Photo: Audi
Introduced in 1996 as the indirect replacement for the Audi 50, the A3 prepares to enter its fourth generation. Scheduled to premiere in March at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show, the Sportback bears clear styling influences from the Q8 utility vehicle as well as the A4 compact executive sedan.
The four-ringed automaker has a few goodies in the pipeline for the newcomer, which rides on the second evolution of the MQB platform that debuted in the Volkswagen Golf Mark 8. First things first, Audi has opted for a progressive steering system boasting 2.5 turns between locks.
Otherwise known as electromechanical assistance, the system adapts automatically to the speed of the vehicle and steering angle. To the point, the steering wheel feels light in urban driving and weighty at high speeds.
The dampers have also been addressed, now coming in the guise of adaptive suspension. Three modes allow the driver to make adjustments to the ride quality, ranging from a comfortable highway cruiser to a stiff corner carver. Electromagnetically actuated valves are integrated into the adaptive dampers, allowing the hydraulic fluid to flow faster or slower.
ESC – which stands for Electronic Stabilization Control – complements the quattro all-wheel drive by braking the two wheels on the insider of the corner when cornering. Not only does this system improve handling, but Audi offers three settings. On needs no explanation whatsoever, Sport allows the driver to “drift on surfaces with a lower coefficient of friction in a safe manner,” and Off disables any sort of brake intervention when wheel slip occurs.
Speaking of quattro, Audi has modified the electronic torque distribution between the axles specifically for the A3. As such, quattro takes data from the suspension’s sensors before passing the information to the clutch. Located at the end of the prop shaft in front of the rear axle’s differential, the clutch is capable of diverting “100 percent” of the torque to the rear axle.
Look forward to the 2020 Audi A3 Sportback entering production in a matter of months at the automaker’s plant in Ingolstadt, Germany. The four-door sedan, on the other hand, will be manufactured in Gyor, Hungary.
Otherwise known as electromechanical assistance, the system adapts automatically to the speed of the vehicle and steering angle. To the point, the steering wheel feels light in urban driving and weighty at high speeds.
The dampers have also been addressed, now coming in the guise of adaptive suspension. Three modes allow the driver to make adjustments to the ride quality, ranging from a comfortable highway cruiser to a stiff corner carver. Electromagnetically actuated valves are integrated into the adaptive dampers, allowing the hydraulic fluid to flow faster or slower.
ESC – which stands for Electronic Stabilization Control – complements the quattro all-wheel drive by braking the two wheels on the insider of the corner when cornering. Not only does this system improve handling, but Audi offers three settings. On needs no explanation whatsoever, Sport allows the driver to “drift on surfaces with a lower coefficient of friction in a safe manner,” and Off disables any sort of brake intervention when wheel slip occurs.
Speaking of quattro, Audi has modified the electronic torque distribution between the axles specifically for the A3. As such, quattro takes data from the suspension’s sensors before passing the information to the clutch. Located at the end of the prop shaft in front of the rear axle’s differential, the clutch is capable of diverting “100 percent” of the torque to the rear axle.
Look forward to the 2020 Audi A3 Sportback entering production in a matter of months at the automaker’s plant in Ingolstadt, Germany. The four-door sedan, on the other hand, will be manufactured in Gyor, Hungary.
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