etherealtemptat: Audi A3

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Audi A3

The Audi A3 began production back in 1996 and, after being previewed by the A3 Concept, is preparing to enter its third generation sometime in the middle of 2012. The new model will be slightly larger than the current model and will be offered in both hatchback and sedan versions. Audi hopes the sedan will take off in the US market, where hatchbacks aren’t as readily accepted as in Europe. Depending on the market, the new Audi A3 will feature both petrol and diesel engines.

The new Audi A3 will be built on Volkswagen?s new MQB platform and will be slightly larger than the current model. Depending on the market, Audi will be offering a choice of six engines, both TSI and TDI, all of them with an improvement of 20% in terms of fuel economy. In the upcoming years, Audi will be also offering a hybrid and even an electric version of the car.

The new Audi A3 will be offered in two body versions: hatchback (three and five-door versions) and sedan, all further identified by unique design features. When talking about the next A3, Audi?s design boss, Stefan Sielaff said: "Three-door cars will be more compact and sharper in design, while the four-door will have different dimensions and detailing around the car ? it?ll be a sporty, peppy design with a sexy back end!"

UPDATE 08/25/2011: Don’t like trying to look past the camo in the spy shots of the future A3 facelift? Check out our rendering of the future model for a clearer look!

UPDATE 10/13/2011:AutoExpress has revealed new details on the next generation Audi A3 set to be unveiled in early 2012. According to the British magazine, the A3 engine line-up will include 1.2, 1.4, 1.8, and 2.0-liter turbo petrol units delivering between 105bhp and 210bhp, as well as 1.6 and 2.0-liter TDI engines producing up to 170 HP. All-electric, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid versions will also be launched in 2013.

Audi A3 originally appeared on topspeed.com on Thursday, 13 October 2011 11:00 EST.