This is the Audi A3 e-tron, a plug in hybrid from the four-ring brand that's fast and efficient. It's going on sale in Britain soon, starting from £34,950 on the road. That's before you take into account the UK government grant, which could potentially make it as cheap as any other premium hatchback.
There are other plug-in hybrids on the market, of course, but they either don't have the premium features of the A3 or are much more expensive to buy, like in the case of the Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid.
So why an plug-in hybrid? Why not a fully electric car? Audi believes this is the best way to meet customer expectations by giving them a car that's drivable every day and in all situations. Most of the power comes from a 150 horsepower turbo engine, which means there's plenty of juice for rapid acceleration and sustained motorway speeds.
If the customer chooses to go electric, he can switch the car into EV mode and travel on short journeys without ever using a sip of fuel. The official UK market specs are as follows: 1.4-liter TFSI with 148 bhp, helped by a 75 kW (100 bhp) electric motor to produce 201 bhp. 0 to 62 mph takes 7.6 seconds and the top speed is 137 mph. Range? 30 miles on a full charge of the battery and 580 miles in total after the fuel tank is topped off. The greenest member of the A3 family is able to travel at up to 80 miles per hour in pure EV mode and promises to deliver 176.6 mpg, equivalent to CO2 emissions of 37g/km. For a more detailed look at the e-tron's numbers, feel free to check out our model database.
Numbers like that pretty much speak for themselves. However, don't expect to get both the performance and the economy at the same time. Sure, there's the posh Lexus CT200h, which is a pure hybrid with no charging point. But the only true rival for the A3 e-tron is Volkswagen's Golf GTE, ironically offering the exact same powertrain and expected to cost a little less. Audi's 5-door hatchback is more generously equipped, with standard LED headlights, HDD navigation and Audi connect Internet-based services.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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