New Audi A3 Saloon prices, CO2 and specs revealed
Audi has revealed its second-generation A3 saloon, which will introduce new styling, driver assistance technologies and mild hybrid engines when it goes on sale later this week.
Priced from £26,870 OTR, the new, booted A3 joins the recently revealed five-door Sportback and is slightly longer, wider and taller than before, bringing increased head and elbow room while boot space remains the same at 425 litres.
Four trims will be offered: Sport, S Line, Edition 1 and Vorsprung trim levels. A complete exterior redesign introduces LED headlight units in all versions, along with LED daytime running lights with specific variants depending on the trim; the top versions bring full Matrix LED units with new digital daytime running lights comprising 15 LED segments.
The cabin includes a central 10.1-inch MMI touchscreen and a 10.25-inch fully digital cockpit display that, in Edition 1 and Vorsprung, is upgraded to the Audi virtual cockpit plus with a wider 12.3-inch screen. The Vorsprung version also gets an additional head-up display.
Standard across all models is the MMI Navigation plus system, powered by the third-generation modular infotainment platform (MIB 3), which provides passengers with internet access via a Wi-Fi hotspot and also offers a range of web-based Audi Connect services as standard. The Amazon Alexa voice assistant will also become available later this year.
Car-to-X services, already a feature of the new Golf, will also be available, keeping vehicles updated with reports of hazards or speed limits.
Models also get a standard smartphone interface, which integrates iOS and Android phones with Apple Car Play and Android Auto in the MMI, as well as via the Audi phone box which is fitted as standard to Vorsprung versions.
Launch line-up features three engines: two 1.5-litre TFSI petrols and one 2.0-litre TDI. The petrols include the 150hp 35 TFSI, which incorporates cylinder-on-demand technology and is married up with a new six-speed manual transmission, returning up to 48.7mpg and CO2 output of 132g/km in Sport specification (WLTP test data).
The 1.5-litre TFSI is also available with a 48-volt mild hybrid system, married up with a seven-speed S tronic that now uses shift-by-wire technology. As a result of the mild hybrid tech, fuel economy rises to 50.4mpg while CO2 drops to 128g/km.
The 2.0-litre diesel also offers 150hp and, paired up with the seven-speed S tronic, returns an official 62.8mpg with CO2 emissions of 119g/km. It will be joined later by an entry-level 116hp 2.0-litre diesel featuring a new six-speed manual.
The petrol range will also expand later to include a 110hp TFSI three-cylinder with either manual transmission or as a 48-volt mild hybrid version with S tronic dual-clutch transmission.
Suspension has been retuned to provide a more positive feel and faster reaction speeds and is offered with a standard set-up on Sport models along with newly configured sport suspension on S line models and above. Drivers can also use the standard Audi drive select dynamic handling system to change features such as throttle response, steering weighting and S tronic shift points.
Deliveries will begin in the summer.
Natalie Middleton
Natalie has worked as a fleet journalist for over 20 years, previously as assistant editor on the former Company Car magazine before joining Fleet World in 2006. Prior to this, she worked on a range of B2B titles, including Insurance Age and Insurance Day.
