Meet the new five-door A3
04 June 2004 Audi has designed the Sportback to combine elements of hatchback, estate and coupe, and only the front wheelarches and lamps are carried over from the three-door A3. The newcomer has a vast one-piece radiator grille like that on the new A6 and the 12-cylinder A8, a rising waistline leading to a slightly longer rear overhang than on the three-door car, and a more steeply angled tailgate. Luggage space, at 370 litres, is slightly bigger than the three-door car's and can be stretched to 1120 litres by folding the rear seats. Roof rails are likely to be standard and a full-length open sky' sunroof will become an option next year. Price premiums over the three-door car will probably be around £900. The new petrol engine, dubbed FSI T, is the first volume production engine in the world to combine a turbocharger and direct fuel injection, a system that Audi claims benefits performance, economy and emissions. It uses technology developed for Audi's Le Mans-winning race cars. The same unit will power the next Volkswagen Golf GTi later this year. With 200bhp and 209lb ft of pull, Audi says the new engine is strong and extremely flexible. Peak pulling strength is available from 1800-5000rpm. It allows the A3 Sportback to cover 0-62mph in 7.0sec yet attain nearly 37mpg at cruising speeds. |
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