Audi A3 News

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.

Audi has launched an interactive app that lets you ‘virtually’ park the car in your driveway. The iPad app, called the ‘New Audi A3’, is designed to help you decide which Audi A3 Sportback you want to buy, and whether it will be a good fit for your lifestyle – or perhaps garage style.Audi says that the motive behind the app was to reach time-poor customers. With prospective buyers finding it difficult to make a visit to the showroom, Audi is taking the showroom to them.“Our customers are busy, and they’re also very connected to modern technology,” Audi’s General Manager for marketing Kevin Goult says, “so this application is a great way for them to experience the detail of the new A3 Sportback a month ahead of our national launch.”The app allows you to view the new A3 in a 3D showroom, paint it, tour the inside and of course share photos of it in your driveway. But you aren’t just limited to your driveway; As Carsguide found with this app you can view the A3 just about anywhere.You can see whether the A3 sportsback looks great on the sidewalk, driving up the harbour bridge, on approach to Sydney airport, or even see whether the Audi blue matches Museum station’s sepia tiling. You can also share your new A3 snaps with your friends on Facebook and by email.The app is out now on the iTunes app store now, and the A3 Sportsback national launch is on the May 24. The car will be available from $35,600. The app is free.

...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  

Audi may have given up on plans to launch an R8 e-tron supercar, but the brand with the four rings hasn’t completely given up on electrified cars just yet, revealing today its 2014 A3 e-tron plug-in hybrid ahead of the car’s debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show on March 5. The plug-in hybrid drivetrain fitted to this A3 is expected to be just one of up to six different powertrain types planned for the latest A3 range, with the others being regular gasoline and turbodiesel models, compressed natural gas models, a regular gasoline-electric hybrid, and finally a pure battery-powered electric model. Audi has previously confirmed that the A3 e-tron plug-in hybrid would be launched on the market in 2014, alongside similar plug-in versions of the A4 and Q7 models.  Audi has chosen to present its A3 e-tron in the monotonous Misano Red color scheme it’s been using for all of its model launches of late, but the big A3 e-tron signs on the flanks of the car confirm this is no ordinary A3. Audi’s plug-in hybrid system for the A3 pairs a 1.4-litre TFSI engine rated at 110 kilowatts with an electric motor delivering its own 75 kilowatts of juice. The disc-shaped electric motor is integrated into a newly designed six-speed ‘e-S tronic’ transmission, which transfers the power to the front wheels. Peak output of the system is 150 kilowatts and 349 Newton metres of torque. The two power sources don’t deliver their peak outputs at the same time, which is why their combined output isn’t just the sum of their individual power figures. Audi says the car is good for a 0-100km/h time of 7.6 seconds and a top speed of 220km/h. Drive goes to the front wheels only. The key is charging the car’s onboard battery at home and using an electric-only mode at certain points. The two power sources can work independently or in combination, depending on the load required by the driver, and are controlled by a computer that optimises their operation. Audi hasn’t given any details on the battery, but says the car’s electric-only mode is good for about 50km of range and a top speed of 129 km/h. 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 images show the S-line sporty version of the A3 Sportback, with up-spec styling for the bumpers and larger wheels than the standard models will get.The five-door Sportback is taller, longer and gets a larger wheelbase than the current model – promising more head and legroom and increased stability on the road.It’s also around 90kg lighter, thanks to the use of the parent Volkswagen Group’s new MQB platform, with a focus on high-tensile steel and lightweight materials.The engine line-up overseas will kick off with 1.4-litre and 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinders and a 2.0-litre turbodiesel – followed later by a new aluminium-block 1.2-litre turbo petrol and 1.6-litre turbodiesel.The A3 Sportback will go on sale in Europe in February and arrive year before mid-2013, with more details of the engine and specification we’ll get yet to be announced but possibly to be revealed at the Australian International Motor Show in October. 

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  

We'll see three new entrants due to lob within the next 12 months, including Mercedes-Benz's new A-Class.It will be joined in the fray by Audi's new A3 and the new Volvo V40, a shorter, hatchback variant of the S60 sedan for want of a better description.All are five door hatchbacks with front wheel drive. BMW's stylistically challenged 1-Series is the only rear wheel drive. Although some manufacturers are reluctant to admit it, the main competition for all players is VW?s super popular Golf.CLEAN SHEETThe Benz is a clean sheet project having nothing at all in common with the previous A-Class mini people mover. That job has been ceded to the new Benz B-Class and it's an effective device for everyday family motoring. New A-Class is taking Benz in a totally new direction that will open up a wider and younger customer base to the three pointed star. Early kick-off price guesstimates are in the $35,000 range.DIGITAL NATIVESIt's a car precisely targeting the Gen Y and Xers (so called Digital Natives) replete with a full array of connectivity right down to being able to seamlessly hook up your iPad or iPhone to the in-car info/control system.It will be a smart phone on wheels offering a smooth transition from a digital lifestyle to a digital driving style. And get this, there's a virtual co-driver you can question or instruct to operate in-car functions.LOOKSThe stunning looker, which bears a remarkable similarity to the A Concept of 2011, will be made in Germany, Hungary and tellingly, China. And we can expect a few other variants built on the same front wheel drive platform (moving to all wheel drive when AMG gets its hands on A-Class).UNDER THE BONNETIt will be powered by a range of existing and a couple of new Benz turbo direct injection petrol and turbodiesel engines rated from 80kW through to 155kW with capacities ranging from 1.6 through to 2.1-litres. Benz hasn't confirmed it but a three door hatch variant should become available a little further down the track and possibly a drop top cabriolet.Benz's performance partner AMG has been enlisted to develop certain A-Class parts so they have intimate knowledge of the car already. The A250 Sport enjoys significant AMG input. New A-Class will be offered with six-speed manual and seven-speed dual clutch manumatic transmissions and all models will have auto stop/start to optimise fuel economy.Camtronic that alters valve lift in the petrol engines for peak efficiency will also make an appearance. An 'Eco' mode will be available to squeeze out the last kilometre in fuel economy if you drive carefully.ACRONYMS R USBenz won't hold back on the acronym features list either that will see the new baby Benz fitted with a speed limiter (Distronic), radar-based Collision Prevention Assist (CPA), Pre-Safe collision preparation and Lane Keeping Assist as well as Fatigue Alert and numerous other electronic driver and safety aids. They have filtered down from larger models as has the luxury inventory.STYLEIt has an assertive stance on the road with a masculine frontal appearance and deeply sculpted panels. The ride height is low and a striking "pointillist" style grille is available on some models. It looks ready to pounce from all angles and inside, the assertive, quality theme carries through with seats for four and a reasonable boot space.The dash is from funky town featuring an electroplated look to many surfaces and impressive audio and lighting spex. It rates a strong five stars in crash testing and boasts newly developed pedestrian safety technology. The multi-faceted headlights feature a bank of LEDs for daytime running, indicators and parking lights. It rates a low 0.26Cd for aerodynamic efficiency.VERDICTIf it goes as good as it looks the new A-Class could be a world beater. It has the potential to lift Mercedes-Benz to a new level with a wider audience and still maintain that prestige aura associated with the 110 year old automotive brand. We find out soon enough.