Audi adds 83.1mpg ultra model to A3 range
The A3 ultra, available in the three-door hatchback and five-door Sportback bodystyles, allows Audi to match the fuel economy and CO2 emissions of the newly-launched BMW 116d ED, returning 83.1mpg and emitting 89g/km.
It uses a 108bhp 1.6-litre TDI engine, as in the most economical versions of the Volkswagen Golf, SEAT Leon and Skoda Octavia, with alterations to the gear ratios, lower sports suspension to improve aerodynamics and low rolling resistance tyres.
Improvements to the fuel economy enable it to drop one Benefit-in-Kind band, and drivers can choose from two trim levels. SE includes Bluetooth, 16-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning and a folding colour screen and is priced from £20,865, while the SE Technik version adds £750 to the list price and includes satellite navigation, rear parking sensors and cruise control.
The 2016 model year update also broadens the availability of quattro four-wheel drive across both 2.0-litre TDI engines and the 108bhp 1.6-litre TDI for the first time. Pricing for quattro-equipped models starts at £22,915, and the 1.6 TDI returns up to 60.1mpg with CO2 emissions from 127g/km.
Orders are already being taken for the 2016 Audi A3, with deliveries expected in August.
Alex Grant
Trained on Cardiff University’s renowned Postgraduate Diploma in Motor Magazine Journalism, Alex is an award-winning motoring journalist with ten years’ experience across B2B and consumer titles. A life-long car enthusiast with a fascination for new technology and future drivetrains, he joined Fleet World in April 2011, contributing across the magazine and website portfolio and editing the EV Fleet World Website.
