New Audi A3 Sportback PHEV will deliver 78km of all-electric range
Audi has unveiled a plug-in hybrid version of its new A3 Sportback, with the electrified small car capable of delivering almost 80km in pure electric range.
The A3 Sportback 40 TFSI e forms the next stage in what Audi is calling its “electrification offensive”, and pairs the brand’s 1.4-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine (110kW and 250Nm) with a “permanently excited” electric motor housed in the gearbox that delivers an extra 80kW and 330Nm. All up, Audi is reporting a combined power output of 150kW and 350Nm.
That’s enough, says Audi, to deliver a sprint to 100km/h in just 7.6 seconds, and a flying top speed of 227km/h. More impressive, though, is its efficiency, with Audi reporting fuel use a low as 1.4L/100km on the NEDC cycle, and 30g/100km of C02.
A 13kWh lithium-ion battery is stored beneath the rear seats, with Audi promising an EV range of 78km (67km on the WLTP cycle), or 20km more than the model it replaces, and an electric top speed of 140km/h.
Audi says its new PHEV will plug into mains power, and should take a little over four hours to recharge from empty.
The new A3 Sportback range is expected to launch in Australia towards the end of 2020, or early in 2021, though given competitors like Mercedes-Benz have begun rolling out plug-in versions of their vehicles locally, the smart money would be on Audi bringing the electrified A3 to market.
