Audi gives early look at entry-level A3 model
The three German car companies are all planning to go downscale in the next year or so in an effort to grow their sales numbers, but Audi is the first one to show exactly what it has in mind.
Volkswagen America will launch a five-door version of the compact A3 (which is taken from the VW Golf that isn't in Canada yet) next May in Canada and the U.S.
We'll have to wait and see what BMW does with the 1-Series now that the Yanks have decided against importing it, and how Mercedes-Benz does turning the new A-class into a B-class to suit North American tastes.
In Europe, the A3 we're getting is called the Sportback to differentiate it from the two-door hatchback, but they decided against the name here because we're only getting the one body style.
According to Bernice Holman of VW's Canadian public relations office, the front-drive A3 2.0T should be in Audi stores in May of 2005 with a pricetag of about $33,000, with either a six-speed manual or the Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG) automatic transmission.
In the spring of 2006, VW will add a 3.2 quattro (Audi's term for all-wheel-drive) model for an as-yet unknown MSRP which will come on with the automatic transmission.
Holman says the A3 is ''aimed at active, young-at-heart, family-oriented customers who want a flexibile vehicle, but not necessarily an SUV or wagon.''
The first model to come to Canada will be powered by one of VW's FSI engines, which combines direct injection and a turbocharger for the first time in a production car. So, the 2-litre inline-four delivers 200 hp from 5,100 to 6,000 rpm and 207 lb.-ft. of torque from 1,800 to 5,000 rpm. VW says this engine attached to the six-speed manual should deliver 0-100 kmh launches in the 7.0 seconds range.
From the 3.2-litre V6, VW is able to create 250 hp at 6,300 rpm and 245 ft.-lbs. of torque from 2,500 to 3,000 rpm, good for 0-100 kmh times of 6.4 seconds.
According to Jennifer Cortez of VW America's PR office in Detroit, the A3 has the ''sporting elegance of a coupé and the versatility of a five-door vehicle,'' along with ''sophisticated technology, and well-defined driving dynamics.''
A lot of the driving fun in the A3 will probably come from the DSG transmission, which VW calls a ''pioneering form of power transmission inspired by motor racing technology'' that allows ''lightning-fast gear changes with uninterrupted traction thanks to its electro-hydraulically controlled twin clutch.''
Cortez says the DSG combines the advantages of a conventional 6-speed manual gearbox with the qualities of a modern automatic transmission, and that's ''a drive concept superior in every respect.''
Cortez says the driver benefits from ''supreme agility and driving pleasure combined with harmonious and dynamic acceleration without interrupting the flow of power from the engine.'' On top of that, the DSG is supposed to deliver good fuel economy and easy operation.