The premium sunroof, which completes the VW Group’s compact quartet, has become larger, more comfortable and, of course, more environmentally friendly. Despite slight hints of «hot» modifications, Audi began to declassify the five-door A3 from the so-called civilian versions. It is noteworthy that with the change of generations, the A3 slightly increases in size: the wheelbase has remained almost unchanged — 2.64 meters, but 3 cm has been added to the length, which is now 4.34 m. The declared trunk volume is from 380 to 1200 liters.
The company also highlights several other innovations, such as improving the soundproofing of the body, including through the optimization of aerodynamics, which increases acoustic comfort. However, the novelty has retained the old suspension scheme. Less powerful versions are equipped with McPherson struts at the front and a torsion bar at the rear, but more dynamic ones have a multi-link rear suspension.
In addition, two suspension options with adaptive dampers will be offered for the A3, promising that the difference between comfortable and sporty driving modes will be much more noticeable. The first version of the chassis will reduce the ground clearance by 10 mm, and the second one by 15 mm (with it the new A3 will be equipped with the S line package). The basic model is equipped with 16-inch wheels, but at the request of the customer, they can be increased to 19 inches.
The interior of the Audi A3 is quite «digitized»: the physical buttons on the air conditioning system are retained, but the screen of the on-board multimedia system has grown to 10.25 inches, and the virtual cockpit has two screens of 12.3 inches each. In addition, the Audi A3 has a handwriting recognition system , and the new media is said to be ten times more powerful than its predecessor.
It has many new online services and the ability to communicate with road infrastructure, voice commands can now be formulated more freely, and the A3 will get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wireless deployment in the near future. The list of driver assistants has also been expanded. Level 2 autopilot is available, capable of driving the car on the highway at speeds up to 210 km/h.
As for the engine lineup, starting units for the A3 will be a 150-horsepower petrol turbo and a 116-horsepower diesel (later a 110-hp three-cylinder unit will play a role on the base trim). The 2.0-litre diesel will also be available in a 150-horsepower version, while the petrol will also be available in a so-called mild-hybrid version with a 48-volt starter-alternator. This can add up to 12 hp. and 50 Nm, but its main task is to provide, for example, the ability to move up to 40 seconds with the engine off.
The A3 is slated to be available with both manual and automatic transmissions, but only DSG will be used for mild hybrids. In the future, all-wheel drive versions will be released, two hybrids with 218 and 245 hp, as well as an Audi S3 with a two-liter four-cylinder turbo engine with 310 horsepower.
Not far off is the appearance of a full-fledged RS 3 hot hatch, which will be equipped with a 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine with about 400 hp. European dealers are already ready to take orders, and deliveries will begin in May. The first dynamic tests of the model are scheduled for the end of March this year, and the mobile.bg team will take part in them, where we will make you a first-hand witness of the first real impressions of the new Audi A3.
http://www.audimanual.ru/en/A3/8L — Repair and maintenance manual of car Audi A3 first generation.
