it will be different. It will be the first A3 sedan. Like a study from Geneva show last year." Schossmacher says the four-door will benefit from a technology and quality lift that is helped by switching to the MQB mechanical package, which means more flexibility but a reduction in the cost of hidden components. "Now, what you see and what you feel is Audi. It is all specified for Audi. Even the indicators are different. The next relative in terms of quality to the A3 is the A6." Nothing is firm on an A3 sedan for Australia, particularly as there is no public production plan, but it is a potential starter down under. "We'll definitely look at it. There could be some potential in the car," says Shaun Cleary, spokesman for Audi Australia.  

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.

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.