Audi Models
Audi A3
The Audi A3 and A3 Sportback, the premium compact models from Audi, are
raising their sporty profile with a raft of improvements and an
accentuated design. Innovative technologies such as the S tronic
dual-clutch transmission with seven speeds and Audi magnetic ride, the
suspension control system, makes for even greater driving pleasure. Its
sharper, more striking design lends even greater expression to the A3
family. Additional equipment features, such as the Audi parking system
at front and rear, the parking assistant and the reversible loadliner,
also add to the appeal of these models. The Audi S3 developing 195 kW
(265 hp) is now also available as a Sportback version, a new top model
that rounds off the range. Shipping will commence in the summer, with
prices starting at € 20,350.
The Audi A3 created the entirely new market segment of the premium
compact car when the first-generation model made its debut in 1996. The
brand with the four rings has been notably successful in that market
segment and has since built 1.9 million units of the Audi A3. After
four successive record-breaking years, the one millionth specimen of
the second-generation A3 - which went into production in 2003 - left
the assembly line just a few days ago. Audi is now solidifying its
lead.
The exterior: even sportier profile
New visual details for the three-door A3 and A3 Sportback bring its
stretched, sporty profile into the foreground. The front lid and fenders
are more expressively styled, and the bumper and large single-frame
radiator grille have been modified. A curved trim element in the
headlamps known as the "wing" accentuates their technical perfection.
Daytime running lights are standard features, and the optional bi-xenon
headlamps incorporate LEDs. Down the sides, the highlight features are
exterior mirrors with integral turn indicators, new door handles and
attractive wheels.
At the tail end, the modified bumper and the lights help this car make a
grand exit; the A3 Sportback now has innovative fiber optic rods
arranged in a flat, continuous strip that creates an impressive optical
effect in the dark. The three-door A3 has a modified tailgate with a
new light edge. As a result of the design modifications, the A3 has
grown by 2.5 centimeters (0.98 in) in length to 4.24 meters (166.93
in), while the sporty proportions of the Sportback remain virtually
unchanged at 4.29 meters (168.90 in) in length.
The interior: sporty elegance
Inside the car, too, the designers fine-tuned the atmosphere of sporty
elegance. Aluminum-look elements on the air vents, light switches and
center console accentuate the premium character of the Audi A3 and A3
Sportback. The switches and controls beneath the audio system have been
given a new, modern look. The instruments have black dials and red
needles to reinforce the impression of precision and advanced
technology, and a shift indicator displays the recommended gear in any
given circumstances in the driver information system. The driver
information system's display and the time, date and distance display -
standard with the Ambiente and Ambition equipment lines - shows the
information in high-resolution white type. The leather sport steering
wheel for the Ambition line has new aluminum trim clips, and Audi can
supply a flat-bottomed leather sport steering wheel for the Ambition as
an option.
New inlays for the Attraction and Ambition, new colors and a wide
selection of upholstery fabrics enhance the interior through their
sportiness, impressive material quality and meticulous crafting. The
upholstery range even includes Fine Nappa leather for the sport seats.
The A3's trunk is the roomiest in its class, at 350 to 1,080 liters
(12.36 to 38.12 cubic ft.), with an even larger 370 to 1,100 liters
(13.06 to 38.83 cubic ft.) on the A3 Sportback. On quattro versions the
trunk floor is a few centimeters higher, to accommodate the special
rear axle. A particularly ingenious feature is available for the
front-wheel-drive versions - a sturdy, reversible loadliner that is a
practical, easy-to-clean tray e.g. for carrying wet items, which can be
removed from the car as a carrying tray. Audi can also supply the
options of roof rails and a panoramic sunroof for the versatile A3
Sportback.
Powerful drive: the engines
As before, Audi is bringing the A3 and A3 Sportback onto the market
with eight different engines - five gasoline and three diesel versions.
Six of them are pioneering four-cylinder direct injection units with
turbocharging. Their abbreviations TFSI and TDI encapsulate the
strengths of Audi's engine technology - performance, high torque,
dynamism, refinement and efficiency.
The 1.6 unit develops 75 kW (102 hp), the 1.4 TFSI 92 kW (125 hp), the
1.8 TFSI 118 kW (160 hp) and the 2.0 TFSI 147 kW (200 hp), while the
3.2 quattro with its six cylinders musters 184 kW (250 hp). The 1.9 TDI
delivers 77 kW (105 hp) and the 2.0 TDI 103 kW (140 hp) or 125 kW (170
hp), depending on specification. Both two-liter diesel engines have
been extensively reengineered - a new common rail injection system now
assures ultra-refined running.
The 1.6-liter gasoline engine can also be supplied in conjunction with
manual transmission for low-cost running on ethanol E 85 fuel. The
diesel with an output of 77 kW (105 hp) is the power unit of the
extremely efficient 1.9 TDI e version which, thanks to special
fine-tuning measures, clocks up 100 kilometers on a mere 4.5 liters of
diesel (52.27 mpg). Most of the other engines likewise slash fuel
consumption by as much as 15 percent. The 1.8 TFSI and the technically
closely related 2.0 TFSI have been frictionally optimized and have new
cylinder bores, pistons and oil pumps.
High tech from Audi: the new transmissions
The range of transmissions has been extended and become even more
appealing. Almost all engine versions are supplied as standard with
six-speed manual transmission. The 1.6 and 1.9 TDI are outfitted with
five-speed manual transmission, and the 3.2 is available exclusively
with the S tronic dual-clutch transmission, now also available
optionally for all engine versions. The high-tech S tronic changes
gears with extreme speed and smoothness. The driver can set it to
operate in a fully automatic mode or change gears manually - either at
the selector lever or with the standard shift paddles on the leather
sport steering wheel (from 103 kW/140 hp).
The S tronic on the six-cylinder engine, the 2.0 TFSI and the diesel
versions has six speeds, whereas the 1.6, the 1.4 TFSI and the 1.8 TFSI
feature a newly developed seven-speed S tronic. Both its clutches are
dry-running - an innovative approach. This means that they do not need a
separate oil supply, further adding to their already impressive
efficiency. The seven gears are closely spaced for a sporty response,
though the top gear is sufficiently high-geared to reduce the engine
speed, cutting fuel consumption as a result.
The quattro versions, which put the A3 in a different league to the
other players in the premium compact class, likewise have even more to
offer. The all-wheel-drive system is available for five engine versions
- for the 1.8 TFSI, the 2.0 TFSI, the 3.2 (as standard) and the two
2.0 TDI versions. In its latest technical form the central hydraulic
multi-plate clutch responds even faster when the engine's power needs
to be redistributed between the front and rear wheels. This increases
stability, traction and driving pleasure for the driver.
The standard-fit dynamic suspension, too, provides safety, dynamic
handling and comfort all rolled into one. The captivating precision
with which the Audi A3 and A3 Sportback handle and their well-balanced
character owe a great deal to elaborate concepts such as the four-link
rear suspension and the efficient electromechanical power steering.
There is optional sport suspension that supports the body 15
millimeters (0.59 in) lower; it is standard on the Ambition, in
conjunction with 17-inch alloys. The option of acoustic glass for the
windshield (standard on Ambiente) enhances occupant comfort and
improves the car's acoustic behavior.
Way ahead of the competition: Audi magnetic ride
There is another new feature that puts the Audi A3 and A3 Sportback
streets ahead of their challengers: The adaptive-action shock absorber
control system by the name of Audi magnetic ride. This system overcomes
the age-old conflict between dynamic behavior and ride comfort. The
driver can choose between "Normal" and "Sport" programs by flipping a
switch. A magneto-rheological fluid circulating in the shock absorbers
changes its flow properties within milliseconds when a voltage is
applied; this affects the damping characteristic, which can be varied
from comfortably supple to crisply firm. Audi can supply the electronic
damping control system as an option for the gasoline versions from 118
kW (160 hp) upwards, as well as for both two-liter TDI versions.
The equipment range for the Audi A3 and A3 Sportback has also been
greatly extended. As before, there are three lines to choose from.
Attraction is the version with compelling character; the
dynamic-looking Ambition for instance includes sport seats, sport
suspension and 17-inch wheels, and the luxurious Ambiente equipment
line features such items as cruise control, a light and rain sensor, an
interior lighting package and the new addition of a windshield with
acoustic glass.
For an even more customized specification there are the S line,
comprising an exterior package and a sport package, the deluxe Audi
exclusive line, and the choice items available within the Audi
exclusive range. On all equipment lines and engine versions for the
German market, the chorus radio system with four speakers is now
standard. There are also modern infotainment systems available,
including the Bose Sound System; the Audi exclusive range includes a
connection socket for an iPod.
The array of other new options demonstrates the high technological
standard of the A3 car line. These include deluxe automatic air
conditioning, adaptive light - the dynamic cornering light system - and
the Audi parking system for front and rear, displaying the distance
from an obstruction via the frequency of the signal emitted. Then there
is the new parking assistant. Its pioneering ultrasound sensors scan
the parking spaces by the roadside as the car is driven slowly past;
the driver is informed in the instrument cluster if one of them is
sufficiently large to back into. If the reverse gear is engaged and the
accelerator pressed, the system manipulates the electromechanical
steering to guide the car automatically into the space. All the driver
need do is attend to the accelerator, clutch and brakes.
The further optimized Audi A3, A3 Sportback and the two S3 versions are
about to go on the market; shipping of the new models will begin in
the summer. In conclusion, the comprehensively improved A3 comes with
an extended range of standard equipment, including the chorus radio
system - all at a starting price of € 20,350.
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