Sporty, versatile and functional - Audi presented the new A3 Sportback. The compact five-door model with the spacious luggage compartment is groundbreakingly light thanks to ultra lightweight technology. The engines are powerful and highly efficient. The infotainment with the intuitive connect technology and the driver assistance systems available in the new Audi A3 Sportback set new standards in the premium compact segment. The overall design language concentrates on the essentials, with each individual design element making a confident aesthetic statement.
The distinctive, Stone Gray single-frame grille with the angled upper corners is the distinguishing element at the front of the vehicle. Its horizontal slats and the Audi rings are highlighted three-dimensionally. The flat headlights are works of art and give the new Audi A3 Sportback a determined gaze. Full LED headlights will be offered at a later time.
The interior of the new A3 Sportback is elegant, airy and cleanly designed. It carries over the dynamics of the exterior. The instrument panel with its curving front is slim and low. Together with the center console oriented toward the driver, it appears to float slightly.
The new Audi A3 Sportback is tops when it comes to passive safety. In a frontal collision, the front cross-member distributes the forces to the two side members, which undergo defined deformation to dissipate these forces. The structural members for the engine and front suspension, as well as the sections in the upper area of the fenders, act as additional load paths. If necessary, the pedals are decoupled from the firewall; the steering column absorbs energy and is not displaced into the occupant cell.
In a side impact, the occupant cell offers excellent protection with its hot-shaped steel components such as the sills and B-pillars. In a rear-end collision, the bumper's cross members redirect loads to the large side members made of high-strength steel.
Audi's leadership in automotive electrical and electronic systems can also be fully experienced in the new A3 Sportback - the premium compact offers a comprehensive system of infotainment components. The heart of the mobile communications electronics is a groundbreaking innovation: the modular infotainment platform (MIB). This concept enables very fast innovation cycles in development.
TDI engines
The TDI engines from Audi have been setting standards for decades. They stand for a contemporary, smart type of sportiness - exhibiting a harmonious blend of supreme power, high torque, impressive efficiency and smooth running properties.
1.6 TDI
The 1.6 TDI is the most efficient engine in the Audi model lineup. The compact diesel engine, which displaces 1,598 cc (bore x stroke 79.5 x 80.5 millimeters [3.13 x 3.17 in]) impresses with the systematic minimization of internal friction. Improvements were achieved through the integration of thermal management measures in the oil and coolant loops, the choice of materials for the piston rings and the piston pin, and in the manufacturing process through the use of a special honing process for the crankcase cylinder barrels.
2.0 TDI
Two versions of the newly developed 2.0 TDI are available for the new Audi A3 Sportback. Performance figures for the version with 100 kW (150 hp) and 320 Nm (236.02 lb-ft) are: 8.7 seconds for the sprint from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) and a top speed of 216 km/h (134.22 mph). Average fuel consumption is just 4.2 liters per 100 km (56.00 US mpg), corresponding to CO2 emissions of 108 grams per kilometer (173.81 g/mile).
TFSI engines
The abbreviation TFSI represents the combination of gasoline direct injection and turbocharging, a technology that Audi was the first carmaker in the world to introduce. The combination of the two technologies results in high power and high torque as well as low fuel consumption.
1.2 TFSI
The entry-level gasoline engine is the completely new 1.2 TFSI, which will join the engine lineup for the new Audi A3 Sportback somewhat later. The unit exemplifies the philosophy of downsizing and has been designed for low weight. The engine weighs just 99.6 kilograms (219.58 lb) without add-on parts. The 1.2 TFSI has four valves per cylinder and displaces 1.197 cc (bore x stroke 71 x 75.6 millimeters [2.80 x 2.98 in]). The piston rings with their low pretension and compact main and connecting rod bearings of the crank shaft are optimized for low friction.
1.4 TFSI
The 1.4 TFSI with 1,395 cc engine displacement (bore x stroke: 74.5 x 80.0 mm [2.93 x 3.15 in]) is an engine that is new from the ground up. Its crankcase is made of die cast aluminum instead of the grey cast iron of the previous engine. It only weighs 18 kg (39.68 lb) instead of 33 kg (72.75 lb). Other changes, e.g. to the crankshaft and the connecting rods, contribute towards the new 1.4 TFSI attaining a weight of only 107 kg (235.89 lb). The 21 kg (46.30 lb) reduction also yields significant benefits in terms of axle load distribution.
1.4 TCNG
A TCNG engine with 81 kW (110 hp) is making its debut in the new Audi A3 Sportback. It has been systematically designed for operation on Audi e-gas. It consumes just 3.6 kilograms of natural gas or Audi e-gas, which Audi produces itself in a sustainable manner, per 100 km (65.34 US mpg). With either fuel, CO2 tailpipe emissions are less than 100 grams per km (160.93 g/mile).
1.8 TFSI
The new 1.8 TFSI - the most powerful engine in the new A3 Sportback at market launch - showcases Audi's high-tech competence with innovative solutions in many technical areas. Its torque curve is like that of a TDI - its maximum torque of 250 Nm (184.39 lb-ft) is already available at 1,250 rpm, and it remains constant up to 5,000 rpm. Its power is 132 kW (180 hp).
Future engines
Audi will quickly expand the range of engines for the A3 Sportback. It includes a dynamic S model and additional high-efficiency, low-emissions variants. The Audi A3 Sportback e-tron with a powerful plug-in hybrid drive will follow in 2014.
source : Audi.com
